Critics Reviews:
Rediff - Raja Sen
Score: 4.0/5.0
In India, our post-Colonial hangover includes a peculiar English-language elitism, where those even halfway in control of the language thumb their nose at those unable to speak it.
Where folk routinely, and with unforgivable curtness, cut folk off mid-sentence to snappily correct pronunciation. Which is why a scene in Gauri Shinde's new film -- where a simple Maharashtrian woman is castigated by her family for calling jazz "jhaaz" (even as they proudly call it "jhazz" themselves) -- rings so true.
They don't intentionally mean to humiliate the woman with their constant use of English, but appear befuddled by her lack of what they imagine to be the most basic of linguistic skills.
Shashi, the devastatingly unassuming heroine of English Vinglish, is a homemaker and crafter of much-adoredladdoos, a fledgling entrepreneur doing what she does because its the only thing she's applauded for. Not knowing English, however, cripples her at nearly every turn, till the fact that she can't speak the language becomes her not-so-secret shame, not unlike Kate Winslet's illiteracy in The Reader. And here's the thing: Sridevi does far better.
It helps, of course, that the script services her at every turn. Shinde, making her directorial debut, concentrates not on the overarching drama or the narrative arc, but instead labours hard on creating a heroine so flawless, so grounded, so perfectly lovely that we can't help but be swayed by her. She is a heroine so exaggeratedly Good that she, contrasted against her cartoonishly callous family, appears a superwoman.
This could very well have been another case of script servicing star except, as said, the star really did deserve a script this slavish.
Sridevi's been away nearly fifteen years, and Hindi cinema has changed significantly, a fact perhaps most amusingly encapsulated by the way the actress gasps in this film on seeing a couple kiss in a coffee shop, something unimaginable (on-screen, anyway) in her time.
Yet here she is, better than ever. Yes, ever. English Vinglish sees the veteran heroine trade in glamour for primness and chiffon for cotton, and reining in her wondrously exaggerated acting instincts: even her inimitably shaky-shrill voice works here as a facet of her character's fragility, her constant insecurity.
Sri excels in fleshing out her character -- a character too simple to be, say, charismatic -- and also, more importantly, in winning the audience over so completely that her little triumphs, like navigating a turnstile at a subway station, seem like major highs. We root for her at every step, and that is no small feat.
And while all of Shashi's triumphs may, in fact, be minor ones, the very fact that we gladly cheer on a woman's struggle to learn how to order coffee correctly in the same way that we'd egg on, say, a loveable hockey team on its last legs, is testimony to how well the Shinde-Sridevi tag team builds the character.
The film is staggeringly basic, with a fiendishly unclever plot -- woman feels bad, learns English, feels great -- and a narrative completely bereft of surprise. However, in a film cluttered with lesser victories, Shinde's greatest one might be the deftness with which she steers clear of melodrama.
The result is simple, effective and undeniably striking: rather like the sarees Shashi constantly wears (and even, inexplicably, sleeps in.)
It is this deft assuredness which characterises English Vinglish throughout, with Shashi's obnoxious husband (played by the terrific Adil Hussain in a vintage Kay Kay Menon kinda way) casually but firmly distancing himself from her by throwing somewhat accented English phrases into their conversation, and then retiring to bed with a John Grisham paperback.
Shashi can still manage begrudgingly to get by in Pune, but when a wedding takes her to New York City, she's hopelessly out of her depth. And yet, as evidenced by a smashing superstar cameo on her flight, there's much to be found in the kindness of strangers.
New York, naturally, overwhelms. There are English mishaps, leading to a Mind Your Language-like classroom, complete with a French chef who has the eyes for, well, Sha-she's eyes. And it is here Shinde shows us how, while every global citizen in the classroom is tut-tutted for incorrect pronoun usage, that European gets away with "she is a very beautiful" and "my English not clean", while a South Indian techie seems to have enrolled for much lesser language quibbles.
The sad truth is that we Indians refuse to recognise the exotic in our accidents, the beauty in sloppy, dialectic pronunciation differences, the joy of an over-hardened R or a too-soft T, and prefer instead the rulebook. We're losing out on such lovely, lovely slipups, all because of this need to colour within the lines.
But I digress. Go watch English Vinglish, and take your mothers along. As shown by one great scene which has Shashi speaking furiously in Hindi to her chef friend Laurent, who replies back in thoughtful-sounding French, it isn't about language.
It's about one of the biggest stars of her era transformed into the plainest Jane, a delightful heroine who saves all her grace for hoisting her son onto her pillow. It's about how vital the smallest-seeming dreams can prove to be. Ah, spell it English Win-glish, I say.
Where folk routinely, and with unforgivable curtness, cut folk off mid-sentence to snappily correct pronunciation. Which is why a scene in Gauri Shinde's new film -- where a simple Maharashtrian woman is castigated by her family for calling jazz "jhaaz" (even as they proudly call it "jhazz" themselves) -- rings so true.
They don't intentionally mean to humiliate the woman with their constant use of English, but appear befuddled by her lack of what they imagine to be the most basic of linguistic skills.
Shashi, the devastatingly unassuming heroine of English Vinglish, is a homemaker and crafter of much-adoredladdoos, a fledgling entrepreneur doing what she does because its the only thing she's applauded for. Not knowing English, however, cripples her at nearly every turn, till the fact that she can't speak the language becomes her not-so-secret shame, not unlike Kate Winslet's illiteracy in The Reader. And here's the thing: Sridevi does far better.
It helps, of course, that the script services her at every turn. Shinde, making her directorial debut, concentrates not on the overarching drama or the narrative arc, but instead labours hard on creating a heroine so flawless, so grounded, so perfectly lovely that we can't help but be swayed by her. She is a heroine so exaggeratedly Good that she, contrasted against her cartoonishly callous family, appears a superwoman.
This could very well have been another case of script servicing star except, as said, the star really did deserve a script this slavish.
Sridevi's been away nearly fifteen years, and Hindi cinema has changed significantly, a fact perhaps most amusingly encapsulated by the way the actress gasps in this film on seeing a couple kiss in a coffee shop, something unimaginable (on-screen, anyway) in her time.
Yet here she is, better than ever. Yes, ever. English Vinglish sees the veteran heroine trade in glamour for primness and chiffon for cotton, and reining in her wondrously exaggerated acting instincts: even her inimitably shaky-shrill voice works here as a facet of her character's fragility, her constant insecurity.
Sri excels in fleshing out her character -- a character too simple to be, say, charismatic -- and also, more importantly, in winning the audience over so completely that her little triumphs, like navigating a turnstile at a subway station, seem like major highs. We root for her at every step, and that is no small feat.
And while all of Shashi's triumphs may, in fact, be minor ones, the very fact that we gladly cheer on a woman's struggle to learn how to order coffee correctly in the same way that we'd egg on, say, a loveable hockey team on its last legs, is testimony to how well the Shinde-Sridevi tag team builds the character.
The film is staggeringly basic, with a fiendishly unclever plot -- woman feels bad, learns English, feels great -- and a narrative completely bereft of surprise. However, in a film cluttered with lesser victories, Shinde's greatest one might be the deftness with which she steers clear of melodrama.
The result is simple, effective and undeniably striking: rather like the sarees Shashi constantly wears (and even, inexplicably, sleeps in.)
It is this deft assuredness which characterises English Vinglish throughout, with Shashi's obnoxious husband (played by the terrific Adil Hussain in a vintage Kay Kay Menon kinda way) casually but firmly distancing himself from her by throwing somewhat accented English phrases into their conversation, and then retiring to bed with a John Grisham paperback.
Shashi can still manage begrudgingly to get by in Pune, but when a wedding takes her to New York City, she's hopelessly out of her depth. And yet, as evidenced by a smashing superstar cameo on her flight, there's much to be found in the kindness of strangers.
New York, naturally, overwhelms. There are English mishaps, leading to a Mind Your Language-like classroom, complete with a French chef who has the eyes for, well, Sha-she's eyes. And it is here Shinde shows us how, while every global citizen in the classroom is tut-tutted for incorrect pronoun usage, that European gets away with "she is a very beautiful" and "my English not clean", while a South Indian techie seems to have enrolled for much lesser language quibbles.
The sad truth is that we Indians refuse to recognise the exotic in our accidents, the beauty in sloppy, dialectic pronunciation differences, the joy of an over-hardened R or a too-soft T, and prefer instead the rulebook. We're losing out on such lovely, lovely slipups, all because of this need to colour within the lines.
But I digress. Go watch English Vinglish, and take your mothers along. As shown by one great scene which has Shashi speaking furiously in Hindi to her chef friend Laurent, who replies back in thoughtful-sounding French, it isn't about language.
It's about one of the biggest stars of her era transformed into the plainest Jane, a delightful heroine who saves all her grace for hoisting her son onto her pillow. It's about how vital the smallest-seeming dreams can prove to be. Ah, spell it English Win-glish, I say.
Yahoo India - Subhash K. Jha
Score: 4.5/5.0
There are no villains in "English Vinglish". Only imperfect human beings like you and I, who make that common error of taking loved ones for granted.
Admit it. At some point in our lives we have all felt that if we don't speak good English, we are not destined to be successful human beings. Imagine a housewife - beautiful, efficient, charming, supportive - and imagine if she looks like, well, Sridevi and still feels she is being taken for granted just because she can't speak fluent Angrezi.
Shashi's children find her embarrassing at times. Her husband openly cracks jokes about her accent. Shashi's husband thinks he's just being urbane and witty. But it hurts. We see that hurt in Sridevi's eyes each time she is slighted and snubbed by those whom she loves the most.
We know this world. We know this woman too. Director Gauri Shinde brings to the comfort of the familiar a feeling and flavour of wonderment, discovery and beauty.
"English Vinglish" is a fabulous fable of a woman's self-actualization. Shabana Azmi used to do such films in the 1970s. The issues in those films about unfulfilled wives were largely socially-defined - infidelity, adultery and betrayal. The betrayal of the unforgettable woman in "English Vinglish" is far less dramatic and therefore much more profoundly deep-rooted.
Shashi breaks up a little every time the three most important people in her life - her husband, daughter and son - crack up at her vernacular accent.
Then comes the chance for redemption. A five-week vacation in the US, a clandestine crash course in English and best of all, a chance to feel wanted and special when a fellow-classmate, a quietly striking French chef, gives Shashi the attention she doesn't get from her husband.
This is the complete middle-class woman's fantasy. Go out on your own and find happiness. Shinde wins over the audience at the story level itself. And then as a bonus, she proves herself a master storyteller.
Sure, Shinde gets a tremendous boost from cinematographer Laxman Utekar who captures New York in its quiet mellow state of bustling grace; composer Amit Trivedi's music simply and fluently melts into the theme and storytelling; and editor Hemanti Sarkar cuts the footage the way Shashi would cut her vegetables, precisely, lovingly and without anxiety.
Finally it's really the director's call.
In what I rank as the best debut by a female director since Aparna Sen's "36 Chowringee Lane", Shinde imbues a majestic mellowness and an unostentatious glow to the story of Shashi's coming-of-age saga. Shashi's ennui is not the in-your-face tragic pathos of Madhabi Mukherjee in Satyajit Ray's "Charulata" or Shabana in "Ek Pal". No case-history of domestic torture is built for our heroine. And no, the husband, played by Adil Hussain, brilliant in a thankless role, is not a cad sneaking into another woman's bed.
The narration doesn't try to pin its resplendent protagonist's life down to boomarked vignettes suggesting a violent need to be liberated from her domestic life. It's all very routine, recognisable and familiar.
The miracle of watching "English Vinglish" confer such a supple and contoured shape to Shashi's life is attributable to the director's high-concept theme and treatment. Shinde abhors overstatement. You hardly ever see Shashi break down. And so when the awards fall into Sridevi's lap at the yearend the nomination clip won't be the woman who suffers wracking trauma stereotype.
Nope. This woman is far more special than the bored housewives who look for an alibi to burst into their own version of 'Kaaton se kheench key yeh aanchal' to justify their succulent bites into the forbidden fruit. Sridevi simply sinks into the Big Apple, biting off juicy mouthfuls of New York's sobering cultural grace absorbing the cultural shock with a dignity that films about journeys tend to undervalue. Not this one.
"English Vinglish" a delectable geographical and emotional journey undertaken with a refreshing absence of bravura and selfcongratulation.
Much of Shashi's inner power comes from Sridevi owning the role. This actress simply vanishes into her character living every breath of Shashi's voyage from laddoo-making to self-actualisation. The journey is so excitng for us the audience because we feel a new world of experiences unravel for Shashi even as she savours the newness of it all.
Sridevi is the film's backbone. To her good fortune, and ours, the film is supported by a uniformly impeccable cast. Hardly ever in recent times have I seen so many wonderful performers in one film who don't seem to 'perform' at all. Whether it's Shashi's immediate family, or her sister's family in the US, and her classmates at the coaching institute - every character stays with us. Every person populating the plot is vididly sketched.
Finally, of course, this is Sridevi's film. In the past she has given outstanding performances in awful films like "Nagina" and "Judaai". Here her inviolable virtuosity and exceptional grace get brilliant support from every department of the film.
Specially memorable are her scenes with her French co-star Mehdi Nebbou who is so splendidly supportive, we forget what a major star he is in France.
Each time the two get passionate and emotional about one another, they speak in their native tongues, certain that their words would not impede the meaning of their thought expression.
Words, this beautiful work of unassuming art tells us, are redundant. More so, when the embodiment of silent eloquence Sridevi needs to express her inner thoughts. She never allows her character to look like a victim. That is the real triumph of "English Vinglish".
Sublime, subtle, seductive and thoroughly engaging "English Vinglish" is in some ways, a life-changing experience. It turns around the male gaze, making patriarchal tyranny seem like an acceptable tradition that we never thought we needed to break. With oodles of persuasive charm, the director breaks down the bastion of male pride with a film that generations will look back on with affection. As for the incandescent Sridevi, was she really away for 16 years? She makes the contemporary actresses, even the coolest ones, look like jokes with her flawless interpretation of a woman who seeks only respect because love, she already has.
Flaws? Yes one. Amitabh Bachchan's cameo, interesting as it is, overstays its welcome. Actually Shinde plays the Big B the best possible compliment in the opening credits: "100 Years Of Indian cinema 70 Years Of Amitabh Bachchan."
To that we can add, a good 40 years of Sridevi. If you watch only two films every year make sure you see "English Vinglish" twice!
Admit it. At some point in our lives we have all felt that if we don't speak good English, we are not destined to be successful human beings. Imagine a housewife - beautiful, efficient, charming, supportive - and imagine if she looks like, well, Sridevi and still feels she is being taken for granted just because she can't speak fluent Angrezi.
Shashi's children find her embarrassing at times. Her husband openly cracks jokes about her accent. Shashi's husband thinks he's just being urbane and witty. But it hurts. We see that hurt in Sridevi's eyes each time she is slighted and snubbed by those whom she loves the most.
We know this world. We know this woman too. Director Gauri Shinde brings to the comfort of the familiar a feeling and flavour of wonderment, discovery and beauty.
"English Vinglish" is a fabulous fable of a woman's self-actualization. Shabana Azmi used to do such films in the 1970s. The issues in those films about unfulfilled wives were largely socially-defined - infidelity, adultery and betrayal. The betrayal of the unforgettable woman in "English Vinglish" is far less dramatic and therefore much more profoundly deep-rooted.
Shashi breaks up a little every time the three most important people in her life - her husband, daughter and son - crack up at her vernacular accent.
Then comes the chance for redemption. A five-week vacation in the US, a clandestine crash course in English and best of all, a chance to feel wanted and special when a fellow-classmate, a quietly striking French chef, gives Shashi the attention she doesn't get from her husband.
This is the complete middle-class woman's fantasy. Go out on your own and find happiness. Shinde wins over the audience at the story level itself. And then as a bonus, she proves herself a master storyteller.
Sure, Shinde gets a tremendous boost from cinematographer Laxman Utekar who captures New York in its quiet mellow state of bustling grace; composer Amit Trivedi's music simply and fluently melts into the theme and storytelling; and editor Hemanti Sarkar cuts the footage the way Shashi would cut her vegetables, precisely, lovingly and without anxiety.
Finally it's really the director's call.
In what I rank as the best debut by a female director since Aparna Sen's "36 Chowringee Lane", Shinde imbues a majestic mellowness and an unostentatious glow to the story of Shashi's coming-of-age saga. Shashi's ennui is not the in-your-face tragic pathos of Madhabi Mukherjee in Satyajit Ray's "Charulata" or Shabana in "Ek Pal". No case-history of domestic torture is built for our heroine. And no, the husband, played by Adil Hussain, brilliant in a thankless role, is not a cad sneaking into another woman's bed.
The narration doesn't try to pin its resplendent protagonist's life down to boomarked vignettes suggesting a violent need to be liberated from her domestic life. It's all very routine, recognisable and familiar.
The miracle of watching "English Vinglish" confer such a supple and contoured shape to Shashi's life is attributable to the director's high-concept theme and treatment. Shinde abhors overstatement. You hardly ever see Shashi break down. And so when the awards fall into Sridevi's lap at the yearend the nomination clip won't be the woman who suffers wracking trauma stereotype.
Nope. This woman is far more special than the bored housewives who look for an alibi to burst into their own version of 'Kaaton se kheench key yeh aanchal' to justify their succulent bites into the forbidden fruit. Sridevi simply sinks into the Big Apple, biting off juicy mouthfuls of New York's sobering cultural grace absorbing the cultural shock with a dignity that films about journeys tend to undervalue. Not this one.
"English Vinglish" a delectable geographical and emotional journey undertaken with a refreshing absence of bravura and selfcongratulation.
Much of Shashi's inner power comes from Sridevi owning the role. This actress simply vanishes into her character living every breath of Shashi's voyage from laddoo-making to self-actualisation. The journey is so excitng for us the audience because we feel a new world of experiences unravel for Shashi even as she savours the newness of it all.
Sridevi is the film's backbone. To her good fortune, and ours, the film is supported by a uniformly impeccable cast. Hardly ever in recent times have I seen so many wonderful performers in one film who don't seem to 'perform' at all. Whether it's Shashi's immediate family, or her sister's family in the US, and her classmates at the coaching institute - every character stays with us. Every person populating the plot is vididly sketched.
Finally, of course, this is Sridevi's film. In the past she has given outstanding performances in awful films like "Nagina" and "Judaai". Here her inviolable virtuosity and exceptional grace get brilliant support from every department of the film.
Specially memorable are her scenes with her French co-star Mehdi Nebbou who is so splendidly supportive, we forget what a major star he is in France.
Each time the two get passionate and emotional about one another, they speak in their native tongues, certain that their words would not impede the meaning of their thought expression.
Words, this beautiful work of unassuming art tells us, are redundant. More so, when the embodiment of silent eloquence Sridevi needs to express her inner thoughts. She never allows her character to look like a victim. That is the real triumph of "English Vinglish".
Sublime, subtle, seductive and thoroughly engaging "English Vinglish" is in some ways, a life-changing experience. It turns around the male gaze, making patriarchal tyranny seem like an acceptable tradition that we never thought we needed to break. With oodles of persuasive charm, the director breaks down the bastion of male pride with a film that generations will look back on with affection. As for the incandescent Sridevi, was she really away for 16 years? She makes the contemporary actresses, even the coolest ones, look like jokes with her flawless interpretation of a woman who seeks only respect because love, she already has.
Flaws? Yes one. Amitabh Bachchan's cameo, interesting as it is, overstays its welcome. Actually Shinde plays the Big B the best possible compliment in the opening credits: "100 Years Of Indian cinema 70 Years Of Amitabh Bachchan."
To that we can add, a good 40 years of Sridevi. If you watch only two films every year make sure you see "English Vinglish" twice!
The Hollywood Reporter - Lisa Tsering
Score: N/A
Indian screen legend Sridevi triumphs in a gentle, but affecting, story of a woman’s awakening self-respect.Fans of Indian cinema need no introduction to Sridevi, the star of more than 200 movies: admired for her sparkling comic timing, dancing prowess and acting chops, “Sri” ruled the marquee from the mid-‘70s to the early ‘90s before settling down to raise two daughters with her husband, producer Boney Kapoor.It took a very special project indeed to lure this very special talent back to the big screen, and English Vinglish is it.
Directed and written by Gauri Shinde, the film depicts the transformation of Shashi, a meek, put-upon Indian housewife who speaks only Hindi, into a confident citizen of the world, over the length of a four-week crash course in English.
The Eros release, which enjoyed acclaim (and according to reports, a standing ovation) at the Toronto International Film Festival, is up against strong competition from the satire Oh My God and India’s foreign language Oscar submission, Barfi!, but its universal message — conveyed with wit and heart — is persuasive enough to draw a sizable audience nevertheless. Indeed, a recent San Francisco Bay Area screening found the audience packed with families and young children, a heartening prospect given the film’s positive message encouraging diversity and tolerance.
Shashi is a dedicated mother and gifted cook, the wife of a busy executive in the western Indian city of Pune. Her laddoos (a golden, sweet snack ball) earn raves and she even runs a small catering business, but her family treats her like a servant. Her teenaged daughter treats her with contempt, while the casually masked cruelty of her husband’s words (Adil Hussain) cut her to the core: “My wife was born to make laddoos!” he gloats.
When Shashi is called upon to fly to New York City — solo — to help her sister arrange a niece’s wedding, she is terrified (look for Amitabh Bachchan in a short, but memorable, scene onboard her flight). Once in New York, the Hindi-speaking Shashi is faced with ever-mounting humiliations, in a series of beautifully mounted, yet squirm-inducing scenes.
It is at this point that Shashi realizes that her lack of English skills is holding her back, and so when she spies an ad for an English class on a passing city bus, she decides to sneak out of her relatives’ house and navigate New York City’s subways and buses to get there.
Her fellow international students include a Pakistani cab driver, a South Indian engineer, a Mexican nanny and a smitten French man (Mehdi Nabbou), also a cook, who tastes her laddoos and tells her, “You are an artist.” Shashi retorts, “When a man cooks, it’s an art. When a woman cooks, it’s just her duty.”
It’s no surprise that by the end of the film, Shashi will conquer her fears, but the route Shinde takes to get her there is distinctively Shashi’s. The image of the newly confident Shashi striding down a Manhattan street, a takeout coffee in hand and a trench coat belted over her sari, will make you smile days after you leave the theater.
There is a growing body of work that shows Indian female characters flexing their muscles: Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham; Deepa Mehta’s Water; the late Jagmohan Mundhra’sProvoked: A True Story, starring Aishwarya Rai; and Amol Palekar’s Anaahat/Eternity, starringSonali Bendre, spring to mind. And the work of Indian female filmmakers like Chadha, Mehta, Mira Nair and most recently Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) is always worth a look.
With English Vinglish, female director Shinde — known for her documentaries and commercials — brings her own lifetime of experience into the picture. “It is my way of saying ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank you’ to my mother, and a tribute to women,” Shinde writes in the film’s press notes.
Ultimately, what make English Vinglish memorable are the small, step-by-step choices Shashi makes to transforms herself. Yes, there’s grit there, but it’s tempered with compassion and dignity. The way the character has been crafted by Shinde, and interpreted by Sridevi, is gloriously feminine, and uniquely Indian.
Directed and written by Gauri Shinde, the film depicts the transformation of Shashi, a meek, put-upon Indian housewife who speaks only Hindi, into a confident citizen of the world, over the length of a four-week crash course in English.
The Eros release, which enjoyed acclaim (and according to reports, a standing ovation) at the Toronto International Film Festival, is up against strong competition from the satire Oh My God and India’s foreign language Oscar submission, Barfi!, but its universal message — conveyed with wit and heart — is persuasive enough to draw a sizable audience nevertheless. Indeed, a recent San Francisco Bay Area screening found the audience packed with families and young children, a heartening prospect given the film’s positive message encouraging diversity and tolerance.
Shashi is a dedicated mother and gifted cook, the wife of a busy executive in the western Indian city of Pune. Her laddoos (a golden, sweet snack ball) earn raves and she even runs a small catering business, but her family treats her like a servant. Her teenaged daughter treats her with contempt, while the casually masked cruelty of her husband’s words (Adil Hussain) cut her to the core: “My wife was born to make laddoos!” he gloats.
When Shashi is called upon to fly to New York City — solo — to help her sister arrange a niece’s wedding, she is terrified (look for Amitabh Bachchan in a short, but memorable, scene onboard her flight). Once in New York, the Hindi-speaking Shashi is faced with ever-mounting humiliations, in a series of beautifully mounted, yet squirm-inducing scenes.
It is at this point that Shashi realizes that her lack of English skills is holding her back, and so when she spies an ad for an English class on a passing city bus, she decides to sneak out of her relatives’ house and navigate New York City’s subways and buses to get there.
Her fellow international students include a Pakistani cab driver, a South Indian engineer, a Mexican nanny and a smitten French man (Mehdi Nabbou), also a cook, who tastes her laddoos and tells her, “You are an artist.” Shashi retorts, “When a man cooks, it’s an art. When a woman cooks, it’s just her duty.”
It’s no surprise that by the end of the film, Shashi will conquer her fears, but the route Shinde takes to get her there is distinctively Shashi’s. The image of the newly confident Shashi striding down a Manhattan street, a takeout coffee in hand and a trench coat belted over her sari, will make you smile days after you leave the theater.
There is a growing body of work that shows Indian female characters flexing their muscles: Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham; Deepa Mehta’s Water; the late Jagmohan Mundhra’sProvoked: A True Story, starring Aishwarya Rai; and Amol Palekar’s Anaahat/Eternity, starringSonali Bendre, spring to mind. And the work of Indian female filmmakers like Chadha, Mehta, Mira Nair and most recently Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) is always worth a look.
With English Vinglish, female director Shinde — known for her documentaries and commercials — brings her own lifetime of experience into the picture. “It is my way of saying ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank you’ to my mother, and a tribute to women,” Shinde writes in the film’s press notes.
Ultimately, what make English Vinglish memorable are the small, step-by-step choices Shashi makes to transforms herself. Yes, there’s grit there, but it’s tempered with compassion and dignity. The way the character has been crafted by Shinde, and interpreted by Sridevi, is gloriously feminine, and uniquely Indian.
The Hindu - Sudhish Kamath
Score: N/A
A woman who can't speak English all that well decides to learn the language to prove a point
The queen returns to her throne to give the industry starved of quality actresses a crash course in acting with Gauri Shinde’s finely crafted slice of life drama English Vinglish.
Echoing sentiments previously seen in Revathy’s Mitr My Friend, Shinde’s film too captures the unspoken angst of a neglected housewife and mother with refreshing restraint and super sensitivity, at least for most of its running time, letting Sridevi demonstrate how it’s done — from the subtlest of expressions to full blown drama. She makes you smile, she brings a tear to the eye, makes you feel and root for her from the very first scene when she sets her cup of tea aside to fetch a cup for her husband.
There is no evil husband or children with issues here. The characters are so real which is why we feel for the increasingly alienated woman. The brilliant Adil Hussain pulls off a rather difficult role — he is a loving, caring husband but happens to look down at her and says the most insensitive things without intending to hurt. So, it is a nice touch that the filmmaker doesn't feel the need to make him apologise expressly.
The understated change in his attitude says it all.
It is a delightful ensemble that makes sure you are entertained all through. Be it pretty Priya Anand who makes a fine Hindi debut, the charming French actor Mehdi Nebbou or any of the other supporting actors for that matter, they all get to make an impression in this feel-good drama that would make for a memorable television series in the lines of Mind Your Language.
The first half, especially, makes for a riveting pilot episode as it introduces characters and sets the stage for many potentially funny sitcom gags... but given the limitations of the medium, Shinde breezes through the bonding, camaraderie and learning with song sequences and races to the rather predictable but highly effective climax — the big speech.
Like The King's Speech, this star vehicle is all about the lead character finding her voice and confidence.
So, the film was always going to be evaluated on how well the final English speech is written and delivered. Sridevi nails it so beautifully. What a masterfully nuanced performance this is!
The childlike shiver in her voice is now more of a quiver but that apart, there is no other indication that the Queen has aged.
Amitabh Bachchan chips in with a lovely little cameo earlier on in the film (Ajith in the Tamil version of the film) and Amit Trivedi's music adds to the instantly likeable light-hearted vibe of the film. Which is why a couple of scenes where the drama is a couple of notches higher look a little out of place in this film that's largely cooked and tempered at low flame.
English Vinglish delivers what it promises. You will fall in love with Sridevi all over again. It's a fantastic tribute to motherhood and womankind. Make sure you take your folks along. The perfect way to say, ‘I love you, mom.’
The queen returns to her throne to give the industry starved of quality actresses a crash course in acting with Gauri Shinde’s finely crafted slice of life drama English Vinglish.
Echoing sentiments previously seen in Revathy’s Mitr My Friend, Shinde’s film too captures the unspoken angst of a neglected housewife and mother with refreshing restraint and super sensitivity, at least for most of its running time, letting Sridevi demonstrate how it’s done — from the subtlest of expressions to full blown drama. She makes you smile, she brings a tear to the eye, makes you feel and root for her from the very first scene when she sets her cup of tea aside to fetch a cup for her husband.
There is no evil husband or children with issues here. The characters are so real which is why we feel for the increasingly alienated woman. The brilliant Adil Hussain pulls off a rather difficult role — he is a loving, caring husband but happens to look down at her and says the most insensitive things without intending to hurt. So, it is a nice touch that the filmmaker doesn't feel the need to make him apologise expressly.
The understated change in his attitude says it all.
It is a delightful ensemble that makes sure you are entertained all through. Be it pretty Priya Anand who makes a fine Hindi debut, the charming French actor Mehdi Nebbou or any of the other supporting actors for that matter, they all get to make an impression in this feel-good drama that would make for a memorable television series in the lines of Mind Your Language.
The first half, especially, makes for a riveting pilot episode as it introduces characters and sets the stage for many potentially funny sitcom gags... but given the limitations of the medium, Shinde breezes through the bonding, camaraderie and learning with song sequences and races to the rather predictable but highly effective climax — the big speech.
Like The King's Speech, this star vehicle is all about the lead character finding her voice and confidence.
So, the film was always going to be evaluated on how well the final English speech is written and delivered. Sridevi nails it so beautifully. What a masterfully nuanced performance this is!
The childlike shiver in her voice is now more of a quiver but that apart, there is no other indication that the Queen has aged.
Amitabh Bachchan chips in with a lovely little cameo earlier on in the film (Ajith in the Tamil version of the film) and Amit Trivedi's music adds to the instantly likeable light-hearted vibe of the film. Which is why a couple of scenes where the drama is a couple of notches higher look a little out of place in this film that's largely cooked and tempered at low flame.
English Vinglish delivers what it promises. You will fall in love with Sridevi all over again. It's a fantastic tribute to motherhood and womankind. Make sure you take your folks along. The perfect way to say, ‘I love you, mom.’
Bollywood Life - Shweta Parande
Score: 3.0/5.0
Is Sridevi on her way to becoming India’s Meryl Streep? Or Susan Sarandon? Seriously, we don’t know if such comparisons are valid, ‘coz Sridevi is our very own Sridevi, so let her be her. Yes, those are the kind of reactions she would draw from audiences when they watch her new film,English Vinglish, which is also the directorial debut of Gauri Shinde.
Everyone knows the story of English Vinglish from the trailer. So what is it that makes it special? Good performances, delightful dialogues and some scenes which both make you laugh and feel some dil ka dard. But at the same time, the film does not overwhelm or make you cry or think too much. Its beauty lies in its subtle messages and hints.
Sridevi plays Shashi Godbole, a typical – if we may say so – Indian housewife from Pune. Her world revolves around her husband, two kids and her laddoo ‘business’. She also has a mother-in-law (Sulabha Deshpande), but thankfully who is not the wicked saas-bahu kind. Shashi is overworked and under-estimated, and often overlooked for the kind of love and effort she puts into the family. She is also ridiculed for being a ‘vernac’. Familiar? Everyone will find one woman in their family like Shashi, I’m sure. And therein could lie the formula for the success of the film!
Shashi’s life is mundane but stable, and there’s panic when she has to leave for New York alone to help her elder sister with her daughter’s wedding. Hesitant to go it solo, Shashi finds that NY actually opens up a whole new world for her, when she musters up the courage to join English classes and attends them without letting anyone know. This portion of English Vinglish might remind you of the classic Mind Your Language, or its Indian version Zabaan Sambhalke.
Thankfully the proceedings are lightened up by the possibility of a romance between Shashi and her classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou). So, kuch kuch hota hai or no? Watch the film to find out!
As Shashi’s English classes slowly wind up, her family joins her in NY and she is confused whether to carry on with her lessons or not. She questions her existence, her choices and her driving force and chooses a path. Which path? Go see the film to find out!
Sridevi’s comeback after 15 years is rocking with a role that suits her age and her experience. She is completely in character, knowing just when to hold back and when to emote. However, there could’ve been more scope for her to show her range of that incredible talent she has. Even her well-known dancing skills were not put to good use in the wedding song. But then, that’s demure Shashi for you who’s dancing, and not Sridevi! Kudos to both director and star for that restraint.
French-Arabic actor Nebbou plays a French cook who falls for the sari clad Indian damsel in distress – in this case, a married one. He is hot and his scenes with Sri are most natural, as he communicates with his eyes. Maybe we can see him in another Bollywood film? Sigh…
Bollywood’s legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan is loud and funny in his cameo in the film – hamming for some but likeable anyway.
English Vinglish loses pace in bits and pieces, which is unfortunate considering that it’s just over two hours long. Also, the climax is at a great Indian wedding, as it almost always is. But nevertheless, this one’s a one-time must-watch with the family and touches on old-fashioned values like love, respect for one another (gays included, it insists), courage and determination to get out of a rut and brace for a challenge, loyalty to a partner and confidence in the self. It also tells you to finish what you have started – whether it’s an English class or taking care of a family.
A sari-draped Indian housewife, who seems boring and old-fashioned to her Westernised Indian family, could be considered a stereotypical portrait. But the same sari-clad woman is seen as an exotic and charming lady from a foreigner’s point of view. And that, anyone who has travelled abroad will recognise – charming vignettes like these make the film real and rooted.
Director Shinde brings experiences from her surroundings on to celluloid in a nice way. A lot of the emotions have been depicted in movies and TV shows before, but it still seems new and the credit to that goes to Gauri, Sridevi, the other actors and the production team including Shinde’s husband, filmmaker and ad man R Balki.
Kudos to the music by Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Swanand Kirkire that seem so much a part of the film.
Nevertheless, in the end, Shashi chooses to ask for a Hindi newspaper in her flight back to India, almost as if she is dying to go back to her pre-New York life with her family. But her hubby (played naturally by Adil Hussain) looks on knowingly. So will Shashi embrace English and balance her old life with her new experiences? Or will she be content with the fact that she has been able to communicate her feelings to her loved ones – to tell them that she needs respect and not just love? That’s for you to interpret, but the film’s messages stay with you when you leave the theatre. And that’s a winner for Gauri Shinde and Sridevi!
Everyone knows the story of English Vinglish from the trailer. So what is it that makes it special? Good performances, delightful dialogues and some scenes which both make you laugh and feel some dil ka dard. But at the same time, the film does not overwhelm or make you cry or think too much. Its beauty lies in its subtle messages and hints.
Sridevi plays Shashi Godbole, a typical – if we may say so – Indian housewife from Pune. Her world revolves around her husband, two kids and her laddoo ‘business’. She also has a mother-in-law (Sulabha Deshpande), but thankfully who is not the wicked saas-bahu kind. Shashi is overworked and under-estimated, and often overlooked for the kind of love and effort she puts into the family. She is also ridiculed for being a ‘vernac’. Familiar? Everyone will find one woman in their family like Shashi, I’m sure. And therein could lie the formula for the success of the film!
Shashi’s life is mundane but stable, and there’s panic when she has to leave for New York alone to help her elder sister with her daughter’s wedding. Hesitant to go it solo, Shashi finds that NY actually opens up a whole new world for her, when she musters up the courage to join English classes and attends them without letting anyone know. This portion of English Vinglish might remind you of the classic Mind Your Language, or its Indian version Zabaan Sambhalke.
Thankfully the proceedings are lightened up by the possibility of a romance between Shashi and her classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou). So, kuch kuch hota hai or no? Watch the film to find out!
As Shashi’s English classes slowly wind up, her family joins her in NY and she is confused whether to carry on with her lessons or not. She questions her existence, her choices and her driving force and chooses a path. Which path? Go see the film to find out!
Sridevi’s comeback after 15 years is rocking with a role that suits her age and her experience. She is completely in character, knowing just when to hold back and when to emote. However, there could’ve been more scope for her to show her range of that incredible talent she has. Even her well-known dancing skills were not put to good use in the wedding song. But then, that’s demure Shashi for you who’s dancing, and not Sridevi! Kudos to both director and star for that restraint.
French-Arabic actor Nebbou plays a French cook who falls for the sari clad Indian damsel in distress – in this case, a married one. He is hot and his scenes with Sri are most natural, as he communicates with his eyes. Maybe we can see him in another Bollywood film? Sigh…
Bollywood’s legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan is loud and funny in his cameo in the film – hamming for some but likeable anyway.
English Vinglish loses pace in bits and pieces, which is unfortunate considering that it’s just over two hours long. Also, the climax is at a great Indian wedding, as it almost always is. But nevertheless, this one’s a one-time must-watch with the family and touches on old-fashioned values like love, respect for one another (gays included, it insists), courage and determination to get out of a rut and brace for a challenge, loyalty to a partner and confidence in the self. It also tells you to finish what you have started – whether it’s an English class or taking care of a family.
A sari-draped Indian housewife, who seems boring and old-fashioned to her Westernised Indian family, could be considered a stereotypical portrait. But the same sari-clad woman is seen as an exotic and charming lady from a foreigner’s point of view. And that, anyone who has travelled abroad will recognise – charming vignettes like these make the film real and rooted.
Director Shinde brings experiences from her surroundings on to celluloid in a nice way. A lot of the emotions have been depicted in movies and TV shows before, but it still seems new and the credit to that goes to Gauri, Sridevi, the other actors and the production team including Shinde’s husband, filmmaker and ad man R Balki.
Kudos to the music by Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Swanand Kirkire that seem so much a part of the film.
Nevertheless, in the end, Shashi chooses to ask for a Hindi newspaper in her flight back to India, almost as if she is dying to go back to her pre-New York life with her family. But her hubby (played naturally by Adil Hussain) looks on knowingly. So will Shashi embrace English and balance her old life with her new experiences? Or will she be content with the fact that she has been able to communicate her feelings to her loved ones – to tell them that she needs respect and not just love? That’s for you to interpret, but the film’s messages stay with you when you leave the theatre. And that’s a winner for Gauri Shinde and Sridevi!
Now Running - Mansha Rastogi
Score: 3.5/5.0
It wouldn't be wrong to state that ad film maker R Balki knows the pulse of the audience and taps his target group just right to make an astounding impact with his films. His first film Cheeni Kum was applauded by all and sundry and so was the case with Paa. This time around he lets his wife get on the helm of affairs and she takes over the mantle of a director with yet another content driven film English Vinglish. The film has been in the limelight only for the comeback of Sridevi. But does this actually strike a chord as a story or not let's find out.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a dutiful housewife and a doting mother of two. She loves making Laddoos, possibly her only passion other than housekeeping and raising kids. However, for her husband Satish Godbole (Adil Hussain) her life was only meant to make Laddoos, while for her daughter she is nothing but an embarrassment as she cannot match up to her friend's mothers for Shashi's faltered English is too much of a letdown to everybody. However, one find day she sets out to change all things wrong about her and stuns everybody.
Gauri Shinde delicately handles the smallest of emotions and presents it well on screen. Her world isn't melodramatic yet portrays countless emotions. There isn't the usual rona-dhona, yet the film will get you teary eyed but with a smile. The graph of the Shashi's journey from being a vernac to a decent English speaker is very infectiously liberating and you can't help but instantly start feeling for the character.
The debutant filmmaker doesn't let herself take the cinematic liberty at any point of time and sticks to what is a very practical story. For instance, the way she handles Shashi's reactions to the inclination of a French man towards her is just fantastic. Never for once treading into a predictable part, Gauri enters the film industry as a pleasant surprise.
The only drawback in the film comes with the intermittent lull sequences. Specially the parts where the stock shots of USA are used along with songs which end up testing your patience.
However, all through the dull portions it's Gauri Shinde's ace that holds the fort. There couldn't be a better person to portray the lead part than Sridevi and the actress marks a crackling comeback! Never for once do you see her faltering. Sridevi not only looks beautiful but also matures as an actress. Her portrayal of a vernac housewife who is determined to change the condescending perceptions about her is pure brilliance. Her flawless portrayal clearly testifies once again why she was and still is a superstar!
The rest of the cast too aides Sridevi's performance only to accentuate the entire movie viewing experience.
To sum it up, English Vinglish stands tall on the shoulders of two courageous women, Gauri Shindi and Sridevi who deliver one of the finest films of 2012. A definite watch for everyone.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a dutiful housewife and a doting mother of two. She loves making Laddoos, possibly her only passion other than housekeeping and raising kids. However, for her husband Satish Godbole (Adil Hussain) her life was only meant to make Laddoos, while for her daughter she is nothing but an embarrassment as she cannot match up to her friend's mothers for Shashi's faltered English is too much of a letdown to everybody. However, one find day she sets out to change all things wrong about her and stuns everybody.
Gauri Shinde delicately handles the smallest of emotions and presents it well on screen. Her world isn't melodramatic yet portrays countless emotions. There isn't the usual rona-dhona, yet the film will get you teary eyed but with a smile. The graph of the Shashi's journey from being a vernac to a decent English speaker is very infectiously liberating and you can't help but instantly start feeling for the character.
The debutant filmmaker doesn't let herself take the cinematic liberty at any point of time and sticks to what is a very practical story. For instance, the way she handles Shashi's reactions to the inclination of a French man towards her is just fantastic. Never for once treading into a predictable part, Gauri enters the film industry as a pleasant surprise.
The only drawback in the film comes with the intermittent lull sequences. Specially the parts where the stock shots of USA are used along with songs which end up testing your patience.
However, all through the dull portions it's Gauri Shinde's ace that holds the fort. There couldn't be a better person to portray the lead part than Sridevi and the actress marks a crackling comeback! Never for once do you see her faltering. Sridevi not only looks beautiful but also matures as an actress. Her portrayal of a vernac housewife who is determined to change the condescending perceptions about her is pure brilliance. Her flawless portrayal clearly testifies once again why she was and still is a superstar!
The rest of the cast too aides Sridevi's performance only to accentuate the entire movie viewing experience.
To sum it up, English Vinglish stands tall on the shoulders of two courageous women, Gauri Shindi and Sridevi who deliver one of the finest films of 2012. A definite watch for everyone.
The Cinema Journal - Amer Shoib
Score: 4.0/5.0
English Vinglish is the come back film of the queen of Hindi cinema Sridevi, after 15 long years. Can the film do justice to her enormous talent and bring her back in a big way?
Money, Fame and the Knowledge of English. In India, these 3 factors play a huge role in how society judges an individual. The story of the film is of a woman who does not know English and is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. The film is a light - hearted yet touching and transformational journey of Shashi. Circumstances make her determined to overcome this insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman. The film is shot mostly in New York and captures the inherent struggle of many people all over the world with the English Language.
The music of the film is by Amit Trivedi with whom you know you are only going to get some feel-good music this time around. Set mostly in New York the music has a western and digital vibe to it, and is totally in sync with the subject of the film. The title track English Vinglish has two versions The rhyming gives the song a special character. The use of hand drums in the second part of the song is just the perfect finishing touch. Dhuk dhuk sounds like an old Bengali folk song. You are suddenly transported to New York with Manhattan, a funky and groovy song. The rap portions are really catchy, with lyrics including all the big brands – Gucci, Versace, Dior, etc. Again, the lyrics are amazingly in sync with the composition and the digital treatment. Gustakh dil is a mellow number Amidst all the cool and funky tracks is a Marathi song sung Navrai majhi. The music arrangement is very contemporary, situational and very sweet.
Debutant director Gauri Shinde does a wonderful job of bringing this light hearted film , with a universal canvas to the big screen. She succeeds in showing us New York in a very different light and extracts a touching, moving, sweet performance from the lead star Sridevi. The actress encapsulates the character of Shashi and we the audience totally sympathise with her plight. The actress totally gets into the skin of a conservative Indian housewife burdened with an ungrateful and disrespectful family rediscovering her self-esteem by sneaking off to English lessons during a visit to New York for a family wedding. Siridevi is in fine form ,weather she is shown doing the Michael Jackson dance moves to her son or being in a class of international students learning English. Here the ensemble cast includes French actor Mehdi Nebbou, Adil Hussain, and Priya Anand, who give ample support to the super star. The surprise package in the film is none other than megastar Amitabh Bachchan ,who makes a brilliant scene stealing guest appearance.
The film is hilarious as Siridevi attempts to learn English and at the same time will leave an emotional lump in the throat where her character is being taken for granted by her family. Sridevi is on top form in this brilliant come back feel good film that people universally will all relate to and applaud this come back. The audience will love the spirit and determination of the lead character to overcome her insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman.
English Vinglish a hilarious, touching, sensitive, and sweet film that marks the triumphant come back of India's biggest female star...Sridevi.
I now leave it to the audience to make their own minds up.
Money, Fame and the Knowledge of English. In India, these 3 factors play a huge role in how society judges an individual. The story of the film is of a woman who does not know English and is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. The film is a light - hearted yet touching and transformational journey of Shashi. Circumstances make her determined to overcome this insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman. The film is shot mostly in New York and captures the inherent struggle of many people all over the world with the English Language.
The music of the film is by Amit Trivedi with whom you know you are only going to get some feel-good music this time around. Set mostly in New York the music has a western and digital vibe to it, and is totally in sync with the subject of the film. The title track English Vinglish has two versions The rhyming gives the song a special character. The use of hand drums in the second part of the song is just the perfect finishing touch. Dhuk dhuk sounds like an old Bengali folk song. You are suddenly transported to New York with Manhattan, a funky and groovy song. The rap portions are really catchy, with lyrics including all the big brands – Gucci, Versace, Dior, etc. Again, the lyrics are amazingly in sync with the composition and the digital treatment. Gustakh dil is a mellow number Amidst all the cool and funky tracks is a Marathi song sung Navrai majhi. The music arrangement is very contemporary, situational and very sweet.
Debutant director Gauri Shinde does a wonderful job of bringing this light hearted film , with a universal canvas to the big screen. She succeeds in showing us New York in a very different light and extracts a touching, moving, sweet performance from the lead star Sridevi. The actress encapsulates the character of Shashi and we the audience totally sympathise with her plight. The actress totally gets into the skin of a conservative Indian housewife burdened with an ungrateful and disrespectful family rediscovering her self-esteem by sneaking off to English lessons during a visit to New York for a family wedding. Siridevi is in fine form ,weather she is shown doing the Michael Jackson dance moves to her son or being in a class of international students learning English. Here the ensemble cast includes French actor Mehdi Nebbou, Adil Hussain, and Priya Anand, who give ample support to the super star. The surprise package in the film is none other than megastar Amitabh Bachchan ,who makes a brilliant scene stealing guest appearance.
The film is hilarious as Siridevi attempts to learn English and at the same time will leave an emotional lump in the throat where her character is being taken for granted by her family. Sridevi is on top form in this brilliant come back feel good film that people universally will all relate to and applaud this come back. The audience will love the spirit and determination of the lead character to overcome her insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman.
English Vinglish a hilarious, touching, sensitive, and sweet film that marks the triumphant come back of India's biggest female star...Sridevi.
I now leave it to the audience to make their own minds up.
The Indian Express - Shubhra Gupta
Score: 3.5/5.0
Shashi Godbole is a good wife, and a good mother. She packs tiffin for her school-going kids, and hands her husband his briefcase every morning. She is also a woman who is not too conversant with English and speaks it haltingly. Which makes her not good enough for her corporate-type spouse, and brattish teenage daughter : they treat her with the sort of off-hand affection edged with disparagement that most Indian women find themselves getting used to. And then Mrs Godbole finds herself in New York, with a chance to learn English-Vinglish, and her life takes a turn.
'English Vinglish', Gauri Shinde's first feature is a likeable film, which gives us a silky- smooth first half, a slowed-down second, broad-brushstroke-y characters, and an actress who makes it all work. Despite the saucer-large eyes and too-squeaky delivery, Sridevi makes Shashi a living, breathing woman, who channels pain and joy and the subtle shades in-between with a look and smile and a tear. This is an actress who never really got to go full spectrum during the time she ruled Hindi cinema, confined as she was to the `latka-jhatka', the `lachka-thumka', the` hawa-hawaai'. Her attempts at English-vinglish allow her to dispense with the make-up, and the made-upness, and get the actor out from under.
Her co-stars give her good support. The understated Adil Hussain plays Mr Godbole who is complacent when his wife's laddoo-making abilities are to the fore, but is shaken when he sees her stand next to a good-looking Frenchman (Mehdi Nebbou) who is in her English class. That English class is a slight problem for the film, because it's search for non-English-speaking characters make it a bit like a flattened sit.com : there's the flagrantly gay teacher, the Mexican nanny, the` idli'-loving South Indian, the `dil-phenk' Pakistani cabbie, the irritable Oriental girl, the taciturn Black man, and the exchanges between them become repetitive. But here again, the film manages to scrape past its stereotypes, and keep pace with Shashi, in her lovely saris and her heart-felt desire to find a personal sweet spot.
There's also the tricky terrain of identity and self-worth. Can a good `desi' wife have coffee with a dreamy-eyed Frenchman without feeling guilty? How much is speaking 'sarrate-daar' English-vinglish to do with how you feel about yourself? Does women's happiness-- marital, motherly and otherwise-- depend upon how fluent they are in `angrezi'? What I liked about Shinde's feel-good debut is that it stays away from stridency, even if it stays equally safely away from surprises, sidestepping those difficult questions by focusing on Shashi's innate abilities to make other people happy, and Sridevi's display of her skills. Hers is a fully-rounded role, so rare in Bollywood, and Sridevi delivers a beautifully-calibrated performance.
Dekho vekho.
'English Vinglish', Gauri Shinde's first feature is a likeable film, which gives us a silky- smooth first half, a slowed-down second, broad-brushstroke-y characters, and an actress who makes it all work. Despite the saucer-large eyes and too-squeaky delivery, Sridevi makes Shashi a living, breathing woman, who channels pain and joy and the subtle shades in-between with a look and smile and a tear. This is an actress who never really got to go full spectrum during the time she ruled Hindi cinema, confined as she was to the `latka-jhatka', the `lachka-thumka', the` hawa-hawaai'. Her attempts at English-vinglish allow her to dispense with the make-up, and the made-upness, and get the actor out from under.
Her co-stars give her good support. The understated Adil Hussain plays Mr Godbole who is complacent when his wife's laddoo-making abilities are to the fore, but is shaken when he sees her stand next to a good-looking Frenchman (Mehdi Nebbou) who is in her English class. That English class is a slight problem for the film, because it's search for non-English-speaking characters make it a bit like a flattened sit.com : there's the flagrantly gay teacher, the Mexican nanny, the` idli'-loving South Indian, the `dil-phenk' Pakistani cabbie, the irritable Oriental girl, the taciturn Black man, and the exchanges between them become repetitive. But here again, the film manages to scrape past its stereotypes, and keep pace with Shashi, in her lovely saris and her heart-felt desire to find a personal sweet spot.
There's also the tricky terrain of identity and self-worth. Can a good `desi' wife have coffee with a dreamy-eyed Frenchman without feeling guilty? How much is speaking 'sarrate-daar' English-vinglish to do with how you feel about yourself? Does women's happiness-- marital, motherly and otherwise-- depend upon how fluent they are in `angrezi'? What I liked about Shinde's feel-good debut is that it stays away from stridency, even if it stays equally safely away from surprises, sidestepping those difficult questions by focusing on Shashi's innate abilities to make other people happy, and Sridevi's display of her skills. Hers is a fully-rounded role, so rare in Bollywood, and Sridevi delivers a beautifully-calibrated performance.
Dekho vekho.
Hindustan Times - Anupama Chopra
Score: 3.5/5.0
English Vinglish is that rare thing – a Hindi film that creates a heroine out of a homemaker. Shashi, played by Sridevi, is a beautiful, accomplished woman who efficiently manages her home, husband, mother-in-law and two children. She also runs a small business making ladoos.
In a nicely done opening sequence, debutant director Gauri Shinde establishes that Shashi is the glue that binds this family together. As their morning rituals play out, she serves tea, breakfast and biscuits, but doesn't find a minute to enjoy her own coffee with a newspaper.
Yet Shashi's entire existence is undermined because she doesn't speak English. Her teenage daughter and husband treat her with an affectionate disdain. It's almost as if they consider her to be less intelligent because her language of communication is Hindi. At one point, Shashi ruefully asks her husband: Important batein sirf English mein hi hoti hain?
Shinde, who has also written the film, tells Shashi's story with insight and understanding. There is no overwhelming tragedy here; to outsiders this seems like a perfectly happy home. But it's the small humiliations and casual slights that scar Shashi.
Her daughter, who borders on obnoxious, is embarrassed to have her at a parent-teacher meeting. Her loving but insensitive husband dismisses her business. Like so many homemakers around the world, Shashi is taken for granted. She is there to serve.
All of which changes when Shashi goes to New York to help with her niece's wedding and defiantly, secretly, takes a crash course in English.
English Vinglish falters in the second half. The pace drops and Shashi's English class seems like an outtake of Mind Your Language, the successful television series about a motley group of people learning English. There's also a clumsy sub-track about Shashi's English teacher being gay, complete with a sermon on equality.
But even when the film feels shaky and stretched, Sridevi doesn't miss a beat. Her performance is a triumph.
She's vulnerable and sad, yet selfless and strong, in the way we all know our mothers to be. She imbues Shashi's quest for respect with genuine emotion. It's hard to imagine that this is an actor who hasn't worked in fifteen years.
In a nicely done opening sequence, debutant director Gauri Shinde establishes that Shashi is the glue that binds this family together. As their morning rituals play out, she serves tea, breakfast and biscuits, but doesn't find a minute to enjoy her own coffee with a newspaper.
Yet Shashi's entire existence is undermined because she doesn't speak English. Her teenage daughter and husband treat her with an affectionate disdain. It's almost as if they consider her to be less intelligent because her language of communication is Hindi. At one point, Shashi ruefully asks her husband: Important batein sirf English mein hi hoti hain?
Shinde, who has also written the film, tells Shashi's story with insight and understanding. There is no overwhelming tragedy here; to outsiders this seems like a perfectly happy home. But it's the small humiliations and casual slights that scar Shashi.
Her daughter, who borders on obnoxious, is embarrassed to have her at a parent-teacher meeting. Her loving but insensitive husband dismisses her business. Like so many homemakers around the world, Shashi is taken for granted. She is there to serve.
All of which changes when Shashi goes to New York to help with her niece's wedding and defiantly, secretly, takes a crash course in English.
English Vinglish falters in the second half. The pace drops and Shashi's English class seems like an outtake of Mind Your Language, the successful television series about a motley group of people learning English. There's also a clumsy sub-track about Shashi's English teacher being gay, complete with a sermon on equality.
But even when the film feels shaky and stretched, Sridevi doesn't miss a beat. Her performance is a triumph.
She's vulnerable and sad, yet selfless and strong, in the way we all know our mothers to be. She imbues Shashi's quest for respect with genuine emotion. It's hard to imagine that this is an actor who hasn't worked in fifteen years.
Zee News - Resham Sengar
Score: 4.0/5.0
After a sabbatical of 15 years, Sridevi has returned to do a meaty role in ‘English Vinglish’ and post watching the film, I have just one word for the actress - FLAWLESS!
Gauri Shinde has donned the director’s hat to tell the story of Sashi (Sridevi), a middle-aged Maharashtrian housewife who earns her own money by making sumptuous ladoos (which happens to be her passion too) and selling them to the connoisseurs. A lot of women would identify with Sashi since she is one of those dedicated yet taken-for-granted homemakers who are ridiculed for their poor linguistic skills by their English speaking family. In the movie, Sashi finds herself being an object of constant potshots by her husband(Adil Hussain), who has little respect for her real talent and her 7th grade daughter who feels ashamed to even introduce her mother to her school folks.
So when an underestimated and belittled Sashi flies off to New York to lend a helping hand at her niece’s wedding, she smartly grabs the opportunity to enroll herself into English speaking classes that promise to teach the language within a period of flat four weeks. In no time, Sashi becomes the most committed student in her class, starts watching English films at night and doing her homework religiously- all to polish her English reading and writing skills and more importantly to earn respect that she duly deserves from her family. In the midst of her literary pursuit, she also finds her classmate cum friend – a Frenchman (an irresistible Mehdi Nebbou) getting attracted to her plain simple personality. Yet, despite several barriers that come her way, Sashi manages to achieve her goal (that includes ordering her meal at the café with super confidence) which could be an inspiration to many aspiring English learners.
Going beyond the ‘ordinary’ story of ‘English Vinglish’, it is a movie that teaches a lot of life lessons. First, it gives a peek into the feelings of those who are not good at reading and writing the language and find themselves becoming a subject of disdain and jibe whether at home or in public. Second, it is a crash course on mannerisms for all those ‘refined’ husbands and children out there who believe that the woman of the house is only worth taking nonsense; notwithstanding the fact that she goes out of her way to please them, without a complaint. Third, like I said before, the film is all about dedication towards one’s aims and a relentless pursuit towards your dream, come what may.
Sridevi as the de-glam Sashi looks completely stunning and gets very much into the skin of her character in the film. The way she emotes when she is looked down upon for her poorangrezi is worthy of a good round of applause. It is safe to say that after ‘Sadma’, Chaalbaaz’ and ‘Chandni’, she will always be remembered for her versatile act in ‘English Vinglish’. Clearly, this movie is one of her best works till date.
Moving on to film’s direction, kudos to Gauri Shinde for narrating a story which leaves such an impact on the viewers. Also, a special thanks to her (she has also written the story) for making a film on such a unique storyline which apparently has a close connection to the life of Shinde’s mother and perhaps, many other Indian women out there.
Amit Trivedi has given cool and foot tapping music to the film while designer Sabyasachi has done his job very well in dressing up Sridevi in colorful khadi sarees that suit her age and role.
Overall, ‘English Vinglish’ is a complete family entertainer and worth every penny! Yes, Sridevi is back!
Gauri Shinde has donned the director’s hat to tell the story of Sashi (Sridevi), a middle-aged Maharashtrian housewife who earns her own money by making sumptuous ladoos (which happens to be her passion too) and selling them to the connoisseurs. A lot of women would identify with Sashi since she is one of those dedicated yet taken-for-granted homemakers who are ridiculed for their poor linguistic skills by their English speaking family. In the movie, Sashi finds herself being an object of constant potshots by her husband(Adil Hussain), who has little respect for her real talent and her 7th grade daughter who feels ashamed to even introduce her mother to her school folks.
So when an underestimated and belittled Sashi flies off to New York to lend a helping hand at her niece’s wedding, she smartly grabs the opportunity to enroll herself into English speaking classes that promise to teach the language within a period of flat four weeks. In no time, Sashi becomes the most committed student in her class, starts watching English films at night and doing her homework religiously- all to polish her English reading and writing skills and more importantly to earn respect that she duly deserves from her family. In the midst of her literary pursuit, she also finds her classmate cum friend – a Frenchman (an irresistible Mehdi Nebbou) getting attracted to her plain simple personality. Yet, despite several barriers that come her way, Sashi manages to achieve her goal (that includes ordering her meal at the café with super confidence) which could be an inspiration to many aspiring English learners.
Going beyond the ‘ordinary’ story of ‘English Vinglish’, it is a movie that teaches a lot of life lessons. First, it gives a peek into the feelings of those who are not good at reading and writing the language and find themselves becoming a subject of disdain and jibe whether at home or in public. Second, it is a crash course on mannerisms for all those ‘refined’ husbands and children out there who believe that the woman of the house is only worth taking nonsense; notwithstanding the fact that she goes out of her way to please them, without a complaint. Third, like I said before, the film is all about dedication towards one’s aims and a relentless pursuit towards your dream, come what may.
Sridevi as the de-glam Sashi looks completely stunning and gets very much into the skin of her character in the film. The way she emotes when she is looked down upon for her poorangrezi is worthy of a good round of applause. It is safe to say that after ‘Sadma’, Chaalbaaz’ and ‘Chandni’, she will always be remembered for her versatile act in ‘English Vinglish’. Clearly, this movie is one of her best works till date.
Moving on to film’s direction, kudos to Gauri Shinde for narrating a story which leaves such an impact on the viewers. Also, a special thanks to her (she has also written the story) for making a film on such a unique storyline which apparently has a close connection to the life of Shinde’s mother and perhaps, many other Indian women out there.
Amit Trivedi has given cool and foot tapping music to the film while designer Sabyasachi has done his job very well in dressing up Sridevi in colorful khadi sarees that suit her age and role.
Overall, ‘English Vinglish’ is a complete family entertainer and worth every penny! Yes, Sridevi is back!
The Guardian - Peter Bradshaw
Score: N/A
Here is a likable family comedy from India with its own air of innocence, and a boisterous cameo from Amitabh Bachchan. Former ad director Gauri Shinde makes her feature debut, and the star is Bollywood veteran Sridevi. She plays Shashi, a shy housewife, mother and devoted cook who is feeling increasingly left out of things because, unlike her hip kids and businessman husband (Adil Hussain), she speaks hardly any English. Fate lends a hand when she has to travel on her own to New York for a month to help prepare a family wedding. The excitement of America inspires her to attend English classes; Shashi blossoms and grows in confidence, and catches the eye of lonely, handsome French classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) who begins to declare his untranslated, unsubtitled feelings to our gently flustered heroine. It's very amiable, feelgood entertainment, featuring some broad comedy and stereotypes, yet with a notably bold repudiation of homophobia. An undemanding picture that goes down as well as the heroine's tasty ladoos.
Koimoi - Roshni Devi
Score: 3.0/5.0
What’s Good: The nuanced screenplay and cinematography; the effortless direction; the touching performances; the music.
What’s Bad: Some characterizations; tries a bit hard to get emotional; the slow pace.
Loo Break: Not really.
Watch or Not?: This light-hearted movie is a lovable watch for Sridevi, the direction and the music, though the forced emotional quotient might get to you.
Towards the climax of English Vinglish you’re expecting Sridevi’s big English. Instead of crescendo music or an erudite theatrical of the Queen’s language, Sridevi pips up with a soft but firm, “May I?” There’s something so nuanced about this moment that you can’t help but applaud for those two words though they’re not the typical claptraps.
Laddoos are how Shashi’s (Sridevi) husband knows her. Her daughter remembers her to hunt down missing scrapbooks and the son wails for her when he gets hurt. Shashi runs a little catering business from her home but when it comes to English skills, let’s just say that the laddoo crumbles. Shashi’s daughter is embarrassed to take her for PTA meetings and sniggers at her mom’s language behind her back (with her father in tow). As if that isn’t bad enough, Shashi now has to stay in the US for 5 weeks to help her sister plan for her niece’s wedding.
After an unnerving experience at a café, Shashi decides to sign up for English tutorials without informing her sister and family. It’s almost a double-life for Shashi – with her judgmental family on one side and her classmates who like and respect her (one of them, Laurent, even has a huge crush on her) on the other. And she has her cute niece (Priya Anand) to help and cover up for her.
But how will Shashi continue her classes once her husband and children join her in the US? And where does this crush lead to? Does Shashi conquer the English language?
Script Analysis: There was always the danger of an Indian learning English turning into another Zabaan Sambhaal Ke. But not with Gauri Shinde. Kudos to her for writing such a fine story and raising the movie to such poetry on screen. Instead of dialogue after sobbing dialogue, you see Shashi run behind her husband with a water bottle, close the fridge after him: you don’t need a voiceover or dialogue reinforcing her status here. And no, she’s not rescuing her wayward niece from rape or teaching her conniving in-laws a lesson to prove herself. The dialogues are very good though Sridevi can go into preach-mode at times.
The first half of the movie could have been a bit faster. Considering how meek Shashi is shown to be, her going out to find the English class across town all on her own is far-fetched. Once she has been established as the disregarded housewife, adding further to it just seems like trying to milk the audience’s tears. Shashi’s husband and children have not been characterized well (heartless mostly).
Star Performances: There’s a reason why people get nostalgic about the actors of then, and Sridevi, as Shashi, is nothing short of reminding us why. She is the hero of the film, the loving mother, yearning wife, earnest student… you could just wax eloquent about her. There are moments when the trembling meekness gets to you, but they are very rare.
You could just stare at Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent while he tries to woo Shashi. Priya Anand is lovely as Shashi’s supportive niece. Sulbha Deshpande (as Shashi’s mother-in-law), Sujata Kumar (as Shashi’s sister) and Shivansh Kotia (as Shashi’s son) suit their roles to the T. Navika Kotia does fine as Shashi’s daughter but she appears too spoilt as is Adil Hussain as Shashi’s husband. Cory Hibbs shines as Shashi’s chirpy English teacher David Fischer. Amitabh Bachchan’s special appearance tips a bit to the annoying side between cute and over-the-top.
Direction, Music & Technical Aspects: Gauri Shinde makes a fabulous debut as director. Amit Trivedi’s music is really good, especially the Navrai Majhi (excellent timing, especially when Shashi introduces her classmates) and title tracks. Editor Hemanti Sarkar has done an apt job. Laxman Utekar’s cinematography gives you such wonderful scenes. The script, the performances, the cinematography, music sync gorgeously on screen.
The Last Word: Forget comebacks and special appearances, watch this movie for a woman who steps out of her family’s shadow and learns to love herself.
What’s Bad: Some characterizations; tries a bit hard to get emotional; the slow pace.
Loo Break: Not really.
Watch or Not?: This light-hearted movie is a lovable watch for Sridevi, the direction and the music, though the forced emotional quotient might get to you.
Towards the climax of English Vinglish you’re expecting Sridevi’s big English. Instead of crescendo music or an erudite theatrical of the Queen’s language, Sridevi pips up with a soft but firm, “May I?” There’s something so nuanced about this moment that you can’t help but applaud for those two words though they’re not the typical claptraps.
Laddoos are how Shashi’s (Sridevi) husband knows her. Her daughter remembers her to hunt down missing scrapbooks and the son wails for her when he gets hurt. Shashi runs a little catering business from her home but when it comes to English skills, let’s just say that the laddoo crumbles. Shashi’s daughter is embarrassed to take her for PTA meetings and sniggers at her mom’s language behind her back (with her father in tow). As if that isn’t bad enough, Shashi now has to stay in the US for 5 weeks to help her sister plan for her niece’s wedding.
After an unnerving experience at a café, Shashi decides to sign up for English tutorials without informing her sister and family. It’s almost a double-life for Shashi – with her judgmental family on one side and her classmates who like and respect her (one of them, Laurent, even has a huge crush on her) on the other. And she has her cute niece (Priya Anand) to help and cover up for her.
But how will Shashi continue her classes once her husband and children join her in the US? And where does this crush lead to? Does Shashi conquer the English language?
Script Analysis: There was always the danger of an Indian learning English turning into another Zabaan Sambhaal Ke. But not with Gauri Shinde. Kudos to her for writing such a fine story and raising the movie to such poetry on screen. Instead of dialogue after sobbing dialogue, you see Shashi run behind her husband with a water bottle, close the fridge after him: you don’t need a voiceover or dialogue reinforcing her status here. And no, she’s not rescuing her wayward niece from rape or teaching her conniving in-laws a lesson to prove herself. The dialogues are very good though Sridevi can go into preach-mode at times.
The first half of the movie could have been a bit faster. Considering how meek Shashi is shown to be, her going out to find the English class across town all on her own is far-fetched. Once she has been established as the disregarded housewife, adding further to it just seems like trying to milk the audience’s tears. Shashi’s husband and children have not been characterized well (heartless mostly).
Star Performances: There’s a reason why people get nostalgic about the actors of then, and Sridevi, as Shashi, is nothing short of reminding us why. She is the hero of the film, the loving mother, yearning wife, earnest student… you could just wax eloquent about her. There are moments when the trembling meekness gets to you, but they are very rare.
You could just stare at Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent while he tries to woo Shashi. Priya Anand is lovely as Shashi’s supportive niece. Sulbha Deshpande (as Shashi’s mother-in-law), Sujata Kumar (as Shashi’s sister) and Shivansh Kotia (as Shashi’s son) suit their roles to the T. Navika Kotia does fine as Shashi’s daughter but she appears too spoilt as is Adil Hussain as Shashi’s husband. Cory Hibbs shines as Shashi’s chirpy English teacher David Fischer. Amitabh Bachchan’s special appearance tips a bit to the annoying side between cute and over-the-top.
Direction, Music & Technical Aspects: Gauri Shinde makes a fabulous debut as director. Amit Trivedi’s music is really good, especially the Navrai Majhi (excellent timing, especially when Shashi introduces her classmates) and title tracks. Editor Hemanti Sarkar has done an apt job. Laxman Utekar’s cinematography gives you such wonderful scenes. The script, the performances, the cinematography, music sync gorgeously on screen.
The Last Word: Forget comebacks and special appearances, watch this movie for a woman who steps out of her family’s shadow and learns to love herself.
First Post - Rubina A Khan
Score: 5.0/5.0
English Vinglish’s opening credits roll with congratulatory wishes – one for Indian cinema turning 100 years old and to Amitabh Bachchan on his 70th birthday, which falls on 11 October. The Bachchan wishes will explain themselves in the film, with his cameo extraordinaire.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) lives the life of a devoted housewife in Pune to a husband (Adil Hussain) who has no time to converse with her and is an attentive and loving mother to an annoying daughter, Sapna, who mocks her inability to speak in English.
But her adorable little boy, Sagar, who seems to be the only one who reciprocates her affection, is a constant companion. The scene where he bullies her into doing Michael Jackson's signature pelvic thrust is priceless. She also loves cooking and runs a part-time laddoo making business. Shashi is beautiful and perfect in every way, barring her English language skills. While this might not be a big deal in India given the official language is Hindi and additionally English too, the social conforms and India’s increasing bent towards Westernising itself, it does become an issue and a big one with her daughter who is mortified and embarrassed by a non-English speaking mother.
The film traces the ordinary, everyday life of Shashi in a heart-tugging way – you feel for Shashi from the moment the screen opens with her making a pot of coffee in the morning and her husband calling out for tea. Thereon, every moment is filled with Shashi’s beautiful, large eyes expressing possibly every emotion known to man, ranging from a slight flicker to wide–eyed wonder, in a way that only Sridevi can.
She puts the act back in acting with her performance as the subservient and tolerant Shashi Godbole who comes into her own when she travels to New York for the first time to help her older sister out with her daughter’s wedding preparations.
From rehearsing her lines in English to questions that will be asked at US immigration to joining English language classes and finding her way about in New York all on her own, Sridevi is incredible in every scene.
Once Shashi is in New York, she is utterly embarrassed that she can’t order food or join in conversations at home with her sister's daughters and groom-to-be. She joins an English class which promises fluency in the language in four weeks and makes new friends whom she carries lunch and her famous laddoos for. Every student in the class, one in particular, a French chef, Laurent (Mehdi Nebou) who is quite taken by Shashi, seems real and adds to the plot. Together, they make up for an everyday mix of diverse cultures and nations in a non-stereotypical manner. Laurent's description of a chocolate crepe that he makes for Shashi as a "French laddoo" is just charming, like the scene. The Pakistani cab driver’s enactment of his part is very amusing and he has some of the best lines in the film like, “Entrepreneur shabd na hua ghazal ho gayi”, “Spicy noodle, just like a dragon” and many such humourous quips.
The interactions between Shashi and Laurent when they break into Hindi and French and still seem to comprehend each other are marvellous. When Laurent looks at her, you want her to fall into his arms, and forget her world. But that’s the beauty of the screenplay – it lets you get carried away with the characters on screen, but the characters stay in character, right down to the last frame of the film.
I loved the Manhattan soundtrack – all the visual elements of the city woven in to the sound and beat of Indian music. The film captures the New York vibe effortlessly, with characters anyone who’s been to the Big Apple would identify with, without resorting to stereotypes of the Western world. The impatient coffee shop lady is just someone everyone has encountered in their life, at least once.
As writer and director Gauri Shinde’s first film, English Vinglish is remarkable! The characters are well researched and written and cast appropriately. At any point, the script doesn’t break away from its central plot line, which is Shashi and her small world, into random scenes, which is wonderful and rare. Shinde pulls off the pace of the film just right and the background score and music add to the story’s flow.
This is the first time in her legendary career that Sridevi has worked with a female director and to that, I can only say, Gauri Shinde was the right choice! That Sridevi chose to step out after 15 long years from her cocoon of marital bliss forEnglish Vinglish is definitely something audiences won't forget for a long time simply because they have been spoiled by her incredible acting skills all over again! That too, sans the song and dance numbers and her body writhing in studio rain to a Kaate nahin kat te track ala Mr India! It's like leave the acting to Sridevi and the "shacting" is best left to the rest of her ilk.
Fashion’s most adored designer, Sabyasachi, has done an excellent job with Sridevi’s sarees in the film and she carries them off superbly on her lithe frame.
English Vinglish brings acting back, all thanks to Sridevi! Sridevi! Sridevi! Or Sridevi brings acting back in English Vinglish. Either way, it’s a winner!
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) lives the life of a devoted housewife in Pune to a husband (Adil Hussain) who has no time to converse with her and is an attentive and loving mother to an annoying daughter, Sapna, who mocks her inability to speak in English.
But her adorable little boy, Sagar, who seems to be the only one who reciprocates her affection, is a constant companion. The scene where he bullies her into doing Michael Jackson's signature pelvic thrust is priceless. She also loves cooking and runs a part-time laddoo making business. Shashi is beautiful and perfect in every way, barring her English language skills. While this might not be a big deal in India given the official language is Hindi and additionally English too, the social conforms and India’s increasing bent towards Westernising itself, it does become an issue and a big one with her daughter who is mortified and embarrassed by a non-English speaking mother.
The film traces the ordinary, everyday life of Shashi in a heart-tugging way – you feel for Shashi from the moment the screen opens with her making a pot of coffee in the morning and her husband calling out for tea. Thereon, every moment is filled with Shashi’s beautiful, large eyes expressing possibly every emotion known to man, ranging from a slight flicker to wide–eyed wonder, in a way that only Sridevi can.
She puts the act back in acting with her performance as the subservient and tolerant Shashi Godbole who comes into her own when she travels to New York for the first time to help her older sister out with her daughter’s wedding preparations.
From rehearsing her lines in English to questions that will be asked at US immigration to joining English language classes and finding her way about in New York all on her own, Sridevi is incredible in every scene.
Once Shashi is in New York, she is utterly embarrassed that she can’t order food or join in conversations at home with her sister's daughters and groom-to-be. She joins an English class which promises fluency in the language in four weeks and makes new friends whom she carries lunch and her famous laddoos for. Every student in the class, one in particular, a French chef, Laurent (Mehdi Nebou) who is quite taken by Shashi, seems real and adds to the plot. Together, they make up for an everyday mix of diverse cultures and nations in a non-stereotypical manner. Laurent's description of a chocolate crepe that he makes for Shashi as a "French laddoo" is just charming, like the scene. The Pakistani cab driver’s enactment of his part is very amusing and he has some of the best lines in the film like, “Entrepreneur shabd na hua ghazal ho gayi”, “Spicy noodle, just like a dragon” and many such humourous quips.
The interactions between Shashi and Laurent when they break into Hindi and French and still seem to comprehend each other are marvellous. When Laurent looks at her, you want her to fall into his arms, and forget her world. But that’s the beauty of the screenplay – it lets you get carried away with the characters on screen, but the characters stay in character, right down to the last frame of the film.
I loved the Manhattan soundtrack – all the visual elements of the city woven in to the sound and beat of Indian music. The film captures the New York vibe effortlessly, with characters anyone who’s been to the Big Apple would identify with, without resorting to stereotypes of the Western world. The impatient coffee shop lady is just someone everyone has encountered in their life, at least once.
As writer and director Gauri Shinde’s first film, English Vinglish is remarkable! The characters are well researched and written and cast appropriately. At any point, the script doesn’t break away from its central plot line, which is Shashi and her small world, into random scenes, which is wonderful and rare. Shinde pulls off the pace of the film just right and the background score and music add to the story’s flow.
This is the first time in her legendary career that Sridevi has worked with a female director and to that, I can only say, Gauri Shinde was the right choice! That Sridevi chose to step out after 15 long years from her cocoon of marital bliss forEnglish Vinglish is definitely something audiences won't forget for a long time simply because they have been spoiled by her incredible acting skills all over again! That too, sans the song and dance numbers and her body writhing in studio rain to a Kaate nahin kat te track ala Mr India! It's like leave the acting to Sridevi and the "shacting" is best left to the rest of her ilk.
Fashion’s most adored designer, Sabyasachi, has done an excellent job with Sridevi’s sarees in the film and she carries them off superbly on her lithe frame.
English Vinglish brings acting back, all thanks to Sridevi! Sridevi! Sridevi! Or Sridevi brings acting back in English Vinglish. Either way, it’s a winner!
Komal Nahta
Score: N/A
Hope Productions Pvt. Ltd., Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R.K. Damani and Eros International’s English Vinglish is the story of a middle-class Indian housewife, Shashi (Sridevi), who doesn’t know to speak proper English. Her lack of knowledge of English often makes her the butt end of jokes at home. Not just her husband, Satish (Adil Hussian), but even her school-going daughter, Sapna (baby Navika Kotia), does not miss any opportunity to ridicule Shashi’s English-speaking skills or, rather, the lack of them. Shashi and Satish also have a little son, Sagar (master Shivansh Kotia). Shashi is a fantastic cook and has a small business of selling delicious laddoos. Her self-esteem and self-respect are at an all-time low but like a loving wife and mother, she bears it all.
Shashi goes to America to attend the marriage of her niece, Meera (Neelu Sodhi). Satish sends Shashi much in advance so that she can help her widowed sister, Manu (Sujata Kumar), with the wedding preparations. He and the kids are to follow after a few weeks. Manu also has a younger daughter, Radha (Priya Anand).
A couple of incidents at the airport in India, on the flight to America and in America unnerve Shashi so much that she immediately decides to undertake a crash course in English while in America. Too shy to tell her sister and her neices about her English-speaking classes, she attends them daily without their knowledge. Shashi meets people of different nationalities at her school and they become very close to one another. The other students are: Eva (Ruth Aguilar), a Mexican lady; Salman Khan (Sumeet Vyas), a Pakistani; Ramamurthy (Rajeev Ravindranathan), a South Indian; Yu Son (Maria Romano), a Chinese; Udumbke (Damien Thompson), an African; and Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), a handsome Frenchman. Laurent soon falls in love with Shashi. The English teacher is David Fischer (Cory Hibbs).
By the by, Radha realises that her aunt, Shashi, has enrolled in the school and she, too, keeps this as a closely-guarded secret. Shashi works hard and picks up English pretty fast.
What happens when Satish and the two kids reach America ahead of schedule? Does Satish, who does not treat Shashi like an equal, take kindly to her attempt to learn English? Is Shashi able to complete her English-speaking course?
Gauri Shinde’s simple story of a middle-class Indian family is so real that it instantly strikes a chord in the viewer’s heart. Every woman will identify with Shashi’s character, every husband will feel that there is a Satish in him and every daughter will feel guilty of being a Sapna at some point or the other in her interaction with her mother. It is this easy identification with the characters that makes the story so very special. Gauri’s screenplay is extraordinary, almost flawless. It is full of heart-warming and identifiable moments. The best part of her screenplay is that it entertains, makes one smile often and laugh a lot. The weak-hearted may even cry a couple of times, some may even weep and sob.
Gauri Shinde’s screenplay has many layers and the scenes, while entertaining, are also full of messages. However, not a single, repeat, single scene tends to preach. The first half comes and goes like a breeze as it is quite short. The second half is lengthier but so interesting that the viewer will end up falling in love with Shashi. The bonding between the students and teacher in the English class makes the audience ask for more. The scenes when an agitated Shashi breaks into Hindi and Laurent speaks his dialogues in French, knowing fully well that the other can’t understand, are wonderfully conceived, beautifully written and splendidly enacted!
The climax is extraordinary. It is so exhilarating that many among the audience will not be able to stop themselves from applauding it. There will also, of course, be people who would end up shedding tears of joy in the climax scene. The victory of the underdog will make the audience feel so very good that the joy would be quite unique. Dialogues (penned by Gauri Shinde) are gems and make such an impact on the viewer that they remain with him for a long, long time. Even though there are so many dialogues in English and other foreign languages (because that is the need of the script), they remain so true to the script, that a lot of non-English-speaking people would also enjoy the film.
Coming to the performances, it must, first and foremost, be said that the casting directors deserve kudos because it looks like all the actors were born to play their respective roles.
Sridevi makes the best comeback in Bollywood history and delivers a landmark performance. To say that she carries the entire burden of the film on her slender shoulders would not be one bit of an exaggeration. Not once does she go overboard. She gives the character of Shashi so much dignity that she doesn’t let the viewer feel sorry for her but yet makes them sympathise with her and completely understand her predicament. All awards for the best actress this year should be reserved for Sridevi and Sridevi alone!
Adil Hussain plays Shashi’s husband, Satish, wonderfully. He stands his own in each and every scene he is seen in. Baby Navika Kotia excels in the role of Sapna. Her facial expressions and body language are to die for. Master Shivansh Kotia is so cute and his lisping makes his dialogue delivery even more endearing. Mehdi Nebbou looks dashing and does a splendid job. Priya Anand does a swell job as Radha. Sujata Kumar acts ably as Manu. Neelu Sodhi is good as Meera. Ross Nathan, as bridegroom Kevin, lends the desired support. Sulbha Deshpande is endearing as Sapna and Sagar’s grandmother. Ruth Aguilar, Maria Romano and Damien Thompson act very well. Sumeet Vyas is wonderful. Rajeev Ravindranathan performs splendidly. Cory Hibbs is superb. Divya Seth shines in the single scene in which she comes (as the mother of Sapna’s school-friend). Maria is fine as the receptionist. Babs Winn and Peter Brown are alright as the bridegroom’s parents. Suhita Thatte is okay. Amitabh Bachchan simply shines in a special appearance and makes the one sequence he appears in, memorable. He gives his cent per cent to the character.
Gauri Shinde’s direction is extraordinary. With her very first film, she proves that she is an ace at her job. Right from her choice of subject to her scripting to her narration, everything is so lovely that she couldn’t have made a better debut in Bollywood. She’s a director who has a fantastic future ahead of her.
Amit Trivedi’s music is very pleasant and melodious and each of the five songs is delightful. The music is of the kind which grows on the listener. ‘Navrai majhi’ has melody. The title song and ‘Manhattan’ have a charm of their own. ‘Dhak-dhuk’ and ‘Gustakh dil’ are also excellent numbers. Lyricist Swanand Kirkire deserves distinction marks for his inspired writing. The ‘Dhak-dhuk’ number, especially, brings out beautifully the predicament of Shashi before her departure alone to a foreign land. Rujuta Vaidya’s choreography in the ‘Navrai majhi’ song is cute. Background music (Amit Trivedi) is extraordinary. Laxman Utekar’s cinematography is superb. Mustafa Stationwala’s art direction goes well with the mood of the film. Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is excellent and as sharp as it ought to have been.
On the whole, English Vinglish is a simple tale sensitively told and extraordinarily enacted. It may have taken a slow start but it has immense power to grow greatly because of positive word of mouth and ultimately prove a hit! No doubt, it will work more in the cities and the multiplexes but business from there will be big. Ladies will give a huge boost to the film. It also has tremendous repeat value because it is a very uplifting and feel-good film.
Shashi goes to America to attend the marriage of her niece, Meera (Neelu Sodhi). Satish sends Shashi much in advance so that she can help her widowed sister, Manu (Sujata Kumar), with the wedding preparations. He and the kids are to follow after a few weeks. Manu also has a younger daughter, Radha (Priya Anand).
A couple of incidents at the airport in India, on the flight to America and in America unnerve Shashi so much that she immediately decides to undertake a crash course in English while in America. Too shy to tell her sister and her neices about her English-speaking classes, she attends them daily without their knowledge. Shashi meets people of different nationalities at her school and they become very close to one another. The other students are: Eva (Ruth Aguilar), a Mexican lady; Salman Khan (Sumeet Vyas), a Pakistani; Ramamurthy (Rajeev Ravindranathan), a South Indian; Yu Son (Maria Romano), a Chinese; Udumbke (Damien Thompson), an African; and Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), a handsome Frenchman. Laurent soon falls in love with Shashi. The English teacher is David Fischer (Cory Hibbs).
By the by, Radha realises that her aunt, Shashi, has enrolled in the school and she, too, keeps this as a closely-guarded secret. Shashi works hard and picks up English pretty fast.
What happens when Satish and the two kids reach America ahead of schedule? Does Satish, who does not treat Shashi like an equal, take kindly to her attempt to learn English? Is Shashi able to complete her English-speaking course?
Gauri Shinde’s simple story of a middle-class Indian family is so real that it instantly strikes a chord in the viewer’s heart. Every woman will identify with Shashi’s character, every husband will feel that there is a Satish in him and every daughter will feel guilty of being a Sapna at some point or the other in her interaction with her mother. It is this easy identification with the characters that makes the story so very special. Gauri’s screenplay is extraordinary, almost flawless. It is full of heart-warming and identifiable moments. The best part of her screenplay is that it entertains, makes one smile often and laugh a lot. The weak-hearted may even cry a couple of times, some may even weep and sob.
Gauri Shinde’s screenplay has many layers and the scenes, while entertaining, are also full of messages. However, not a single, repeat, single scene tends to preach. The first half comes and goes like a breeze as it is quite short. The second half is lengthier but so interesting that the viewer will end up falling in love with Shashi. The bonding between the students and teacher in the English class makes the audience ask for more. The scenes when an agitated Shashi breaks into Hindi and Laurent speaks his dialogues in French, knowing fully well that the other can’t understand, are wonderfully conceived, beautifully written and splendidly enacted!
The climax is extraordinary. It is so exhilarating that many among the audience will not be able to stop themselves from applauding it. There will also, of course, be people who would end up shedding tears of joy in the climax scene. The victory of the underdog will make the audience feel so very good that the joy would be quite unique. Dialogues (penned by Gauri Shinde) are gems and make such an impact on the viewer that they remain with him for a long, long time. Even though there are so many dialogues in English and other foreign languages (because that is the need of the script), they remain so true to the script, that a lot of non-English-speaking people would also enjoy the film.
Coming to the performances, it must, first and foremost, be said that the casting directors deserve kudos because it looks like all the actors were born to play their respective roles.
Sridevi makes the best comeback in Bollywood history and delivers a landmark performance. To say that she carries the entire burden of the film on her slender shoulders would not be one bit of an exaggeration. Not once does she go overboard. She gives the character of Shashi so much dignity that she doesn’t let the viewer feel sorry for her but yet makes them sympathise with her and completely understand her predicament. All awards for the best actress this year should be reserved for Sridevi and Sridevi alone!
Adil Hussain plays Shashi’s husband, Satish, wonderfully. He stands his own in each and every scene he is seen in. Baby Navika Kotia excels in the role of Sapna. Her facial expressions and body language are to die for. Master Shivansh Kotia is so cute and his lisping makes his dialogue delivery even more endearing. Mehdi Nebbou looks dashing and does a splendid job. Priya Anand does a swell job as Radha. Sujata Kumar acts ably as Manu. Neelu Sodhi is good as Meera. Ross Nathan, as bridegroom Kevin, lends the desired support. Sulbha Deshpande is endearing as Sapna and Sagar’s grandmother. Ruth Aguilar, Maria Romano and Damien Thompson act very well. Sumeet Vyas is wonderful. Rajeev Ravindranathan performs splendidly. Cory Hibbs is superb. Divya Seth shines in the single scene in which she comes (as the mother of Sapna’s school-friend). Maria is fine as the receptionist. Babs Winn and Peter Brown are alright as the bridegroom’s parents. Suhita Thatte is okay. Amitabh Bachchan simply shines in a special appearance and makes the one sequence he appears in, memorable. He gives his cent per cent to the character.
Gauri Shinde’s direction is extraordinary. With her very first film, she proves that she is an ace at her job. Right from her choice of subject to her scripting to her narration, everything is so lovely that she couldn’t have made a better debut in Bollywood. She’s a director who has a fantastic future ahead of her.
Amit Trivedi’s music is very pleasant and melodious and each of the five songs is delightful. The music is of the kind which grows on the listener. ‘Navrai majhi’ has melody. The title song and ‘Manhattan’ have a charm of their own. ‘Dhak-dhuk’ and ‘Gustakh dil’ are also excellent numbers. Lyricist Swanand Kirkire deserves distinction marks for his inspired writing. The ‘Dhak-dhuk’ number, especially, brings out beautifully the predicament of Shashi before her departure alone to a foreign land. Rujuta Vaidya’s choreography in the ‘Navrai majhi’ song is cute. Background music (Amit Trivedi) is extraordinary. Laxman Utekar’s cinematography is superb. Mustafa Stationwala’s art direction goes well with the mood of the film. Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is excellent and as sharp as it ought to have been.
On the whole, English Vinglish is a simple tale sensitively told and extraordinarily enacted. It may have taken a slow start but it has immense power to grow greatly because of positive word of mouth and ultimately prove a hit! No doubt, it will work more in the cities and the multiplexes but business from there will be big. Ladies will give a huge boost to the film. It also has tremendous repeat value because it is a very uplifting and feel-good film.
Sify Movies - Sonia Chopra
Score: 3.5/5.0
One can't think of any role in Hindi films off late that is so identifiable for several (too many, unfortunately) women.How hard is it to find, especially in our country, a woman who is constantly ignoring herself for the family (this writer by no means wants to advocate this as a virtue), only to be ridiculed by them over something as flimsy as not knowing English.
The busy husband's indifference and the children's deteriorating respect are not intentional - but that's just the way the cookie crumbles for most Indian housewives. Their own low self-esteem keeps the vicious circle intact.
Such is the case of Maharashtrian housewife Shashi (Sridevi; to die for) whose kids snigger over her mispronunciation of words like jazz. Her older one - an almost-adolescent - is naturally the crueller one. This is also a superb film outlining the rigors of parenting, as often the curt words of her children leave a tear or two in Shashi's eyes.
Then there is the husband whose idea of complimenting her is saying, "My wife was meant to make laddoos." She sells laddoos you see, and seems to be doing quite well, saving what she earns in a neat box.
Imagine how thrilling it must be then for this woman to suddenly find herself in America, and enrolled in an English-speaking class. A class where she is referred to as an 'entrepreneur', a word she struggles to pronounce.
Life turns around in more ways than one, as she also has a certain Frenchman turning moony-eyed over her.
The film was rich with possibilities over how the story would end. Sadly, the finale is a predictable one - one would even call it a cop-out. But the fun of the film is the ride, not the destination.
Debut director Gauri Shinde gently ushers us into Shashi's life, till it is turned around. At every moment of the film, the audience is on Shashi's team and cheering her on. When she's facing an existential crisis of sorts, you yearn to comfort her and hope she finds herself.
When she's making new friends (the m?lange of ethnicities is reminiscent of the classic English serial Mind Your Language), we want to egg her on. This connect is the result of the masterful characterisation and a flawless rendering by Sridevi.
The actress is back after 15 years, and how! Sridevi enacts Shashi with all the intelligence, nuances, and attention the character required. Whether it is reacting to yet another stinging remark by the family, finding happiness among new friends, or her confusion at being told she's beautiful - Sridevi kills it.
She owns the role entirely!
Adil Hussain (Agent Vinod, Ishqiya, Gangor) as her husband is very good and one hopes to see more of this actor. Mehdi Nebbou is remarkable as Shashi's classmate, and, with his charm, proves to be the perfect antithesis to the neglectful husband.
The music (Amit Trivedi, lyrics by Swanand Kirkire) adds to the joyous atmosphere of the film. Beautiful cinematography (Laxman Utekar) and dexterous editing (Hemanti Sarkar) elevate the film further.
Where the film fails intermittently is in making Shashi not react at all in the face of some glorious temptation. Even if she is too conservative to give love another shot, it is an inhuman depiction to not even allow her a blush or two in the face of generous compliments.
Watch the film for sure. But don't be disappointed by the 'we-don't-want-to-ruffle-any-feathers' ending.
And then, you can watch it again for Sridevi!
The busy husband's indifference and the children's deteriorating respect are not intentional - but that's just the way the cookie crumbles for most Indian housewives. Their own low self-esteem keeps the vicious circle intact.
Such is the case of Maharashtrian housewife Shashi (Sridevi; to die for) whose kids snigger over her mispronunciation of words like jazz. Her older one - an almost-adolescent - is naturally the crueller one. This is also a superb film outlining the rigors of parenting, as often the curt words of her children leave a tear or two in Shashi's eyes.
Then there is the husband whose idea of complimenting her is saying, "My wife was meant to make laddoos." She sells laddoos you see, and seems to be doing quite well, saving what she earns in a neat box.
Imagine how thrilling it must be then for this woman to suddenly find herself in America, and enrolled in an English-speaking class. A class where she is referred to as an 'entrepreneur', a word she struggles to pronounce.
Life turns around in more ways than one, as she also has a certain Frenchman turning moony-eyed over her.
The film was rich with possibilities over how the story would end. Sadly, the finale is a predictable one - one would even call it a cop-out. But the fun of the film is the ride, not the destination.
Debut director Gauri Shinde gently ushers us into Shashi's life, till it is turned around. At every moment of the film, the audience is on Shashi's team and cheering her on. When she's facing an existential crisis of sorts, you yearn to comfort her and hope she finds herself.
When she's making new friends (the m?lange of ethnicities is reminiscent of the classic English serial Mind Your Language), we want to egg her on. This connect is the result of the masterful characterisation and a flawless rendering by Sridevi.
The actress is back after 15 years, and how! Sridevi enacts Shashi with all the intelligence, nuances, and attention the character required. Whether it is reacting to yet another stinging remark by the family, finding happiness among new friends, or her confusion at being told she's beautiful - Sridevi kills it.
She owns the role entirely!
Adil Hussain (Agent Vinod, Ishqiya, Gangor) as her husband is very good and one hopes to see more of this actor. Mehdi Nebbou is remarkable as Shashi's classmate, and, with his charm, proves to be the perfect antithesis to the neglectful husband.
The music (Amit Trivedi, lyrics by Swanand Kirkire) adds to the joyous atmosphere of the film. Beautiful cinematography (Laxman Utekar) and dexterous editing (Hemanti Sarkar) elevate the film further.
Where the film fails intermittently is in making Shashi not react at all in the face of some glorious temptation. Even if she is too conservative to give love another shot, it is an inhuman depiction to not even allow her a blush or two in the face of generous compliments.
Watch the film for sure. But don't be disappointed by the 'we-don't-want-to-ruffle-any-feathers' ending.
And then, you can watch it again for Sridevi!
DnaIndia - Aniruddha Guha
Score: 4.0/5.0
'English is a phunny language', Amitabh Bachchan told us in Namak Halal. English Vinglish starts with a title card that says, "100 years of Indian cinema. 70 years of Amitabh Bachchan." The film's producer, R Balki, has been a self-confessed Bachchan fan, who gave the veteran two of his most challenging roles in the post-Mohabbatein phase - a proud, arrogant, unmarried chef in Cheeni Kum, and a progeria patient in Paa. The attractive quality of both Balki-directed films has been the filmmaker's ability to underplay his characters' quirks and struggles, using subtlety instead of melodrama to narrate sweet, simple stories about simple people. Both films gave Bachchan opportunity to showcase his mettle as a fine actor.
English Vinglish, the directorial debut of Gauri Shinde - Balki's collaborator and wife - does something similar. It tells a story that revels in its simplicity, with aid from some witty writing and honest moments that elicit a smile here, a laugh there, and which leave you touched. Here too, at the centre of it all, is an actor who earned the tag of superstar years ago, but who appears to have reinvented herself to fit into Shinde's world with remarkable ease. In Sridevi, Shinde finds her Bachchan.
The film's opening shot shows Sridevi tying her hair in a knot, her dainty ankles touching the floor, a slender back peering out of her sari as she wakes up to her duties as a houewife. As opposed to actors who 'come back' more often than a Ram Gopal Varma film,English Vinglish is truly a comeback for Sridevi. Her last film - way back in 1997 (unless you count a delayed film that released in 2004) - was Judaai, where the actress nailed the role of a middle-class housewife who sells her husband to a richer woman in echange for a luxurious life. In these 15 years, film technique, concepts and audience tastes have undergone quite a change, and watching Sridevi slip in effortlessly in a film very different from her earlier filmography is interesting to watch. The housewife Sridevi plays in English Vinglish is a far cry from the one she played in Judaai - Shashi is soft-spoken and lovable, resolute and kind, and a lot less intimidating.
Her only drawback, if you want to call it that, is that she's not well-versed with the English language. A lovely scene in the film has Shashi meeting the principal of the school her daughter studies in. Shashi, a tad embarrassed, confesses to the principal who starts talking to her in English rightaway that her knowledge of the language is weak. The red-faced principal in turn apologizes for his inability to speak Hindi well, both characters relieved at finding a middle ground to communicate. The daughter, though, isn't very pleased. We've all been there - not always willing to flaunt our parents, worried that they may not seem as 'cool' as we want them to be.
Shinde brings many such real moments alive on screen, like Shashi's stumbling efforts while she travels alone to New York to attend her niece's wedding. Once there, she enrolls herself in a course that would help her learn English in four weeks, so she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb at the wedding. The interactions between the students, including a Pakistani cab driver, a Mexican nanny, a French chef, etc, are heartwarming and funny. Shashi finds a friend in the chef, who is smitten by her and helps her regain self-confidence. Neither speak each other's language - their inept English is the only communicating mode. And it's sufficient.
At 135 minutes, English Vinglish is an absolute delight. No scene's out of place, no character unnecessary and no dialogue forced. The script, penned by Shinde, is razor sharp and she brings little nuances to her characters that help create an environment you can relate to. Laxman Utekar's cinematography aids his director's vision. The best thing about English Vinglish is that it speaks a universal language - you can set the film anywhere, change the characters' nationalities and shoot in a foreign language - yet the story would work. That quality, and the fact that it is seeped in culture, makes English Vinglish the rare crossover film from Bollywood.
Without Sridevi, English Vinglish would have still worked, but the actress makes the film what it is. Her beauty remains untouched, the age only adding to the persona rather than taking away from it. The squeaky voice remains, and Sridevi may still not be a fit for diverse roles, but she makes Shashi her own, infusing life in the character and endearing herself to audiences in every scene. She's aided by two well-cast, able co-actors. Adil Hussain plays Sridevi's slightly authoritarian husband with ease, the Ishqiya actor delivering another performance that makes you want to see him more often. Mehdi Nebbou, the French chef in love with Shashi, is extremely charming and scenes between him and Sridevi are among the film's best.
You may find cliches along the way, yet English Vinglish is among the most refreshingly novel films made in recent times. Gauri Shinde makes an assured debut with a film that seems to have been made with more honesty than calculation, and with more heart than mind. If you're a Sridevi fan, you can't miss it. If you aren't, you still can't miss it.
English Vinglish, the directorial debut of Gauri Shinde - Balki's collaborator and wife - does something similar. It tells a story that revels in its simplicity, with aid from some witty writing and honest moments that elicit a smile here, a laugh there, and which leave you touched. Here too, at the centre of it all, is an actor who earned the tag of superstar years ago, but who appears to have reinvented herself to fit into Shinde's world with remarkable ease. In Sridevi, Shinde finds her Bachchan.
The film's opening shot shows Sridevi tying her hair in a knot, her dainty ankles touching the floor, a slender back peering out of her sari as she wakes up to her duties as a houewife. As opposed to actors who 'come back' more often than a Ram Gopal Varma film,English Vinglish is truly a comeback for Sridevi. Her last film - way back in 1997 (unless you count a delayed film that released in 2004) - was Judaai, where the actress nailed the role of a middle-class housewife who sells her husband to a richer woman in echange for a luxurious life. In these 15 years, film technique, concepts and audience tastes have undergone quite a change, and watching Sridevi slip in effortlessly in a film very different from her earlier filmography is interesting to watch. The housewife Sridevi plays in English Vinglish is a far cry from the one she played in Judaai - Shashi is soft-spoken and lovable, resolute and kind, and a lot less intimidating.
Her only drawback, if you want to call it that, is that she's not well-versed with the English language. A lovely scene in the film has Shashi meeting the principal of the school her daughter studies in. Shashi, a tad embarrassed, confesses to the principal who starts talking to her in English rightaway that her knowledge of the language is weak. The red-faced principal in turn apologizes for his inability to speak Hindi well, both characters relieved at finding a middle ground to communicate. The daughter, though, isn't very pleased. We've all been there - not always willing to flaunt our parents, worried that they may not seem as 'cool' as we want them to be.
Shinde brings many such real moments alive on screen, like Shashi's stumbling efforts while she travels alone to New York to attend her niece's wedding. Once there, she enrolls herself in a course that would help her learn English in four weeks, so she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb at the wedding. The interactions between the students, including a Pakistani cab driver, a Mexican nanny, a French chef, etc, are heartwarming and funny. Shashi finds a friend in the chef, who is smitten by her and helps her regain self-confidence. Neither speak each other's language - their inept English is the only communicating mode. And it's sufficient.
At 135 minutes, English Vinglish is an absolute delight. No scene's out of place, no character unnecessary and no dialogue forced. The script, penned by Shinde, is razor sharp and she brings little nuances to her characters that help create an environment you can relate to. Laxman Utekar's cinematography aids his director's vision. The best thing about English Vinglish is that it speaks a universal language - you can set the film anywhere, change the characters' nationalities and shoot in a foreign language - yet the story would work. That quality, and the fact that it is seeped in culture, makes English Vinglish the rare crossover film from Bollywood.
Without Sridevi, English Vinglish would have still worked, but the actress makes the film what it is. Her beauty remains untouched, the age only adding to the persona rather than taking away from it. The squeaky voice remains, and Sridevi may still not be a fit for diverse roles, but she makes Shashi her own, infusing life in the character and endearing herself to audiences in every scene. She's aided by two well-cast, able co-actors. Adil Hussain plays Sridevi's slightly authoritarian husband with ease, the Ishqiya actor delivering another performance that makes you want to see him more often. Mehdi Nebbou, the French chef in love with Shashi, is extremely charming and scenes between him and Sridevi are among the film's best.
You may find cliches along the way, yet English Vinglish is among the most refreshingly novel films made in recent times. Gauri Shinde makes an assured debut with a film that seems to have been made with more honesty than calculation, and with more heart than mind. If you're a Sridevi fan, you can't miss it. If you aren't, you still can't miss it.
The Times of India - Meena Iyer
Score: N/A
STORY: Shashi Godbole is a super-sensitive wife, mother and daughter-in-law; a perfect homemaker and small-time entrepreneur. Her only handicap is English. Does she manage to master the Queen's language?
MOVIE REVIEW: Shashi Godbole(Sridevi) is your average, upper-middle-class mother of two, whose special skills also include making ladoos. In fact, she's so good in her sweetmeat that she even markets it.
But one skill that Shashi lacks is speaking English. This makes her the constant butt of jokes and rebuttal with her husband ( Adil Hussain) and teenage daughter (Navika Kotia). The film drives home the point that those who speak English fluently usually adapt a condescending attitude towards those who don't.
Mind you; Shashi is not your average Jane. When opportunity takes her to New York for a niece's wedding; the sari-clad Shashi, steals a few hours each day and enrolls for a four-week crash course in English.
Here begins a hilarious yet heart-rending tale where Shashi and a motley bunch of a Spanish nanny, Eva (Ruth Aguilar); a Tamil software engineer, Rama (Rajeev Ravindranathan), a Chinese beautician, Yu Son (Maria Romano), a French cook, Laurent ( Mehdi Nebbou), and a Pakistani cabbie, Salman Khan (Sumeet Vyas), an African dancer, Udumbke (Damian Thompson) guided by an English tutor, David (Cory Hibbs) show you spunk and determination which can help you overcome obstacles anytime or anywhere.
The students of the English class also act as a support system to the protagonist, who despite her own dedication, finds that complacency has slipped into her marriage and there's self-respect lacking in her relationship with her teenage daughter.
In Laurent, the Frenchman's attraction for her, Shashi rediscovers her own self-worth. Equipped with his attention and her now newfound knowledge of English, she finds wings to soar.
Easily one of the best films of 2012; is tale of women empowerment (actually it is bound to empower every viewer) because it strikes a chord, right from the start to the end titles.
Debutant Gauri Shinde, who made advertising films before she ventured into the feature area; proves she's an ace cinema writer-director. The result is a sweet, sensitive and superlative film that makes you laugh, cry and smile. Every emotion is identifiable, every nuance is balanced. The characters are real, the performances effortless.
Amit Trivedi's music is hummable. The title track, Gustak dil, the Marathi remixes of theNavrai Mazhi; all of it is mesmerising. The beauty of the soundtrack is that flows naturally, without disturbing the narrative. Trivedi's track also gets you to question—why other mainstream filmmakers—make such a song-`n'-dance of bawdy lyrics and item songs, when there is such joy in simplicity.
Sridevi is the backbone of EV. Anxiety, anger, arrogance, anguish, attraction, the actress conveys emotions effortlessly with or without words. Returning to the silver screen after a 15-year hiatus; Sri's performance here is a master-class for actors. So much so, that you keep applauding her, long after the lights come on. One must also put in a word of praise for the performances of Sri's son-Sagar (Shivansh Kotia); an adorable moppet who you want to take home with you. And her ma-in-law, Mrs Godbole (Sulabha Deshpande); a delight to watch, as always.
FINAL WORD: Request you to make a little place next to you, Rajkumar Hirani; Gauri Shinde has taken a bow in mainstream Bollywood.
MOVIE REVIEW: Shashi Godbole(Sridevi) is your average, upper-middle-class mother of two, whose special skills also include making ladoos. In fact, she's so good in her sweetmeat that she even markets it.
But one skill that Shashi lacks is speaking English. This makes her the constant butt of jokes and rebuttal with her husband ( Adil Hussain) and teenage daughter (Navika Kotia). The film drives home the point that those who speak English fluently usually adapt a condescending attitude towards those who don't.
Mind you; Shashi is not your average Jane. When opportunity takes her to New York for a niece's wedding; the sari-clad Shashi, steals a few hours each day and enrolls for a four-week crash course in English.
Here begins a hilarious yet heart-rending tale where Shashi and a motley bunch of a Spanish nanny, Eva (Ruth Aguilar); a Tamil software engineer, Rama (Rajeev Ravindranathan), a Chinese beautician, Yu Son (Maria Romano), a French cook, Laurent ( Mehdi Nebbou), and a Pakistani cabbie, Salman Khan (Sumeet Vyas), an African dancer, Udumbke (Damian Thompson) guided by an English tutor, David (Cory Hibbs) show you spunk and determination which can help you overcome obstacles anytime or anywhere.
The students of the English class also act as a support system to the protagonist, who despite her own dedication, finds that complacency has slipped into her marriage and there's self-respect lacking in her relationship with her teenage daughter.
In Laurent, the Frenchman's attraction for her, Shashi rediscovers her own self-worth. Equipped with his attention and her now newfound knowledge of English, she finds wings to soar.
Easily one of the best films of 2012; is tale of women empowerment (actually it is bound to empower every viewer) because it strikes a chord, right from the start to the end titles.
Debutant Gauri Shinde, who made advertising films before she ventured into the feature area; proves she's an ace cinema writer-director. The result is a sweet, sensitive and superlative film that makes you laugh, cry and smile. Every emotion is identifiable, every nuance is balanced. The characters are real, the performances effortless.
Amit Trivedi's music is hummable. The title track, Gustak dil, the Marathi remixes of theNavrai Mazhi; all of it is mesmerising. The beauty of the soundtrack is that flows naturally, without disturbing the narrative. Trivedi's track also gets you to question—why other mainstream filmmakers—make such a song-`n'-dance of bawdy lyrics and item songs, when there is such joy in simplicity.
Sridevi is the backbone of EV. Anxiety, anger, arrogance, anguish, attraction, the actress conveys emotions effortlessly with or without words. Returning to the silver screen after a 15-year hiatus; Sri's performance here is a master-class for actors. So much so, that you keep applauding her, long after the lights come on. One must also put in a word of praise for the performances of Sri's son-Sagar (Shivansh Kotia); an adorable moppet who you want to take home with you. And her ma-in-law, Mrs Godbole (Sulabha Deshpande); a delight to watch, as always.
FINAL WORD: Request you to make a little place next to you, Rajkumar Hirani; Gauri Shinde has taken a bow in mainstream Bollywood.
Variety - Joe Leydon
Score: N/A
Popular Indian thesp Sridevi returns to the screen after a 15-year hiatus with “EnglishVinglish,” a sprightly star vehicle that finds her perfectly cast as an attractive yet old-fashioned homebody who elevates her sense of worth by becoming bilingual. Set for an Oct. 5 international launch, the pic could reach beyond the usual aud for Bollywood fare, especially in sophisticated North American markets, with a promotional campaign aimed at over-30 femme viewers receptive to writer-director Gauri Shinde’s seriocomic theme of self-empowerment.
Disarmingly charming in a manner that recalls Audrey Hepburn, Sridevi plays Shashi, a thirtysomething Pune wife and mom whose culinary expertise and other homemaking skills are routinely taken for granted by her husband and two children. Worse, her spouse and kids repeatedly tease her about her inability (or unwillingness) to master English, which they see as yet another sign of her tradition-bound mindset.
But Shashi herself doesn’t seem unbearably frustrated by her lack of bilingual ability until she travels from Pune to New York — her first international trip on her own — to help with preparations for her very Americanized niece’s wedding. When she finds it difficult to simply order water in a Manhattan sandwich shop, she impulsively enrolls at a language school that offers accelerated English lessons for students of any nationality.
Pic occasionally resembles a broadly played U.S. sitcom, as Shashi amusingly interacts with a multiethnic cross-section of fellow students, including a French chef (Mehdi Nebbou) who’s instantly attracted to her, and their flamboyantly gay teacher (Cory Hibbs, who nimbly prevents the character from devolving into an offensive caricature). Indeed, if this were an American-produced film, it would be easy to imagine a weekly TV series spinoff.
Far more often, though, “English Vinglish” is traditional Bollywood escapism, a lightly enjoyable trifle featuring exuberant musical interludes, an extremely chaste approach to conjugal relations and extramarital temptation, and a crowdpleasing wrap-up that allows the lead character to be all she can be while still respecting family values.
The Hindi-language version features a lightly comical cameo by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan as Shashi’s fellow passenger aboard a New York-bound airliner, who inadvertently unsettles others on the plane while explaining the in-flight movie to her. Ajith Kumar reportedly plays the part in the pic’s Tamil-language version.
Lenser Laxman Utekar does a fine job of enabling the audience to view Manhattan, where most of the pic was shot, entirely from Shashi’s p.o.v. It appears exotic and inviting all at once, and seems an altogether terrific place to jumpstart one’s self-esteem.
Disarmingly charming in a manner that recalls Audrey Hepburn, Sridevi plays Shashi, a thirtysomething Pune wife and mom whose culinary expertise and other homemaking skills are routinely taken for granted by her husband and two children. Worse, her spouse and kids repeatedly tease her about her inability (or unwillingness) to master English, which they see as yet another sign of her tradition-bound mindset.
But Shashi herself doesn’t seem unbearably frustrated by her lack of bilingual ability until she travels from Pune to New York — her first international trip on her own — to help with preparations for her very Americanized niece’s wedding. When she finds it difficult to simply order water in a Manhattan sandwich shop, she impulsively enrolls at a language school that offers accelerated English lessons for students of any nationality.
Pic occasionally resembles a broadly played U.S. sitcom, as Shashi amusingly interacts with a multiethnic cross-section of fellow students, including a French chef (Mehdi Nebbou) who’s instantly attracted to her, and their flamboyantly gay teacher (Cory Hibbs, who nimbly prevents the character from devolving into an offensive caricature). Indeed, if this were an American-produced film, it would be easy to imagine a weekly TV series spinoff.
Far more often, though, “English Vinglish” is traditional Bollywood escapism, a lightly enjoyable trifle featuring exuberant musical interludes, an extremely chaste approach to conjugal relations and extramarital temptation, and a crowdpleasing wrap-up that allows the lead character to be all she can be while still respecting family values.
The Hindi-language version features a lightly comical cameo by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan as Shashi’s fellow passenger aboard a New York-bound airliner, who inadvertently unsettles others on the plane while explaining the in-flight movie to her. Ajith Kumar reportedly plays the part in the pic’s Tamil-language version.
Lenser Laxman Utekar does a fine job of enabling the audience to view Manhattan, where most of the pic was shot, entirely from Shashi’s p.o.v. It appears exotic and inviting all at once, and seems an altogether terrific place to jumpstart one’s self-esteem.
Rajeev Masand
Score: 3.5/5.0
Returning to the screen after a hiatus of 15 years in first-time director Gauri Shinde’s charming comedy English Vinglish, Sridevi hits all the right notes.
Five minutes into the film, and she’s already found her way into your heart as Shashi, the uncomplaining Maharashtrian housewife who quietly puts up with the playful but insensitive jibes her husband and kids take at her, for her inability to speak proper English. It’s such a terrific performance in fact, that it makes you overlook the rather trite notion that a caring wife and mother, who runs a small but successful catering business from home, must speak fluent English in order to regain her sense of self-worth.
Shinde, who has revealed that the film’s premise is inspired by a slice of her own mother’s life, constructs some moving scenes that are not hard to relate to. Shashi’s school-going daughter cringes in embarrassment at a PTA meeting when her mother asks a teacher if he could speak to her in Hindi because her English is weak. When another parent engages her mother in a conversation, she nervously steers her mum away.
There’s little that’s blazingly original here; much of it feels formulaic and predictable, in fact. Yet Shinde knows there’s comfort to be found in the familiar, and she mines feel-good moments in been-there-seen-that territory.
Things come to a head when Shashi reluctantly travels alone to New York to help with preparations for her niece’s wedding. Humiliated while struggling to order a coffee and sandwich at a Manhattan café, she impulsively enrolls for a four-week English speaking course at a language school. From this point on, the film resembles an episode of the popular BBC sitcom Mind Your Language, whose laughs are derived from a motley bunch of foreigners wrestling with English. Typically, the class comprises a Mexican nanny, a Pakistani cab driver, a Chinese hairstylist, a South Indian software engineer, an angry black kid, and a dishy French chef named Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) who’s instantly attracted to Shashi.
In these classroom scenes, Shinde uses her characters to deliver a message about Indo-Pak camaraderie, and even against homophobia. Yet these seem like mere tokenisms against the more natural, tender scenes between Shashi and Laurent. Like those moments when the two are conversing in their respective languages, and yet manage to convey what they’re feeling to each other – it’s these interludes that make English Vinglish so watchable.
This is the story of how Shashi gets her groove back, and Shinde nails it by casting Sridevi in the central role. The actress is effortlessly charming as the neglected protagonist who discovers herself when she’s allowed to fly. She infuses the part with the right portions of vulnerability, restraint, and quiet strength, delivering a performance that is nothing short of perfect.
Even if it treads a safe path, English Vinglish achieves believability through its supporting cast of mostly unfamiliar faces, including Mehdi Nebbou as Shashi’s sensitive French admirer, and Adil Hussain as her inattentive husband. Sujatha Kumar as Shashi’s older sister oozes warmth, and both kids playing Shashi’s children are spot-on. There’s also a delightful cameo by Amitabh Bachchan, who steals the scene he’s in with his impeccable comic timing.
Making an assured debut with a light, frothy film that still has something important to say, Gauri Shinde delivers one the year’s most pleasing films, and Amit Trivedi lends some of his best compositions to the soundtrack. I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five for English Vinglish. It’s warm and fuzzy, and leaves you with a big smile on your face.
Five minutes into the film, and she’s already found her way into your heart as Shashi, the uncomplaining Maharashtrian housewife who quietly puts up with the playful but insensitive jibes her husband and kids take at her, for her inability to speak proper English. It’s such a terrific performance in fact, that it makes you overlook the rather trite notion that a caring wife and mother, who runs a small but successful catering business from home, must speak fluent English in order to regain her sense of self-worth.
Shinde, who has revealed that the film’s premise is inspired by a slice of her own mother’s life, constructs some moving scenes that are not hard to relate to. Shashi’s school-going daughter cringes in embarrassment at a PTA meeting when her mother asks a teacher if he could speak to her in Hindi because her English is weak. When another parent engages her mother in a conversation, she nervously steers her mum away.
There’s little that’s blazingly original here; much of it feels formulaic and predictable, in fact. Yet Shinde knows there’s comfort to be found in the familiar, and she mines feel-good moments in been-there-seen-that territory.
Things come to a head when Shashi reluctantly travels alone to New York to help with preparations for her niece’s wedding. Humiliated while struggling to order a coffee and sandwich at a Manhattan café, she impulsively enrolls for a four-week English speaking course at a language school. From this point on, the film resembles an episode of the popular BBC sitcom Mind Your Language, whose laughs are derived from a motley bunch of foreigners wrestling with English. Typically, the class comprises a Mexican nanny, a Pakistani cab driver, a Chinese hairstylist, a South Indian software engineer, an angry black kid, and a dishy French chef named Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) who’s instantly attracted to Shashi.
In these classroom scenes, Shinde uses her characters to deliver a message about Indo-Pak camaraderie, and even against homophobia. Yet these seem like mere tokenisms against the more natural, tender scenes between Shashi and Laurent. Like those moments when the two are conversing in their respective languages, and yet manage to convey what they’re feeling to each other – it’s these interludes that make English Vinglish so watchable.
This is the story of how Shashi gets her groove back, and Shinde nails it by casting Sridevi in the central role. The actress is effortlessly charming as the neglected protagonist who discovers herself when she’s allowed to fly. She infuses the part with the right portions of vulnerability, restraint, and quiet strength, delivering a performance that is nothing short of perfect.
Even if it treads a safe path, English Vinglish achieves believability through its supporting cast of mostly unfamiliar faces, including Mehdi Nebbou as Shashi’s sensitive French admirer, and Adil Hussain as her inattentive husband. Sujatha Kumar as Shashi’s older sister oozes warmth, and both kids playing Shashi’s children are spot-on. There’s also a delightful cameo by Amitabh Bachchan, who steals the scene he’s in with his impeccable comic timing.
Making an assured debut with a light, frothy film that still has something important to say, Gauri Shinde delivers one the year’s most pleasing films, and Amit Trivedi lends some of his best compositions to the soundtrack. I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five for English Vinglish. It’s warm and fuzzy, and leaves you with a big smile on your face.
Filmfare - Vivek Bhatia
Score: N/A
The wait has been long but it has been worth its while. After a 15-year long hiatus, Sridevi makes a pleasant comeback at the movies with Gauri Shinde’s directorial debut English Vinglish. After receiving a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival, this charm grenade of a film promises to win hearts at home too. English Vinglish is a shining testament to Sridevi’s inimitable talent and her potential to successfully carry a film to its deserved destination.
Meet Shashi (Sridevi), the perfect Indian middle-aged housewife, who knows no better than to keep her family happy. So, while her ever-busy-with-work hubby (Adil Hussain) and mocking daughter Sapna team up to scoff at her broken English, she takes it in her stride and feeds them yummy food instead. She loves cooking; snacks and ladoos to be precise. And packets of delicious food items made by her sell like hot cake in the neighbourhood. Her adorable younger son Sagar and mother-in-law (Sulabha Deshpande) provide her with the occasional but much required comic relief. She flies to The United States of America to help out with her niece’s wedding, two weeks before her family would join her. These two weeks prove to be crucial in Shashi’s life. Circumstances compel her to overcome her insecurities; master the English language and eventually transform into a self assured and confident woman.
English Vinglish portrays the most ordinary aspects of life in an extraordinary manner. It explores family values and relationships of a workaholic husband with his wife and that of a mother with her children. May it be the pent up frustration of a housewife, a young daughter grappling with the embarrassment of her mother’s inability to speak proper English or even a husband who believes his wife is only born to make ladoos. Each and every aspect of family dynamics is been handled with utmost care.
Sensitivity is the forte of this film and it naturally works wonders. There are few well-written, delicious scenes which you’d wish would never end. Like the scene where Shashi, after befriending her French classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) at her English class, confides in him about her problems but in Hindi and the guy replies in French. Or the scenes Shashi has with her younger niece (Priya Anand), who becomes her confidante in the US. Or even the story curve that takes place in the English Learning class. It’s all enjoyable and heart-rending.
“Your eyes are like two drops of coffee in a cloud of milk,” says a love-struck Laurent to Shashi. And he’s absolutely right. If English Vinglish is a charm grenade then Sridevi is the charm. She puts the act back into acting with her performance as the resilient and compliant Shashi. She conveys the unsaid through her expressive eyes and pulls off an applause-worthy nuanced performance. From rehearsing her answers to questions that will be asked at the US Immigration counter, joining English classes and then eventually being able to make her family proud is a transformation which has been etched out perfectly by her. Subtly performed and duly underplayed this is undoubtedly one of her best performance till date.
English Vinglish is almost a masterstroke of a debut for director Gauri Shinde. There is a strong director at work here. The characters are underplayed and so are the emotions. Despite having a few lump-in-your-throat moments, the film doesn’t hold your collar and compel you to shed tears. Instead, it lets you enjoy the feel-good moments at an adequate pace. Well-shot and crisply edited, this film has a fresh feel to it. Also, Amit Trivedi with his hip tunes and modern sound gives a distinct vibe to the film.
If one had to necessarily pick out a flaw in the film then it has to be the second half which seemed a tad bit long for its liking. But that’s just nitpicking in a film which is near perfect. Go for English Vinglish with your family vamily. You’ll be charmed varmed, rest assured.
Meet Shashi (Sridevi), the perfect Indian middle-aged housewife, who knows no better than to keep her family happy. So, while her ever-busy-with-work hubby (Adil Hussain) and mocking daughter Sapna team up to scoff at her broken English, she takes it in her stride and feeds them yummy food instead. She loves cooking; snacks and ladoos to be precise. And packets of delicious food items made by her sell like hot cake in the neighbourhood. Her adorable younger son Sagar and mother-in-law (Sulabha Deshpande) provide her with the occasional but much required comic relief. She flies to The United States of America to help out with her niece’s wedding, two weeks before her family would join her. These two weeks prove to be crucial in Shashi’s life. Circumstances compel her to overcome her insecurities; master the English language and eventually transform into a self assured and confident woman.
English Vinglish portrays the most ordinary aspects of life in an extraordinary manner. It explores family values and relationships of a workaholic husband with his wife and that of a mother with her children. May it be the pent up frustration of a housewife, a young daughter grappling with the embarrassment of her mother’s inability to speak proper English or even a husband who believes his wife is only born to make ladoos. Each and every aspect of family dynamics is been handled with utmost care.
Sensitivity is the forte of this film and it naturally works wonders. There are few well-written, delicious scenes which you’d wish would never end. Like the scene where Shashi, after befriending her French classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) at her English class, confides in him about her problems but in Hindi and the guy replies in French. Or the scenes Shashi has with her younger niece (Priya Anand), who becomes her confidante in the US. Or even the story curve that takes place in the English Learning class. It’s all enjoyable and heart-rending.
“Your eyes are like two drops of coffee in a cloud of milk,” says a love-struck Laurent to Shashi. And he’s absolutely right. If English Vinglish is a charm grenade then Sridevi is the charm. She puts the act back into acting with her performance as the resilient and compliant Shashi. She conveys the unsaid through her expressive eyes and pulls off an applause-worthy nuanced performance. From rehearsing her answers to questions that will be asked at the US Immigration counter, joining English classes and then eventually being able to make her family proud is a transformation which has been etched out perfectly by her. Subtly performed and duly underplayed this is undoubtedly one of her best performance till date.
English Vinglish is almost a masterstroke of a debut for director Gauri Shinde. There is a strong director at work here. The characters are underplayed and so are the emotions. Despite having a few lump-in-your-throat moments, the film doesn’t hold your collar and compel you to shed tears. Instead, it lets you enjoy the feel-good moments at an adequate pace. Well-shot and crisply edited, this film has a fresh feel to it. Also, Amit Trivedi with his hip tunes and modern sound gives a distinct vibe to the film.
If one had to necessarily pick out a flaw in the film then it has to be the second half which seemed a tad bit long for its liking. But that’s just nitpicking in a film which is near perfect. Go for English Vinglish with your family vamily. You’ll be charmed varmed, rest assured.
Bollywood Hungama - Taran Adarsh
Score: 4.0/5.0
ENGLISH VINGLISH is special. Sridevi, who ruled the marquee in the 1980s and 1990s, belting out hit after hit, returns to the silver screen after a hiatus. The film won rave reviews at a recently concluded film festival, with the critics referring to the actress as Meryl Streep of India. That, in my opinion, is the ultimate honor for any actress.
Let me set the prevalent doubts to rest. ENGLISH VINGLISH is not a rehash of the immensely popular TV show ZABAAN SAMBHAALKE or its British version MIND YOUR LANGUAGE. It's as dissimilar as oranges and apples are.
First-time director Gauri Shinde [she has enough ad films to her credit] chooses a subject -- a woman incapable to converse in English and hence looked upon as an embarrassment by her own people -- to send across a message. The larger message is that any individual can triumph over any uncertainty, surmount all apprehensions and redeem the self-esteem, if he/she makes an earnest endeavor to overcome it. Also, the woman [a neglected housewife/a mother of two in the movie] yearns for respect. But respect can only be earned and the woman does so in the most uncomplicated, yet remarkable way. She makes a quiet resolve to learn the language and does so without relying upon anyone else. What really makes the movie stand out, besides a lot of factors contributing to its strengths, is the manner with which the director picks up an issue [which many would consider ordinary] and makes a movie that chokes you with sentiments.
Also, one needs to applaud the endeavor because films like PAAN SINGH TOMAR, KAHAANI, VICKY DONOR, GOW 1 and 2, BARFI!, also last week's OMG - OH MY GOD! and now ENGLISH VINGLISH, hi-concept films all, take the unconventional route, yet enlighten and entertain, both. Sure, masala movies are great fun, but a film like ENGLISH VINGLISH breaks the monotony, shatters the unwritten rules of the game and scores brownie points. Cinema is rapidly changing and one can connect with viewers across the globe even without making the usual mainstream Hindi movie. ENGLISH VINGLISH proves it!
ENGLISH VINGLISH is the story of a woman who struggles with English and is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. The film depicts the touching and transformational journey of a housewife, Shashi [Sridevi]. Circumstances make her resolute to prevail over this lack of confidence, master the language, teach the world a lesson or two on the way to becoming a self-assured and confident woman.
If Sridevi is the driving force on screen, it's Gauri Shinde who stands out with a near-perfect film in her very first attempt. The concept is oven fresh and the handling of a number of sensitive and dramatic moments is noteworthy.
Gauri smartly integrates the songs in the narrative, although, I genuinely feel, the film would've excelled even without songs. The songs [Amit Trivedi], though situational, are soft and soothing. Cinematography [Laxman Utekar] captures the vibrant colors with dexterity.
ENGLISH VINGLISH is unimaginable without Sridevi. Correspondingly, I don't think Sridevi could've got a more cohesive script to return to movies. This is unlike what the actress has done in the past. Think of Sridevi and you recall films like HIMMATWALA, CHAALBAAZ, NAGINA, MR. INDIA, CHANDNI, LAMHE, KHUDA GAWAH, LAADLA and JUDAAI. But the supremely talented actress also has non-glam roles like the one in SADMA to her credit. She returns to the big screen in a role that's sans the frills, spectacle and theatrics and yet wins hearts. She's stellar, in terrific form, immersing herself in this character, playing her age… so much so that after a point you forget you're watching someone who has immortalized so many characters. What you carry home, and in your heart, is Shashi, a woman who is snubbed by her children and husband on various occasions for her lack of English-language skills, but overpowers her apprehensions and insecurities and emerges triumphant eventually.
Priya Anand, who has several South Indian language films to her credit, is excellent as Sridevi's niece, the only person who understands her well, besides her lovable mother-in-law [Sulbha Deshpande]. Another actor to watch out for is Adil Hussain, who enacts the role of Sridevi's husband, who often taunts her with the remark that she [Sridevi], his wife, was born to make laddoos. He's natural to the core, addressing a role without going overboard. Sujata Kumar, as Sridevi's elder sister, is splendid.
French actor Mehdi Nebbou is just right. Even when he's speaking in French, the expression that he conveys says it all and that is the hallmark of a fine actor. However, when he speaks in French, subtitles in English were essential for the viewer to decipher or decode and would have adjoined considerable value to those extremely significant sequences. Amitabh Bachchan is simply fantastic in a cameo. Wish there was more of this legendary actor! Navika Kotia, enacting the role of the daughter, is first-rate, but it is the child actor, Shivansh Kotia, Sridevi's son, who is endearing and steals your heart with his adorable antics. Sulbha Deshpande is admirable.
Sridevi's classmates, each of them, pitch in neat performances. Right from the taxi driver from Pakistan to a South Indian guy to a Mexican nanny and of course, the English teacher, everyone stands out in their respective parts.
On the whole, ENGLISH VINGLISH is a remarkable motion picture. It's amusing, emotional, heartrending and also insightful. An inspiring film with an overwhelming message. A must-watch for every parent, every child. Strongly recommended!
Let me set the prevalent doubts to rest. ENGLISH VINGLISH is not a rehash of the immensely popular TV show ZABAAN SAMBHAALKE or its British version MIND YOUR LANGUAGE. It's as dissimilar as oranges and apples are.
First-time director Gauri Shinde [she has enough ad films to her credit] chooses a subject -- a woman incapable to converse in English and hence looked upon as an embarrassment by her own people -- to send across a message. The larger message is that any individual can triumph over any uncertainty, surmount all apprehensions and redeem the self-esteem, if he/she makes an earnest endeavor to overcome it. Also, the woman [a neglected housewife/a mother of two in the movie] yearns for respect. But respect can only be earned and the woman does so in the most uncomplicated, yet remarkable way. She makes a quiet resolve to learn the language and does so without relying upon anyone else. What really makes the movie stand out, besides a lot of factors contributing to its strengths, is the manner with which the director picks up an issue [which many would consider ordinary] and makes a movie that chokes you with sentiments.
Also, one needs to applaud the endeavor because films like PAAN SINGH TOMAR, KAHAANI, VICKY DONOR, GOW 1 and 2, BARFI!, also last week's OMG - OH MY GOD! and now ENGLISH VINGLISH, hi-concept films all, take the unconventional route, yet enlighten and entertain, both. Sure, masala movies are great fun, but a film like ENGLISH VINGLISH breaks the monotony, shatters the unwritten rules of the game and scores brownie points. Cinema is rapidly changing and one can connect with viewers across the globe even without making the usual mainstream Hindi movie. ENGLISH VINGLISH proves it!
ENGLISH VINGLISH is the story of a woman who struggles with English and is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. The film depicts the touching and transformational journey of a housewife, Shashi [Sridevi]. Circumstances make her resolute to prevail over this lack of confidence, master the language, teach the world a lesson or two on the way to becoming a self-assured and confident woman.
If Sridevi is the driving force on screen, it's Gauri Shinde who stands out with a near-perfect film in her very first attempt. The concept is oven fresh and the handling of a number of sensitive and dramatic moments is noteworthy.
Gauri smartly integrates the songs in the narrative, although, I genuinely feel, the film would've excelled even without songs. The songs [Amit Trivedi], though situational, are soft and soothing. Cinematography [Laxman Utekar] captures the vibrant colors with dexterity.
ENGLISH VINGLISH is unimaginable without Sridevi. Correspondingly, I don't think Sridevi could've got a more cohesive script to return to movies. This is unlike what the actress has done in the past. Think of Sridevi and you recall films like HIMMATWALA, CHAALBAAZ, NAGINA, MR. INDIA, CHANDNI, LAMHE, KHUDA GAWAH, LAADLA and JUDAAI. But the supremely talented actress also has non-glam roles like the one in SADMA to her credit. She returns to the big screen in a role that's sans the frills, spectacle and theatrics and yet wins hearts. She's stellar, in terrific form, immersing herself in this character, playing her age… so much so that after a point you forget you're watching someone who has immortalized so many characters. What you carry home, and in your heart, is Shashi, a woman who is snubbed by her children and husband on various occasions for her lack of English-language skills, but overpowers her apprehensions and insecurities and emerges triumphant eventually.
Priya Anand, who has several South Indian language films to her credit, is excellent as Sridevi's niece, the only person who understands her well, besides her lovable mother-in-law [Sulbha Deshpande]. Another actor to watch out for is Adil Hussain, who enacts the role of Sridevi's husband, who often taunts her with the remark that she [Sridevi], his wife, was born to make laddoos. He's natural to the core, addressing a role without going overboard. Sujata Kumar, as Sridevi's elder sister, is splendid.
French actor Mehdi Nebbou is just right. Even when he's speaking in French, the expression that he conveys says it all and that is the hallmark of a fine actor. However, when he speaks in French, subtitles in English were essential for the viewer to decipher or decode and would have adjoined considerable value to those extremely significant sequences. Amitabh Bachchan is simply fantastic in a cameo. Wish there was more of this legendary actor! Navika Kotia, enacting the role of the daughter, is first-rate, but it is the child actor, Shivansh Kotia, Sridevi's son, who is endearing and steals your heart with his adorable antics. Sulbha Deshpande is admirable.
Sridevi's classmates, each of them, pitch in neat performances. Right from the taxi driver from Pakistan to a South Indian guy to a Mexican nanny and of course, the English teacher, everyone stands out in their respective parts.
On the whole, ENGLISH VINGLISH is a remarkable motion picture. It's amusing, emotional, heartrending and also insightful. An inspiring film with an overwhelming message. A must-watch for every parent, every child. Strongly recommended!
Glamsham - Martin D'Souza
Score: 4.0/5.0
Gauri Shinde has come up with a gem in her directorial debut. The story is very modern, yet archaic; sober, yet hard-hitting. And adding punch with lots of pizzaz to the entire duration of the film is Sridevi. She has come back with the proverbial BANG! Probably, this has to be one of the best knock-out return of an actress who once ruled the roost.
Sedate, peaceful, purposeful yet not losing her mind, Sridevi tackles a subject, so close to home, with a rare maturity that only motherhood can bring. Vidya Balan has fierce competition now. Another 'hero' is on the horizon. And Sridevi is a serious contender with this performance of hers for the Best Actress Award. Kahaani mein twist!
A round of applause to these two women, Gauri Shinde and Sridevi, for ENGLISH VINGLISH that is sure to have the audience coming in for a second helping.
This movie is a lesson for married couples, children, families and even friends. Shinde has layered a love story so beautiful with a neat, tragic twist to a romance. The characters are cautiously crafted and delicately displayed; each one playing his or her part and moving to the sidelines, allowing the next to take centrestage. Such method in direction is seen after a long time on screen.
There are scenes which will remain with you long after you have left the theatre. The scene where Sridevi shares seat with Amitabh Bachchan on her way to America. Brilliant. The scene where her husband always keeps saying she was born to make laddoos and the apparent hurt on her face. The scenes where her daughter never misses an opportunity to poke fun at her. The scene at a coffee shop, her first outing alone in the US. The scenes between the Frenchman and Sridevi when in US. It is scenes like these that make ENGLIVISH VINGLISH such a treat.
Not to forget the final scene where Sridevi delivers her knockout punch, speaking in halting English, matching the character she plays to a 'nicety', that will move you to tears. The speech is a small lesson in how a family should behave. And this scene could have very well been 'over-the-top' and preachy. But with her grasp of, Shashi, the housewife she portrays, Sridevi keeps the histrionics out of her space. She just stands tall nervously and floors you with her simplicity.
Shashi is this housewife who is always made fun of by her rude daughter every time she attempts to speak English. Her husband, too, joins in, albeit innocently. But unfortunately, Shashi is hurting from the inside with the insensitivity of her husband and daughter. Her not being able to speak or understand English is a major source of embarrassment for her daughter.
Then comes a call from her sister who is living in the US. She needs Shashi's help as her daughter is getting married. Shashi is forced to go ahead alone before her family can join her closer towards the wedding date.
Once there, Shashi is helped by her niece played by Priya Anand, who supports her aunt's desire to learn English. The bond these two share comes out very strongly.
Gauri maps the script with a clever screenplay. The build-up to Shashi's going to the US and her desire to learn English is not forceful as the title would demand. Instead, it is a subtle move. And although, it would have been easy guessing the next scene considering the title, Gauri keeps you guessing. And that, for a first-time, director is a huge plus.
I can go on and on about the script, screenplay, Gauri and Sridevi. But the support cast need mention, too. They chip in with brilliant support for Shashi. There's Priya Anand who makes her Bollywood debut. She is first rate, standing tall with Sridevi in every frame. There is also Adil Hussain who plays her husband. But the man who matches Sridevi's intensity is Mehdi Nebbou who plays the Frenchman smitten by Shashi. He romances her with his eyes.
Go watch it. It's a lesson worth its weight in gold.
Sedate, peaceful, purposeful yet not losing her mind, Sridevi tackles a subject, so close to home, with a rare maturity that only motherhood can bring. Vidya Balan has fierce competition now. Another 'hero' is on the horizon. And Sridevi is a serious contender with this performance of hers for the Best Actress Award. Kahaani mein twist!
A round of applause to these two women, Gauri Shinde and Sridevi, for ENGLISH VINGLISH that is sure to have the audience coming in for a second helping.
This movie is a lesson for married couples, children, families and even friends. Shinde has layered a love story so beautiful with a neat, tragic twist to a romance. The characters are cautiously crafted and delicately displayed; each one playing his or her part and moving to the sidelines, allowing the next to take centrestage. Such method in direction is seen after a long time on screen.
There are scenes which will remain with you long after you have left the theatre. The scene where Sridevi shares seat with Amitabh Bachchan on her way to America. Brilliant. The scene where her husband always keeps saying she was born to make laddoos and the apparent hurt on her face. The scenes where her daughter never misses an opportunity to poke fun at her. The scene at a coffee shop, her first outing alone in the US. The scenes between the Frenchman and Sridevi when in US. It is scenes like these that make ENGLIVISH VINGLISH such a treat.
Not to forget the final scene where Sridevi delivers her knockout punch, speaking in halting English, matching the character she plays to a 'nicety', that will move you to tears. The speech is a small lesson in how a family should behave. And this scene could have very well been 'over-the-top' and preachy. But with her grasp of, Shashi, the housewife she portrays, Sridevi keeps the histrionics out of her space. She just stands tall nervously and floors you with her simplicity.
Shashi is this housewife who is always made fun of by her rude daughter every time she attempts to speak English. Her husband, too, joins in, albeit innocently. But unfortunately, Shashi is hurting from the inside with the insensitivity of her husband and daughter. Her not being able to speak or understand English is a major source of embarrassment for her daughter.
Then comes a call from her sister who is living in the US. She needs Shashi's help as her daughter is getting married. Shashi is forced to go ahead alone before her family can join her closer towards the wedding date.
Once there, Shashi is helped by her niece played by Priya Anand, who supports her aunt's desire to learn English. The bond these two share comes out very strongly.
Gauri maps the script with a clever screenplay. The build-up to Shashi's going to the US and her desire to learn English is not forceful as the title would demand. Instead, it is a subtle move. And although, it would have been easy guessing the next scene considering the title, Gauri keeps you guessing. And that, for a first-time, director is a huge plus.
I can go on and on about the script, screenplay, Gauri and Sridevi. But the support cast need mention, too. They chip in with brilliant support for Shashi. There's Priya Anand who makes her Bollywood debut. She is first rate, standing tall with Sridevi in every frame. There is also Adil Hussain who plays her husband. But the man who matches Sridevi's intensity is Mehdi Nebbou who plays the Frenchman smitten by Shashi. He romances her with his eyes.
Go watch it. It's a lesson worth its weight in gold.
Bolly Spice - Anjum Shabbir
Score: N/A
English Vinglish is Sridevi’s return to the golden screen as leading lady. It is directed by debutant director Gauri Shinde and produced by R. Balki (Cheeni Kum, Paa). English Vinglish was premiered at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival, where Sridevi’s performance drew a standing ovation and critical acclaim. So is this the comeback film of the year? Do R.Balki and Gauri Shinde deliver? Does English Vinglish live up to all the festival hype? Read on to find out…
Firstly a bit about the story and without giving too much away, you should all be aware by now that it is about a mother and wife, Shashi, played by Sridevi and her quest to learn English. You automatically expect many laughs and stereotypes along the way. However, English Vinglish is far deeper than that. Inspired by the director’s own mother’s experience, the film is about Shashi’s journey, her insecurities, her challenges, her determination and her liberation.
After a 15 year hiatus and still remembered fondly for her last powerful performance in Judaai opposite Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar, Sridevi ruled the late 80s and early 90s. After watching English Vinglish, you will thoroughly welcome her return. At 49 years old Sridevi still has it! Unlike her on and off screen, glamorous avatar, here she is presented as a simple down to earth mother. Her portrayal of Sashi is sensitive and uplifting, with Sridevi really managing to get under the skin of the character. Not once do you associate her with any of her previous roles or persona. As far as comebacks go, in comparison to Madhuri Dixit’s comeback (Aaja Nachle) and Karishma Kapoor (Dangerous Ishhq), this is by far the best comeback vehicle – an author backed role, in a beautifully crafted film, which not only does justice to the actress herself, but also her fans.
All credit goes to R. Balki and Gauri Shinde. In line with Cheeni Kum and Paa, English Vinglish is as beautifully crafted as the earlier two films. All three films deal with poignant issues, yet present them with a near perfect balance of comedy, drama and emotion. You will laugh along with the characters and you will also be emotional with them, which draws you closer to the narrative and in this case Shashi’s journey. Here full credit has to go to Gauri Shinde, who also wrote the story and screenplay. Without being too preachy, or overdramatised, as mentioned the narrative is perfectly balanced. With only a 2 hour and 10 minute running time, the editing is crisp and credit here has to go the Hamanti Sarkar. What is quite a simple and universal concept was written and edited so well, that it provided so many extra layers to the film.
This brings us back to the central concept of the film. Rarely do you get a film which can cater for such a cross section of society, without falling into any particular genre. Struggling in a foreign country to your own and with a language which is not your first, is something which is identifiable by so many. This is a film which you can watch with your parents and with your children. It is a film which is very Indian at heart, but so global in it’s reach and one hopes it will find an equally global audience.
Gauri Shinde shines in her directorial debut. With a diploma in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy, she displays a fine control of her filmmaking craft, from the script, to drawing excellent performances from her cast, to the look and feel of the film. Unlike many of the Bollywood films shot in New York and abroad generally, Gauri manages to capture real middle-class, immigrant, diaspora life in New York. Further, her characters and dialogues are real and unlike the cliches we have become accustomed to.
A special mention of the guest appearance and music. Amitabh Bachchan is an absolute delight to watch in a brief, but very comical appearance. I would rather see him in a dozen similar guest appearances like this, than the many average films he is often misused in. As for the music Amit Trivedi (Dev D, Udaan, Aisha) does a fantastic job. With no real scope for lip-synced songs, he does a marvellous job with the upbeat ‘Manhattan’, which really captures the beat of the city. The uplifting title track ‘English Vinglish’ and the fun ‘Navrai Majhi’.
Overall an extremely praiseworthy film. Excellent performances, especially from Sridevi. A beautifully crafted film. One for the entire family and universal audiences. Easily one of the best films of the year! To the team of English Vinglish: encore, encore!
Firstly a bit about the story and without giving too much away, you should all be aware by now that it is about a mother and wife, Shashi, played by Sridevi and her quest to learn English. You automatically expect many laughs and stereotypes along the way. However, English Vinglish is far deeper than that. Inspired by the director’s own mother’s experience, the film is about Shashi’s journey, her insecurities, her challenges, her determination and her liberation.
After a 15 year hiatus and still remembered fondly for her last powerful performance in Judaai opposite Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar, Sridevi ruled the late 80s and early 90s. After watching English Vinglish, you will thoroughly welcome her return. At 49 years old Sridevi still has it! Unlike her on and off screen, glamorous avatar, here she is presented as a simple down to earth mother. Her portrayal of Sashi is sensitive and uplifting, with Sridevi really managing to get under the skin of the character. Not once do you associate her with any of her previous roles or persona. As far as comebacks go, in comparison to Madhuri Dixit’s comeback (Aaja Nachle) and Karishma Kapoor (Dangerous Ishhq), this is by far the best comeback vehicle – an author backed role, in a beautifully crafted film, which not only does justice to the actress herself, but also her fans.
All credit goes to R. Balki and Gauri Shinde. In line with Cheeni Kum and Paa, English Vinglish is as beautifully crafted as the earlier two films. All three films deal with poignant issues, yet present them with a near perfect balance of comedy, drama and emotion. You will laugh along with the characters and you will also be emotional with them, which draws you closer to the narrative and in this case Shashi’s journey. Here full credit has to go to Gauri Shinde, who also wrote the story and screenplay. Without being too preachy, or overdramatised, as mentioned the narrative is perfectly balanced. With only a 2 hour and 10 minute running time, the editing is crisp and credit here has to go the Hamanti Sarkar. What is quite a simple and universal concept was written and edited so well, that it provided so many extra layers to the film.
This brings us back to the central concept of the film. Rarely do you get a film which can cater for such a cross section of society, without falling into any particular genre. Struggling in a foreign country to your own and with a language which is not your first, is something which is identifiable by so many. This is a film which you can watch with your parents and with your children. It is a film which is very Indian at heart, but so global in it’s reach and one hopes it will find an equally global audience.
Gauri Shinde shines in her directorial debut. With a diploma in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy, she displays a fine control of her filmmaking craft, from the script, to drawing excellent performances from her cast, to the look and feel of the film. Unlike many of the Bollywood films shot in New York and abroad generally, Gauri manages to capture real middle-class, immigrant, diaspora life in New York. Further, her characters and dialogues are real and unlike the cliches we have become accustomed to.
A special mention of the guest appearance and music. Amitabh Bachchan is an absolute delight to watch in a brief, but very comical appearance. I would rather see him in a dozen similar guest appearances like this, than the many average films he is often misused in. As for the music Amit Trivedi (Dev D, Udaan, Aisha) does a fantastic job. With no real scope for lip-synced songs, he does a marvellous job with the upbeat ‘Manhattan’, which really captures the beat of the city. The uplifting title track ‘English Vinglish’ and the fun ‘Navrai Majhi’.
Overall an extremely praiseworthy film. Excellent performances, especially from Sridevi. A beautifully crafted film. One for the entire family and universal audiences. Easily one of the best films of the year! To the team of English Vinglish: encore, encore!
NDTV - Saibal Chatterjee
Score: 2.5/5.0
The protagonist of English Vinglish stumbles upon a word she has never heard before – judgmental. She runs to her niece and asks: does it mean ‘mental’ judge? No, the girl tells her, it means jumping to damning conclusions about a person on the basis of flimsy evidence.
That is precisely what Ms Shashi Godbole (Sridevi), Pune-based mother of two, is constantly subjected to by her corporate executive-husband, Satish (Adil Hussain), and her school-going daughter.
That, crucially, is also what debutante director Gauri Shinde’s well-meaning screenplay unwittingly heaps on the rather simplistically etched central character.
This film hinges on an idea that only reinforces the phony notion that a woman, no matter how gifted, must speak fluent English in order to truly assert herself.
Tame superficiality is indeed the biggest bane of English Vinglish, which, for the most part, is otherwise reasonably watchable, especially owing to a charming performance by Sridevi, back on the big screen after a 15-year hiatus.
A star is reborn and one wants to fall in love with her all over again. But despite the temptation, it is eventually too docile an affair to send the heart pounding and the pulse racing.
English Vinglish, for all its surface gloss and clean family entertainer aspirations, doesn’t possess that little something needed to turn a one-dimensional account of the makeover of an unassuming homemaker into a convincing, universal drama about a woman’s empowerment.
It is a shallow tale of a self-effacing woman who begins to discover herself only when she flies to New York for a niece’s wedding and enrolls in an English language crash course to rid of what her hubby and children perceive as her one great drawback.
Although it is impressively crafted, crisply edited and generally well-acted, English Vinglish hobbles along on the crutches of all manner of stereotypes.
The husband isn’t an insensitive ogre but that doesn’t stop him from declaring that Shashi is “born to make laddoos”.
The lady’s school-going daughter is a bright kid by all accounts but she loses no opportunity to ridicule her mother.
Come off it girl, this is 2012. A lady who makes the best laddoos in town and runs a thriving catering business from home would surely need no endorsement of her self-worth in this day and age.
Couldn’t she have just got up and gone to a friendly neighbourhood teaching shop to pick up functional English? And even if she didn’t, why should it have really mattered to her?
That is the problem with English Vinglish – it rests on an anachronistic hypothesis that is both overly facile and contrived.
Moreover, the film fails to create the Marathi ambiance that would have added a significant layer to the narrative.
Barring snatches of a wedding song towards the end of the film, the cultural moorings of English Vinglish remain indeterminate.
To make matters worse, the writing turns rather cheesy at times. “How will you manage in the US without knowing English,” a visa officer asks Shashi. An Indian co-worker in the US consulate wisecracks: “Like you manage in this country without knowing Hindi.” Tit for tat. Mild applause.
Upon his arrival in the US, a garrulous co-passenger of Shashi (played by Amitabh Bachchan) is asked at the immigration checkpoint: “What is the purpose of your visit?” Without batting an eyelid, he shoots back that he is in the country to spend some dollars to help the American economy recover.
The message is loud and clear: don’t mess with an Indian, especially if it happens to the Big Baritone himself. Some more applause.
An impolite Black woman is Shashi’s first brush with America. She is a barista who batters Shashi with questions at an NYC coffee shop: Still or sparkling? Americano, cappuccino or latte? Bagel, sub or sandwich? Poor Shashi is lost for words. “You’re holding up my line, lady,” the woman yelps. Shashi breaks down.
Some of the banter in the English class conducted by a gay teacher is mildly funny. But here, too, the film offers a slew of stereotypes right out of Mind Your Language: a handsome and impossibly romantic Gallic cook, a Chinese beauty salon girl, a cheerful Pakistani cabbie, an idli-obsessed south Indian techie, a Mexican nanny… and a reticent African who, when he does open his mouth after much prodding, lets on that he too is gay.
The Frenchman, Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), develops a bond with Shashi, owns up to his feelings for her and asks her out for coffee several times but in vain. She is a chaste Bharatiya nari, a model mother and a dutiful wife who will never betray her family no matter how much of a doormat she may have been reduced to.
The film has a clutch of fine performances. Both Adil Hussain and Mehdi Nebbou, despite their sketchily written roles, are solid. Priya Anand as the niece turns in a noteworthy performance. But it is Sridevi who is obviously the soul of English Vinglish.
Her hesitant but heartfelt climactic speech, delivered undemonstratively, is the high point. But it takes two hours too long in coming. Chances are that by then you might cease to really care about her newly acquired spoken English skills.
If you don’t, you might actually feel a little lump in your throat. That is the kind of film English Vinglish is. It would work strictly for those who can discount the film’s oversimplified worldview.
That is precisely what Ms Shashi Godbole (Sridevi), Pune-based mother of two, is constantly subjected to by her corporate executive-husband, Satish (Adil Hussain), and her school-going daughter.
That, crucially, is also what debutante director Gauri Shinde’s well-meaning screenplay unwittingly heaps on the rather simplistically etched central character.
This film hinges on an idea that only reinforces the phony notion that a woman, no matter how gifted, must speak fluent English in order to truly assert herself.
Tame superficiality is indeed the biggest bane of English Vinglish, which, for the most part, is otherwise reasonably watchable, especially owing to a charming performance by Sridevi, back on the big screen after a 15-year hiatus.
A star is reborn and one wants to fall in love with her all over again. But despite the temptation, it is eventually too docile an affair to send the heart pounding and the pulse racing.
English Vinglish, for all its surface gloss and clean family entertainer aspirations, doesn’t possess that little something needed to turn a one-dimensional account of the makeover of an unassuming homemaker into a convincing, universal drama about a woman’s empowerment.
It is a shallow tale of a self-effacing woman who begins to discover herself only when she flies to New York for a niece’s wedding and enrolls in an English language crash course to rid of what her hubby and children perceive as her one great drawback.
Although it is impressively crafted, crisply edited and generally well-acted, English Vinglish hobbles along on the crutches of all manner of stereotypes.
The husband isn’t an insensitive ogre but that doesn’t stop him from declaring that Shashi is “born to make laddoos”.
The lady’s school-going daughter is a bright kid by all accounts but she loses no opportunity to ridicule her mother.
Come off it girl, this is 2012. A lady who makes the best laddoos in town and runs a thriving catering business from home would surely need no endorsement of her self-worth in this day and age.
Couldn’t she have just got up and gone to a friendly neighbourhood teaching shop to pick up functional English? And even if she didn’t, why should it have really mattered to her?
That is the problem with English Vinglish – it rests on an anachronistic hypothesis that is both overly facile and contrived.
Moreover, the film fails to create the Marathi ambiance that would have added a significant layer to the narrative.
Barring snatches of a wedding song towards the end of the film, the cultural moorings of English Vinglish remain indeterminate.
To make matters worse, the writing turns rather cheesy at times. “How will you manage in the US without knowing English,” a visa officer asks Shashi. An Indian co-worker in the US consulate wisecracks: “Like you manage in this country without knowing Hindi.” Tit for tat. Mild applause.
Upon his arrival in the US, a garrulous co-passenger of Shashi (played by Amitabh Bachchan) is asked at the immigration checkpoint: “What is the purpose of your visit?” Without batting an eyelid, he shoots back that he is in the country to spend some dollars to help the American economy recover.
The message is loud and clear: don’t mess with an Indian, especially if it happens to the Big Baritone himself. Some more applause.
An impolite Black woman is Shashi’s first brush with America. She is a barista who batters Shashi with questions at an NYC coffee shop: Still or sparkling? Americano, cappuccino or latte? Bagel, sub or sandwich? Poor Shashi is lost for words. “You’re holding up my line, lady,” the woman yelps. Shashi breaks down.
Some of the banter in the English class conducted by a gay teacher is mildly funny. But here, too, the film offers a slew of stereotypes right out of Mind Your Language: a handsome and impossibly romantic Gallic cook, a Chinese beauty salon girl, a cheerful Pakistani cabbie, an idli-obsessed south Indian techie, a Mexican nanny… and a reticent African who, when he does open his mouth after much prodding, lets on that he too is gay.
The Frenchman, Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), develops a bond with Shashi, owns up to his feelings for her and asks her out for coffee several times but in vain. She is a chaste Bharatiya nari, a model mother and a dutiful wife who will never betray her family no matter how much of a doormat she may have been reduced to.
The film has a clutch of fine performances. Both Adil Hussain and Mehdi Nebbou, despite their sketchily written roles, are solid. Priya Anand as the niece turns in a noteworthy performance. But it is Sridevi who is obviously the soul of English Vinglish.
Her hesitant but heartfelt climactic speech, delivered undemonstratively, is the high point. But it takes two hours too long in coming. Chances are that by then you might cease to really care about her newly acquired spoken English skills.
If you don’t, you might actually feel a little lump in your throat. That is the kind of film English Vinglish is. It would work strictly for those who can discount the film’s oversimplified worldview.
The Globe & Mail - Kate Taylor
Score: 2.0/5.0
It’s hard to believe that anyone would take for granted the glittering presence of Sridevi, the Indian movie star now making a professional comeback after a 14-year-absence during which she raised her two daughters.
At 49, she can still convincingly play fresh sweetness on screen; off-screen she emits a don’t-mess-with-me maturity. But in Bollywood as in Hollywood, your downtrodden heroine can’t look too downtrodden.
So the bilingual crossover flick English Vinglish has us believe that Sridevi is Shashi, a conservative Indian mother and housewife whose self-satisfied husband (Adil Hussain) can simply call out “chai, Shashi!” every morning and find his tea at his elbow. He runs some important enterprise that requires him to speak perfect English and allows him to dismiss as a hobby his wife’s successful small business selling the Indian pastries called ladoo. Shashi’s daughter is no less ungrateful and her mother’s non-existent English, the butt of many family jokes, is a particular humiliation to a tween who attends an English-language private school.
So, when Shashi travels to New York ahead of her family to help her sister organize a wedding, she sneaks off to some English classes. There she meets a convenient Frenchman named Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), whose romantic attentions do as much to reawaken her confidence as her new mastery of English grammar does. There follows a winsome if utterly conventional ugly-duckling story about a sympathetic character’s much deserved progress toward a richer self.
The trouble with this scheme is that Shashi is building self-esteem by buying other people’s values: Neophyte director Gauri Shinde, who also wrote the script, does include a few boorishly unilingual Americans alongside the helpful ones and lots of rich Indian culture, but in the end, Shashi earns her family’s respect by mastering the master’s language, knuckling down to the realities of a global culture in which English is the lingua franca.
Similarly, Shashi is not going to teach her husband Satish a lesson by running off with Laurent. The film ends with a wedding – but it is the long-planned nuptials of Shashi’s niece, reaffirming the family values that have done Shashi no favours thus far. One wonders how long the neglectful Satish will remember the message of equality and gratitude if it is delivered as gently as this movie does.
At 49, she can still convincingly play fresh sweetness on screen; off-screen she emits a don’t-mess-with-me maturity. But in Bollywood as in Hollywood, your downtrodden heroine can’t look too downtrodden.
So the bilingual crossover flick English Vinglish has us believe that Sridevi is Shashi, a conservative Indian mother and housewife whose self-satisfied husband (Adil Hussain) can simply call out “chai, Shashi!” every morning and find his tea at his elbow. He runs some important enterprise that requires him to speak perfect English and allows him to dismiss as a hobby his wife’s successful small business selling the Indian pastries called ladoo. Shashi’s daughter is no less ungrateful and her mother’s non-existent English, the butt of many family jokes, is a particular humiliation to a tween who attends an English-language private school.
So, when Shashi travels to New York ahead of her family to help her sister organize a wedding, she sneaks off to some English classes. There she meets a convenient Frenchman named Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), whose romantic attentions do as much to reawaken her confidence as her new mastery of English grammar does. There follows a winsome if utterly conventional ugly-duckling story about a sympathetic character’s much deserved progress toward a richer self.
The trouble with this scheme is that Shashi is building self-esteem by buying other people’s values: Neophyte director Gauri Shinde, who also wrote the script, does include a few boorishly unilingual Americans alongside the helpful ones and lots of rich Indian culture, but in the end, Shashi earns her family’s respect by mastering the master’s language, knuckling down to the realities of a global culture in which English is the lingua franca.
Similarly, Shashi is not going to teach her husband Satish a lesson by running off with Laurent. The film ends with a wedding – but it is the long-planned nuptials of Shashi’s niece, reaffirming the family values that have done Shashi no favours thus far. One wonders how long the neglectful Satish will remember the message of equality and gratitude if it is delivered as gently as this movie does.
Bloggers Reviews:
U, Me & Films
Score: 4.5/5.0
English Vinglish(2012): Yes. A Hindi movie and after quite some time, something that is really, really worth it. I am telling you, this makes me so happy to say that I see this making my end of the year top 10 list. English Vinglish first got my attention when I saw its trailer. It was not only different but also clever. It also meant return of Sridevi to the big screen, who was one of the most popular actresses in late '80s - early '90s. I also found out that even though it is Gauri Shinde's first directorial effort, she is R. Balki's wife who has done movies like Paa(2009)and Chinee Kum(2007) and she has been helping him out. The more I got to know about it, more intrigued it got me and then after it's release, it opened up to almost unanimous praise. When I saw it, a couple of weeks ago, there were around 40 people in my hall. For a Hindi movie in US, having 40 people in its 4th week is a really big thing in my opinion. It actually even played at TIFF though I do not know anyone who went there and saw it.
So, basically it is a story of a housewife, Shashi from a well-to-do family. She likes to cook and hence as a past time, has started a small catering business of her own. However, her problem is she can't speak English well which even in her household is perceived as a social standard and hence often made fun of by her own kids and her husband. One day her sister who leaves in America, calls her to tell that one of her daughters is getting married and she will really appreciate it if Shashi can come a little early to help her with the marriage. She hesitates initially but agrees for her sister's sake. Rest of the movie is her attempt to learn English, she even joins an English speaking class and elevate herself in everyone's eyes to gain a respect that she deserves as a mother, as a wife and more importantly, as an equally important member of the Family. Though I never had language problem like Shashi, I can totally understand what it means to be in her shoes since even I and quite a few people I know have had some encounters like her but they were more awkward, less humiliating. Beauty of it is it has almost everything Indian film has to offer - comedy, drama, romance, music, culture and language and it is all done so subtly and maturely. This is Sridevi's show in every sense and she owns it like a pro. My only problem was her daughter. If I said something like she says to her mother, I really would not know what hit me but that's very minor rant. My favorite thing about the whole movie was when in the end, Shashi speaks in English(Come On, that's not a Spoiler), she speaks in proper English but she isn't fluent. She stumbles, she searches for words and she is still scared if she is saying the right thing. It might be a small thing but it makes it look so genuine, so real.
So, basically it is a story of a housewife, Shashi from a well-to-do family. She likes to cook and hence as a past time, has started a small catering business of her own. However, her problem is she can't speak English well which even in her household is perceived as a social standard and hence often made fun of by her own kids and her husband. One day her sister who leaves in America, calls her to tell that one of her daughters is getting married and she will really appreciate it if Shashi can come a little early to help her with the marriage. She hesitates initially but agrees for her sister's sake. Rest of the movie is her attempt to learn English, she even joins an English speaking class and elevate herself in everyone's eyes to gain a respect that she deserves as a mother, as a wife and more importantly, as an equally important member of the Family. Though I never had language problem like Shashi, I can totally understand what it means to be in her shoes since even I and quite a few people I know have had some encounters like her but they were more awkward, less humiliating. Beauty of it is it has almost everything Indian film has to offer - comedy, drama, romance, music, culture and language and it is all done so subtly and maturely. This is Sridevi's show in every sense and she owns it like a pro. My only problem was her daughter. If I said something like she says to her mother, I really would not know what hit me but that's very minor rant. My favorite thing about the whole movie was when in the end, Shashi speaks in English(Come On, that's not a Spoiler), she speaks in proper English but she isn't fluent. She stumbles, she searches for words and she is still scared if she is saying the right thing. It might be a small thing but it makes it look so genuine, so real.
The Critique Lab
Score: 3.5/5.0
“If we don’t love ourselves we use to attract towards new things but as soon as we began to love ourselves we feel confident and old things look prettier again.” This is one dialogue from the movie’s lead protagonist which teaches how one can come back to his normal life; English Vinglish is a sweet Laddu with almonds of a logical script, cashew nuts of nice music, raisins of love and pistachios of Hope. English Vinglish is not about just English classes, it’s just a metaphor or platform to narrate a simple yet very effective story of self determination, self respect and love about family and love about ourselves.
English Vinglish is undoubtedly a movie about the Family, the children and their attitude towards their parents, the husband who does not see his wife skills and potential beyond a born laddu maker and yes, it’s about a mother who lost her identity as a woman in the society after marriage being a house wife, as her world does not go beyond her family.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a simple middle class housewife living with her husband Satish (Adil Hussain) along with her daughter Sapna and a son named Sagar in Pune, India. She is an excellent cook searching for her own respect among children and husband due to poor understanding of English language. One day she got the call from her sister to visit New York to attend her daughter‘s wedding, but she was reluctant to go alone because of her poor English language, thou she finally agreed on her husband’s persuasion. In New York, during her visit to a café she felt humiliated due to her understanding of English language which brought a reason for her to fight against the odds and make a place for herself. She left from there and suddenly saw an advertisement for four weeks English speaking classes and that’s how she got the way to prove herself by learning a language which is global now and a synonym of ‘Being Modern’ in Indian societies called ENGLISH, for Her VINGLISH.
Gauri Shinde, as her first directorial debut has done a pleasant job to narrate a simple story in its most original and logical format without putting unnecessary Ohh & Laa Factor . The story telling is very compelling and adorable with a decent direction plot and balanced humor. Here I just want to congratulate her to being genuine and show respect for the cross-culture community without making them a part of ridiculous jokes. This is because any one who is reading this review must understand that America is not just about Hollywood, Burgers and Sex, the perception of majority lies with that because their popular cinema serves the same to the world.There are instances in the movie which reflects the richness of a civilized culture. As a lady director, she does not emphasis only on a woman or a melodramatic drama like our daily soaps but she successfully handles a story which is novel and family oriented. Also,the songs of the movie does not interrupt the flow of the movie they just move with the flow.
For Performances let’s start with Shri Shri Sridevi ji, it would be very wrong to say that this movie is a comeback for her, not a moment you will feel that she ever had gone from the cinema or your heart. She is an absolutely delight to watch as a middle class mother in her most natural form of acting. Anyone could relate with her as a mother, wife or a friend. Despite there were no dialogues of melodrama still she successfully makes your heart cry and eyes wet. She is awesome, we love her.
Adil Hussain as Satish & Shashi’s husband is effective and Shashi’s Daughter Sapna in her stubborn and arrogant avatar justifies the role but its master Shivansh Kotia as Shashi’s son Sagar who will definitely make you smile with his adorable act. He is one of the sweetest kid debutant this year in cinema.
Priya Anand as Shashi’s niece did an impressive job despite sharing screen with Sridevi and yes, French Actor Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent and Shashi’s Class mate made an impressive entry in Indian cinema.
All other actors like Sujata Kumar as Shashi’s Sister, Coy Hibbs as teacher, Rajeev Ravindranathan as P. Ramamurthy ,Summit Vyas as Salman, Damian Thompson as Udumbke, Maria Romano as Yu Som, Neelu Sodhi as Meera , Ross Nathan as Kevin, Mariz Pendlino as Jennifer and Sulbha Deshpande ji as Shashi’s Mother in Law does a decent job.
Regarding Music, Swanand Kirkire, the lyrist and Amit Trivedias music composer delightfully served you fresh and novel songs. ‘Navrai Majhi’ with traditional beat is excellent. Most of the songs are made up of 2-3 words liners compositions likeGustakh Dil, English Vinglish title track, Manhattan which is a unique factor, kudos to Swanand. Sound Design by Academy award winner Resul Pookutty is worth mentioning.
Cinematography by Laxman Utekar is decent and Editing by Hemanti Sarkar is noticeable.
Story and Screenplay by Gauri Shinde is worth mentioning and had few moments which could be recollect
- Amitabh bacchan and Sridevi ‘s shot in plane while she was going to New York
- Shashi‘s visit to café and the humiliation she faced while ordering the sandwich and coffee.
- Shashi’s visit to her daughter School for PTA and her realization of failure being a mother
- Shashi’s realization of being an entrepreneur then just being a Laddu Maker
- Shashi’s respect for her gay teacher and the way she makes other students understand the importance of humanity.
- Shashi’s revelation to get self respect than Love when her niece asked if he began to love her classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou)
- And of course the climax speech of the Shashi during her niece wedding.
Overall, English Vinglish is a memorable watch for the genuine script, superb performances, nice music and definitely the feel good factor it has. In Last scene, Shashi requests the air hostess a Hindi newspaper in English Language, and that’s we called in Sridevi’s MJ Style without getting ‘Judgemental’ –YoOO.
English Vinglish is undoubtedly a movie about the Family, the children and their attitude towards their parents, the husband who does not see his wife skills and potential beyond a born laddu maker and yes, it’s about a mother who lost her identity as a woman in the society after marriage being a house wife, as her world does not go beyond her family.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a simple middle class housewife living with her husband Satish (Adil Hussain) along with her daughter Sapna and a son named Sagar in Pune, India. She is an excellent cook searching for her own respect among children and husband due to poor understanding of English language. One day she got the call from her sister to visit New York to attend her daughter‘s wedding, but she was reluctant to go alone because of her poor English language, thou she finally agreed on her husband’s persuasion. In New York, during her visit to a café she felt humiliated due to her understanding of English language which brought a reason for her to fight against the odds and make a place for herself. She left from there and suddenly saw an advertisement for four weeks English speaking classes and that’s how she got the way to prove herself by learning a language which is global now and a synonym of ‘Being Modern’ in Indian societies called ENGLISH, for Her VINGLISH.
Gauri Shinde, as her first directorial debut has done a pleasant job to narrate a simple story in its most original and logical format without putting unnecessary Ohh & Laa Factor . The story telling is very compelling and adorable with a decent direction plot and balanced humor. Here I just want to congratulate her to being genuine and show respect for the cross-culture community without making them a part of ridiculous jokes. This is because any one who is reading this review must understand that America is not just about Hollywood, Burgers and Sex, the perception of majority lies with that because their popular cinema serves the same to the world.There are instances in the movie which reflects the richness of a civilized culture. As a lady director, she does not emphasis only on a woman or a melodramatic drama like our daily soaps but she successfully handles a story which is novel and family oriented. Also,the songs of the movie does not interrupt the flow of the movie they just move with the flow.
For Performances let’s start with Shri Shri Sridevi ji, it would be very wrong to say that this movie is a comeback for her, not a moment you will feel that she ever had gone from the cinema or your heart. She is an absolutely delight to watch as a middle class mother in her most natural form of acting. Anyone could relate with her as a mother, wife or a friend. Despite there were no dialogues of melodrama still she successfully makes your heart cry and eyes wet. She is awesome, we love her.
Adil Hussain as Satish & Shashi’s husband is effective and Shashi’s Daughter Sapna in her stubborn and arrogant avatar justifies the role but its master Shivansh Kotia as Shashi’s son Sagar who will definitely make you smile with his adorable act. He is one of the sweetest kid debutant this year in cinema.
Priya Anand as Shashi’s niece did an impressive job despite sharing screen with Sridevi and yes, French Actor Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent and Shashi’s Class mate made an impressive entry in Indian cinema.
All other actors like Sujata Kumar as Shashi’s Sister, Coy Hibbs as teacher, Rajeev Ravindranathan as P. Ramamurthy ,Summit Vyas as Salman, Damian Thompson as Udumbke, Maria Romano as Yu Som, Neelu Sodhi as Meera , Ross Nathan as Kevin, Mariz Pendlino as Jennifer and Sulbha Deshpande ji as Shashi’s Mother in Law does a decent job.
Regarding Music, Swanand Kirkire, the lyrist and Amit Trivedias music composer delightfully served you fresh and novel songs. ‘Navrai Majhi’ with traditional beat is excellent. Most of the songs are made up of 2-3 words liners compositions likeGustakh Dil, English Vinglish title track, Manhattan which is a unique factor, kudos to Swanand. Sound Design by Academy award winner Resul Pookutty is worth mentioning.
Cinematography by Laxman Utekar is decent and Editing by Hemanti Sarkar is noticeable.
Story and Screenplay by Gauri Shinde is worth mentioning and had few moments which could be recollect
- Amitabh bacchan and Sridevi ‘s shot in plane while she was going to New York
- Shashi‘s visit to café and the humiliation she faced while ordering the sandwich and coffee.
- Shashi’s visit to her daughter School for PTA and her realization of failure being a mother
- Shashi’s realization of being an entrepreneur then just being a Laddu Maker
- Shashi’s respect for her gay teacher and the way she makes other students understand the importance of humanity.
- Shashi’s revelation to get self respect than Love when her niece asked if he began to love her classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou)
- And of course the climax speech of the Shashi during her niece wedding.
Overall, English Vinglish is a memorable watch for the genuine script, superb performances, nice music and definitely the feel good factor it has. In Last scene, Shashi requests the air hostess a Hindi newspaper in English Language, and that’s we called in Sridevi’s MJ Style without getting ‘Judgemental’ –YoOO.
Movie Talkies
Score: 3.5/5.0
English Vinglish - In Brief
A low-on-confidence Maharashtrian housewife wants to redeem herself by learning English. How does she do it? Shivom Oza reviews this film.
English Vinglish - Verdict
English Vinglish is the film to watch for every father, mother, husband, wife, son and daughter.
English Vinglish - Short Plot
Sridevi plays a middle-aged Maharashtrian housewife Shashi Godbole. Shashi may be weak at speaking English, but that doesn't deter her from being the wonderful mother, loving wife and doting daughter-in-law. However, her husband Satish Godbole (Adil Hussain) and her daughter (played by Navika Kotia) never appreciate her efforts and are rather embarrassed of the fact that she can't speak English. Her son Sagar (Shivansh Kotia) although does play mama's boy-cum-khabri, snitching on his teenage sister every now and then. Shashi runs a small business from home. She makes wonderful ladoos (something which her husband takes huge pride in, albeit with a touch of contempt) and sells them around the locality.
Already saddened by the behaviour meted out to her, she has a higher mountain to climb as she has to travel all the way to New York to help out her widowed sister (played by Sujata Kumar) with her daughter Meera's wedding. It is at New York where Shashi, who finds herself completely alienated in a country where knowing English is considered a 'must', realizes that she will have to fend for herself and learn the language. So, she ends up at a 4-week class where she meets people who come from completely different backgrounds (African, Spanish, French, Chinese and Pakistani), all of them with a common grievance - they don't know English. The film traces Shashi's journey through these 4 weeks as she learns lessons far more significant than just English!
English Vinglish - Performances
Sridevi is absolutely fantastic in the film. The film is not a comeback. It is a gentle reminder that she hadn't gone anywhere. Her scenes with her kids are so genuine and relatable that they will leave you with a lump in the throat. Also, her conversations with her mother-in-law, played by Sulbha Deshpande, and her husband are completely slice-of-life. Sridevi holds the film throughout its 120-minute-long duration. The kids, Navika Kotia and Shivansh Kotia, are terrific. Watch out for Shashi's son Sagar. He is so bloody adorable. You will love him in the film.
Adil Hussain does a fine job as the snobbish husband. The rest of the supporting cast, including Sujata Kumar, Priya Anand and Sulbha Deshpande, too deliver great performances. The best scenes, however, feature Shashi's classmates. Professor David Fischer (Cory Hibbs) and the class members P Ramamurthy (Rajeev Ravindranathan), Yu Son (Maria Romano), Udumbke (Damian Thompson), Eva (Ruth Aguilar) and the Frenchman Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) along with Shashi (Sridevi) form a brilliant team. The scenes involving the 'English-learning' stand out in the film. Sridevi's chemistry with Nebbou is sparkling. There's also Amitabh Bachchan in a special appearance. Watch the film to know what he does!
English Vinglish - Technical
Although the story is very simplistic and quite predictable, the scenes are so well-written that you will find yourself glued to the proceedings from the word Go! The concept itself is so relevant in a country like ours, where so much importance is given to knowing and speaking the English language. Writer-Director Gauri Shinde resists the temptation of going over-the-top with the emotional drama. The high-voltage scenes too, have a semblance of control and maturity which make the film such a smooth ride. The scenic locales of New York have been wonderfully captured by lens man Laxman Utekar while the crisp editing by Hemanti Sarkar keeps you enthralled for two hours! Along with Sridevi, Gauri Shinde deserves all the accolades for making such a special film. This is not just 'Best Debut Director' material, but 'Best Director' material! The film will remind everyone of someone either from their own family or from their friends' family. There is a Shashi in almost every household of the country. And the film shows us that this Shashi should be acknowledged, respected and helped, instead of being put down. There are some scenes in the film which will make you guffaw, some which will make you let out a teary-eyed smile and some that will choke you. Full of emotion, this!
English Vinglish - Music
Music director Amit Trivedi delivers yet another gem for English Vinglish. The title song, male version suing by Amit Trivedi and the female version crooned by Shilpa Rao, is a winner. Another song that stays with you is the Marathi number Navrai Majhi. The other songs Manhattan, Dhak Dhuk and Gustakh Dil, are fine and fit in well into the screenplay.
English Vinglish - Final Word
For those who do not understand any language, to sum up this film - :)
A low-on-confidence Maharashtrian housewife wants to redeem herself by learning English. How does she do it? Shivom Oza reviews this film.
English Vinglish - Verdict
English Vinglish is the film to watch for every father, mother, husband, wife, son and daughter.
English Vinglish - Short Plot
Sridevi plays a middle-aged Maharashtrian housewife Shashi Godbole. Shashi may be weak at speaking English, but that doesn't deter her from being the wonderful mother, loving wife and doting daughter-in-law. However, her husband Satish Godbole (Adil Hussain) and her daughter (played by Navika Kotia) never appreciate her efforts and are rather embarrassed of the fact that she can't speak English. Her son Sagar (Shivansh Kotia) although does play mama's boy-cum-khabri, snitching on his teenage sister every now and then. Shashi runs a small business from home. She makes wonderful ladoos (something which her husband takes huge pride in, albeit with a touch of contempt) and sells them around the locality.
Already saddened by the behaviour meted out to her, she has a higher mountain to climb as she has to travel all the way to New York to help out her widowed sister (played by Sujata Kumar) with her daughter Meera's wedding. It is at New York where Shashi, who finds herself completely alienated in a country where knowing English is considered a 'must', realizes that she will have to fend for herself and learn the language. So, she ends up at a 4-week class where she meets people who come from completely different backgrounds (African, Spanish, French, Chinese and Pakistani), all of them with a common grievance - they don't know English. The film traces Shashi's journey through these 4 weeks as she learns lessons far more significant than just English!
English Vinglish - Performances
Sridevi is absolutely fantastic in the film. The film is not a comeback. It is a gentle reminder that she hadn't gone anywhere. Her scenes with her kids are so genuine and relatable that they will leave you with a lump in the throat. Also, her conversations with her mother-in-law, played by Sulbha Deshpande, and her husband are completely slice-of-life. Sridevi holds the film throughout its 120-minute-long duration. The kids, Navika Kotia and Shivansh Kotia, are terrific. Watch out for Shashi's son Sagar. He is so bloody adorable. You will love him in the film.
Adil Hussain does a fine job as the snobbish husband. The rest of the supporting cast, including Sujata Kumar, Priya Anand and Sulbha Deshpande, too deliver great performances. The best scenes, however, feature Shashi's classmates. Professor David Fischer (Cory Hibbs) and the class members P Ramamurthy (Rajeev Ravindranathan), Yu Son (Maria Romano), Udumbke (Damian Thompson), Eva (Ruth Aguilar) and the Frenchman Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) along with Shashi (Sridevi) form a brilliant team. The scenes involving the 'English-learning' stand out in the film. Sridevi's chemistry with Nebbou is sparkling. There's also Amitabh Bachchan in a special appearance. Watch the film to know what he does!
English Vinglish - Technical
Although the story is very simplistic and quite predictable, the scenes are so well-written that you will find yourself glued to the proceedings from the word Go! The concept itself is so relevant in a country like ours, where so much importance is given to knowing and speaking the English language. Writer-Director Gauri Shinde resists the temptation of going over-the-top with the emotional drama. The high-voltage scenes too, have a semblance of control and maturity which make the film such a smooth ride. The scenic locales of New York have been wonderfully captured by lens man Laxman Utekar while the crisp editing by Hemanti Sarkar keeps you enthralled for two hours! Along with Sridevi, Gauri Shinde deserves all the accolades for making such a special film. This is not just 'Best Debut Director' material, but 'Best Director' material! The film will remind everyone of someone either from their own family or from their friends' family. There is a Shashi in almost every household of the country. And the film shows us that this Shashi should be acknowledged, respected and helped, instead of being put down. There are some scenes in the film which will make you guffaw, some which will make you let out a teary-eyed smile and some that will choke you. Full of emotion, this!
English Vinglish - Music
Music director Amit Trivedi delivers yet another gem for English Vinglish. The title song, male version suing by Amit Trivedi and the female version crooned by Shilpa Rao, is a winner. Another song that stays with you is the Marathi number Navrai Majhi. The other songs Manhattan, Dhak Dhuk and Gustakh Dil, are fine and fit in well into the screenplay.
English Vinglish - Final Word
For those who do not understand any language, to sum up this film - :)
Ripple Effects
Score: N/A
If The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is from the outside looking in, then English Vinglish is the reverse shot, bringing us a point of view from the inside looking out.
Writer-director Gauri Shinde gleaned from her real life experiences to craft this delightful dramedy that is rooted in human miscommunication, but speaks much more. The film is one of the Gala Presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The legendary Bollywood star Sridevi comes back to the big screen after a 15 years hiatus to play Shashi, a devoted wife and mother in a modern, middle-class family in Pune, India. She is a lively, capable woman, a good cook who runs her own catering business, her specialty the ladoos, sweet golden balls of dainty delights. But she has to struggle with one major insecurity: she knows little English. Well, you may think, what’s the big deal. But with English recognized as the lingua franca by those living in a former British colony, and a patriarchal society, Shashi as a woman with no English sorely feels disadvantaged, even within her own family.
Her daughter teases her for her pronunciation, even her preschooler. She shies away from parent-teacher interviews, for her daughter goes to an English-speaking school. No matter how devoted a wife she tries to be, she feels the gap between herself and her husband (Adil Hussain, Life of Pi, 2012; The Reluctant Fundamentalist, 2012), who is proficient in English and thus becomes her spokesman in social situations.
“She’s born to make ladoos,” her husband’s intended praise of her cooking skills only reflects the confining social reality in which she finds herself. Not knowing English makes her feel subservient, without a voice.
The tipping point comes when Shashi’s niece is getting married in New York City. She has to go on her own to help her prepare for the wedding. Her family will travel later. An Indian woman in a sari on her first international flight alone, Shashi is understandably timid and insecure. But a friendly and helpful gentleman who sits beside her eases her anxiety. That role is aptly played by the veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan (Watch for him in The Great Gatsby, 2013)
A funny and quite original scene comes when this helpful gentleman suggests they watch the same in-flight movie, and he be her interpreter. Only he wears the headphone, and translates the dialogues out loud from English to Hindi for Shashi to hear, in a voice that’s animated and true-to-life, sound effects included. Here’s the rub… the movie is an action thriller of terrorists committing violence with guns and bombs. Other passengers trying to sleep have to shush him, short of subduing him for uttering bomb and death threats.
New York City, the place where one can transform oneself in a surprising way. Shashi has her first major language mishap in a coffee shop. Turning insult into courage, she enrolls in an English language class. The camaraderie of fellow learners lowers her guard and builds up her confidence. In a few short weeks, she has not only gained some mastery of the language but supportive friendship, with one being more intimately intended.
Shashi’s vindication comes at the wedding of her niece. Her husband and children have arrived for the occasion, not knowing her secret English lessons. In front of all the guests, Shashi is asked to make a speech to the newlyweds. While her husband tries to deflect the embarrassment and excuses her for lack of English, Shashi stands up and uses her new found voice to urge the bride and groom to value equality and treat each other with respect, a heartfelt speech well intended for her husband, and a lesson that brings tears of remorse to her daughter. This is one of the most moving wedding speeches in films I’ve seen. In case you’re interested, another memorable one is Dustin Hoffman’s at his daughter’s wedding in Last Chance Harvey (2008).
The 130 minute movie could benefit from keener editing, but the charming Sridevi carries it through with style and grace. It is a joy to watch her even amidst her insecurities, for she has won my heart with her quiet determination to overcome the odds, her strength of character shines through beautifully.
The movie offers a variety of entertainment, albeit not without some contrived moments. It is a full pack of heartwarming comedy, melodrama, cultural mishaps, the ESL classroom, Bollywood style music and dance numbers, but above all, reality. The film has brought to the forefront children showing disrespect for a parent with no English. This could be an issue particularly among immigrant families. Such a portrayal could well be indicative of society at large. Shashi has demonstrated that language does not define who she is, nor should it be the condition of respect and meaningful relationships.
The fact that we in North America can thoroughly enjoy a Hindi film, no doubt by reading English subtitles, could only mean that we can cross the language barrier to understand each other and appreciate different points of view. English may be the lingua franca in certain parts of the world, but it is compassion that joins us. What better way than to be entertained as we go about learning other perspectives?
Writer-director Gauri Shinde gleaned from her real life experiences to craft this delightful dramedy that is rooted in human miscommunication, but speaks much more. The film is one of the Gala Presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The legendary Bollywood star Sridevi comes back to the big screen after a 15 years hiatus to play Shashi, a devoted wife and mother in a modern, middle-class family in Pune, India. She is a lively, capable woman, a good cook who runs her own catering business, her specialty the ladoos, sweet golden balls of dainty delights. But she has to struggle with one major insecurity: she knows little English. Well, you may think, what’s the big deal. But with English recognized as the lingua franca by those living in a former British colony, and a patriarchal society, Shashi as a woman with no English sorely feels disadvantaged, even within her own family.
Her daughter teases her for her pronunciation, even her preschooler. She shies away from parent-teacher interviews, for her daughter goes to an English-speaking school. No matter how devoted a wife she tries to be, she feels the gap between herself and her husband (Adil Hussain, Life of Pi, 2012; The Reluctant Fundamentalist, 2012), who is proficient in English and thus becomes her spokesman in social situations.
“She’s born to make ladoos,” her husband’s intended praise of her cooking skills only reflects the confining social reality in which she finds herself. Not knowing English makes her feel subservient, without a voice.
The tipping point comes when Shashi’s niece is getting married in New York City. She has to go on her own to help her prepare for the wedding. Her family will travel later. An Indian woman in a sari on her first international flight alone, Shashi is understandably timid and insecure. But a friendly and helpful gentleman who sits beside her eases her anxiety. That role is aptly played by the veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan (Watch for him in The Great Gatsby, 2013)
A funny and quite original scene comes when this helpful gentleman suggests they watch the same in-flight movie, and he be her interpreter. Only he wears the headphone, and translates the dialogues out loud from English to Hindi for Shashi to hear, in a voice that’s animated and true-to-life, sound effects included. Here’s the rub… the movie is an action thriller of terrorists committing violence with guns and bombs. Other passengers trying to sleep have to shush him, short of subduing him for uttering bomb and death threats.
New York City, the place where one can transform oneself in a surprising way. Shashi has her first major language mishap in a coffee shop. Turning insult into courage, she enrolls in an English language class. The camaraderie of fellow learners lowers her guard and builds up her confidence. In a few short weeks, she has not only gained some mastery of the language but supportive friendship, with one being more intimately intended.
Shashi’s vindication comes at the wedding of her niece. Her husband and children have arrived for the occasion, not knowing her secret English lessons. In front of all the guests, Shashi is asked to make a speech to the newlyweds. While her husband tries to deflect the embarrassment and excuses her for lack of English, Shashi stands up and uses her new found voice to urge the bride and groom to value equality and treat each other with respect, a heartfelt speech well intended for her husband, and a lesson that brings tears of remorse to her daughter. This is one of the most moving wedding speeches in films I’ve seen. In case you’re interested, another memorable one is Dustin Hoffman’s at his daughter’s wedding in Last Chance Harvey (2008).
The 130 minute movie could benefit from keener editing, but the charming Sridevi carries it through with style and grace. It is a joy to watch her even amidst her insecurities, for she has won my heart with her quiet determination to overcome the odds, her strength of character shines through beautifully.
The movie offers a variety of entertainment, albeit not without some contrived moments. It is a full pack of heartwarming comedy, melodrama, cultural mishaps, the ESL classroom, Bollywood style music and dance numbers, but above all, reality. The film has brought to the forefront children showing disrespect for a parent with no English. This could be an issue particularly among immigrant families. Such a portrayal could well be indicative of society at large. Shashi has demonstrated that language does not define who she is, nor should it be the condition of respect and meaningful relationships.
The fact that we in North America can thoroughly enjoy a Hindi film, no doubt by reading English subtitles, could only mean that we can cross the language barrier to understand each other and appreciate different points of view. English may be the lingua franca in certain parts of the world, but it is compassion that joins us. What better way than to be entertained as we go about learning other perspectives?
Roobla
Score: N/A
English Vinglish sees Gauri Shinde making her directorial debut in this family entertainer. The film has Sridevi in the central role and is based on a middle-class Indian housewife and entrepreneur named Shashi Godbole. She is insulted by her family for not knowing the English language, despite being able to read, write and speak Hindi perfectly well. Her family’s consistent mocking motivates her to secretly take English classes during a visit to New York for her niece’s wedding. The film was inspired by Shinde’s own experiences; she claims that she used to mock her mother for not knowing English. She has stated in many interviews that English Vinglish is a tribute to her mother and a way of saying sorry to her too.
English Vinglish was one of the best films to have released during 2012. Shinde provides here a unique story that has been vividly exemplified and will also touch the hearts of many. Given the fact that this is her directorial debut, Shinde makes an excellent first impression that has the ability to spellbind. The film has a masala of drama, comedy and even romance that have been well utilised. The production and cinematography is top-notch and they contribute significantly in making this re-watch material. English Vinglishis an emotionally-charged film that will leave you siding with the female protagonist right until the end. There are also some delightful songs for you to enjoy that have been composed by acclaimed music director Amit Trivedi, with lyrics from Swanand Kirkire. These include ‘Dhak Dhuk’, ‘Manhattan’, ‘English Vinglish’, and Navrai Majhi’.
Sridevi offers a sensational portrayal as a housewife who also makes and sells mouth-watering ‘ladoos’ (sweetmeats) to her community. Fifteen years after her last film Judaai(1996), Sridevi has not lost her touch as an artiste. The way in which she showcases her character’s struggles and endeavours is done with great skill and ability. Sridevi has proven with this film that, at the age of 49, she can still leave a lasting impression on you as a viewer. Despite good supporting performances from Adil Hussain, Priya Anand, Mehdi Nebbou, as well as a splendid cameo appearance from Amitabh Bachchan, it is largely Sridevi who carries the weight of this film on her shoulders. Without her, perhapsEnglish Vinglish would not have had such a phenomenal impact and would not have gone on to be classified as a great piece of cinema.
English Vinglish is a colourful, moving and entertaining film that will leave you hooked from beginning to end. The unconventional storyline, strong ‘desi’ flavours, great direction as well as the return of one of Bollywood’s major icons make this film an absolute must watch!
English Vinglish was one of the best films to have released during 2012. Shinde provides here a unique story that has been vividly exemplified and will also touch the hearts of many. Given the fact that this is her directorial debut, Shinde makes an excellent first impression that has the ability to spellbind. The film has a masala of drama, comedy and even romance that have been well utilised. The production and cinematography is top-notch and they contribute significantly in making this re-watch material. English Vinglishis an emotionally-charged film that will leave you siding with the female protagonist right until the end. There are also some delightful songs for you to enjoy that have been composed by acclaimed music director Amit Trivedi, with lyrics from Swanand Kirkire. These include ‘Dhak Dhuk’, ‘Manhattan’, ‘English Vinglish’, and Navrai Majhi’.
Sridevi offers a sensational portrayal as a housewife who also makes and sells mouth-watering ‘ladoos’ (sweetmeats) to her community. Fifteen years after her last film Judaai(1996), Sridevi has not lost her touch as an artiste. The way in which she showcases her character’s struggles and endeavours is done with great skill and ability. Sridevi has proven with this film that, at the age of 49, she can still leave a lasting impression on you as a viewer. Despite good supporting performances from Adil Hussain, Priya Anand, Mehdi Nebbou, as well as a splendid cameo appearance from Amitabh Bachchan, it is largely Sridevi who carries the weight of this film on her shoulders. Without her, perhapsEnglish Vinglish would not have had such a phenomenal impact and would not have gone on to be classified as a great piece of cinema.
English Vinglish is a colourful, moving and entertaining film that will leave you hooked from beginning to end. The unconventional storyline, strong ‘desi’ flavours, great direction as well as the return of one of Bollywood’s major icons make this film an absolute must watch!
Meera's Blog
Score: 9.0/10.0
English Vinglish (2012), the perfect Bollywood family film. The heart-warming plot simply allows us to engage within the story from the minute we see Sridevi’s character. The film follows the life of ‘Shashi Godbole’ played by Sridevi, whom is a housewife with, lets just say English not being her mother tongue. We can clearly see that due to her less proficient English, her family mocks her. With support from her family in America, Shashi finds a four-week English course based in Manhattan, which drives her closer to her dream.
Throughout the film, we are taken on this beautiful journey. The character development is spectacularly done. We see Shashi’s courage, strength and confidence develop as weeks go by. She holds her dignity, overcomes potential problems and definitely tries her hardest. Sridevi’s performance is brilliantly perpetuated, where her inspiring ambience is definitely heightened.
To add to this, Shashi’s English class friends were perfectly casted, as we see a diverse group who very much fit the role todays current era. Especially, her French friend, who I thought was a great attribute to her journey, giving sparks of romance in between. To an extent at one point, I actually really wanted them both to get together, as their chemistry was compelling.
I have to give full credits to the Director and Writer: Gauri Shinde, for such a gripping plot containing vast morals, which were beautifully perpetuated onto screen. Thus teaching children to respect their parents as well as reminding husbands to support their wife’s, whether they are a ‘Laddu’ maker or an ‘Entrepreneur’. Successfully, the film shows how you can do anything by trying hard and getting that unconditional support from your family.
Overall, I thought this was an incredible film with beautiful morals. One of the reasons this film has been a success is definitely due to Sridevi’s performance, but also the Director, writers and cast who were involved with this film. A truly inspiring tale which once again compels an enriching story.
Throughout the film, we are taken on this beautiful journey. The character development is spectacularly done. We see Shashi’s courage, strength and confidence develop as weeks go by. She holds her dignity, overcomes potential problems and definitely tries her hardest. Sridevi’s performance is brilliantly perpetuated, where her inspiring ambience is definitely heightened.
To add to this, Shashi’s English class friends were perfectly casted, as we see a diverse group who very much fit the role todays current era. Especially, her French friend, who I thought was a great attribute to her journey, giving sparks of romance in between. To an extent at one point, I actually really wanted them both to get together, as their chemistry was compelling.
I have to give full credits to the Director and Writer: Gauri Shinde, for such a gripping plot containing vast morals, which were beautifully perpetuated onto screen. Thus teaching children to respect their parents as well as reminding husbands to support their wife’s, whether they are a ‘Laddu’ maker or an ‘Entrepreneur’. Successfully, the film shows how you can do anything by trying hard and getting that unconditional support from your family.
Overall, I thought this was an incredible film with beautiful morals. One of the reasons this film has been a success is definitely due to Sridevi’s performance, but also the Director, writers and cast who were involved with this film. A truly inspiring tale which once again compels an enriching story.
Hindi Film News
Score: 3.5/5.0
Meenakshi, Sunayana, Pankajaakshi … we Indians have many evocative words to describe a woman with beautiful eyes. But it took a Frenchman in English Vinglish to come up with this most romantic of descriptions for Sridevi’s eyes: “like two drops of coffee on a cloud of milk.” And it’s taken a Gauri Shinde to make a woman-centric film about a woman-centric issue that may seem to many like no issue at all.
At a literal level, English Vinglish is about a housewife scorned by her husband and daughter because she cannot speak English. Beyond that though, it’s about respect in marriage; how lack of respect does not show up in rudeness alone, but also in condescension; and how we must respect ourselves instead of seeking the approval of others.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a hard-working Indian housewife/entrepreneur with a patronizing husband and a teenaged daughter who is embarrassed by her. Shashi swallows the hurt like so many women do, until an unrelated unpleasant incident on a trip to the US sends her over the edge. While in New York for a family wedding, Shashi decides to take a course in spoken English and through that experience, ends up finding herself.
Although this is Sridevi’s comeback film, the very talented and good-looking supporting cast are given their due. Priya Anand as Shashi’s sympathetic niece is lovely. Adil Hussain as the unwittingly uncaring husband is impeccable. It takes an actor of his calibre to be convincing as an MCP despite having a face so handsome that all I want to do when I see him on screen is to like him. And oh, Mehdi Nebbou! The attractive French actor plays the man intrigued by his gorgeous Indian classmate with those eyes. His barely articulated longing is aided by an equally subtle director wise enough to skip subtitles when Laurent speaks to Shashi in French.
Sridevi is the perfect package for this film: beautiful face, striking personality, stunning saris, radiant eyes, that quavering voice – which has bothered me in the past – used to great effect here to convey diffidence and emerging self-confidence in a first-rate performance. There has been speculation about whether she has undergone plastic surgery to look the way she does at this age. Who knows. It’s only fair to say though that in English Vinglish, she comes across as a beauty who is comfortable being in her 40s, unlike some of Bollywood’s 40-plus heroes desperately resisting age with their choice of roles and much younger female co-stars.
English Vinglish is an excellent comeback vehicle for India’s most successful pan-India female superstar, but what makes the film work is that the director is not star struck. Gauri Shinde’s film is not about Sridevi but about a very real story, entertainingly told. It’s a risky project though, because it does not revolve around what the public may consider worthwhile feminist “issues” such as, say, wife beating. The points being made in English Vinglish are the sort that even seeming liberals could dismiss with the sweeping statement that “these feminists…like to make a big deal about everything”. It’s a film that also tests the closet chauvinist pretending to be liberal. And then there may be those who feel it defies believability that a woman like Shashi with her profitable catering business would allow her husband to treat her the way he did. If you find yourself asking that question, do also consider why so many educated, professionally thriving women stay on with physically abusive husbands. No answer?
English Vinglish is effective because it does not make generalisations. Not every man is the enemy in this film, but men are not a woman’s only salvation either. Not every American is mean to a non-English-speaking foreigner; not every American who is rude in this fashion is white; as much as Shashi encounters the harshness of New York, she also finds compassion. And when she squares her shoulders against the world, it’s because she has found strength within, aided by the kindnesses of others, men and women, Indian and foreigner.
Perhaps the seeming stereotypes in that New York classroom could have been avoided: the south Indian is a software engineer, the Pakistani is a taxi driver, the Frenchman is a chef … but these are non-offensive stereotypes, and I won’t make a big deal of them. Elsewhere, I enjoyed Amitabh Bachchan’s guest appearance, but that cheeky line he throws at a US immigration official jarred because it plays to the gallery in a way the rest of the film does not.
Incidentally, a considerate priest at Shashi’s daughter’s school explains that he is not fluent in Hindi, but defying Bollywood’s favourite “Christians are westernised foreigners” stereotype, Father Vincent clearly indicates that his discomfort with Hindi is because he is a Keralite (not because he is a Christian). One factual error: contrary to Father’s statement, Hindi is not our national language. India does not have a Constitutionally designated national language. But we’ll discuss that some other day. Today is about a sweet, unusual film.
A budding relationship between two gay men in English Vinglish is handled a tad awkwardly, but it also conveys the main point of this film. Shashi’s stance on homosexuality tells us that English Vinglish is not about just one unhappy housewife; it’s about empathy for “the other”: the man whose sexual orientation is socially derided, the foreigner who struggles to count out change in an unfamiliar currency at your café counter, the spouse who is uncomfortable in the language you speak. Nice choice, Sridevi. Now when do we see your next film, Ms Shinde?
At a literal level, English Vinglish is about a housewife scorned by her husband and daughter because she cannot speak English. Beyond that though, it’s about respect in marriage; how lack of respect does not show up in rudeness alone, but also in condescension; and how we must respect ourselves instead of seeking the approval of others.
Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a hard-working Indian housewife/entrepreneur with a patronizing husband and a teenaged daughter who is embarrassed by her. Shashi swallows the hurt like so many women do, until an unrelated unpleasant incident on a trip to the US sends her over the edge. While in New York for a family wedding, Shashi decides to take a course in spoken English and through that experience, ends up finding herself.
Although this is Sridevi’s comeback film, the very talented and good-looking supporting cast are given their due. Priya Anand as Shashi’s sympathetic niece is lovely. Adil Hussain as the unwittingly uncaring husband is impeccable. It takes an actor of his calibre to be convincing as an MCP despite having a face so handsome that all I want to do when I see him on screen is to like him. And oh, Mehdi Nebbou! The attractive French actor plays the man intrigued by his gorgeous Indian classmate with those eyes. His barely articulated longing is aided by an equally subtle director wise enough to skip subtitles when Laurent speaks to Shashi in French.
Sridevi is the perfect package for this film: beautiful face, striking personality, stunning saris, radiant eyes, that quavering voice – which has bothered me in the past – used to great effect here to convey diffidence and emerging self-confidence in a first-rate performance. There has been speculation about whether she has undergone plastic surgery to look the way she does at this age. Who knows. It’s only fair to say though that in English Vinglish, she comes across as a beauty who is comfortable being in her 40s, unlike some of Bollywood’s 40-plus heroes desperately resisting age with their choice of roles and much younger female co-stars.
English Vinglish is an excellent comeback vehicle for India’s most successful pan-India female superstar, but what makes the film work is that the director is not star struck. Gauri Shinde’s film is not about Sridevi but about a very real story, entertainingly told. It’s a risky project though, because it does not revolve around what the public may consider worthwhile feminist “issues” such as, say, wife beating. The points being made in English Vinglish are the sort that even seeming liberals could dismiss with the sweeping statement that “these feminists…like to make a big deal about everything”. It’s a film that also tests the closet chauvinist pretending to be liberal. And then there may be those who feel it defies believability that a woman like Shashi with her profitable catering business would allow her husband to treat her the way he did. If you find yourself asking that question, do also consider why so many educated, professionally thriving women stay on with physically abusive husbands. No answer?
English Vinglish is effective because it does not make generalisations. Not every man is the enemy in this film, but men are not a woman’s only salvation either. Not every American is mean to a non-English-speaking foreigner; not every American who is rude in this fashion is white; as much as Shashi encounters the harshness of New York, she also finds compassion. And when she squares her shoulders against the world, it’s because she has found strength within, aided by the kindnesses of others, men and women, Indian and foreigner.
Perhaps the seeming stereotypes in that New York classroom could have been avoided: the south Indian is a software engineer, the Pakistani is a taxi driver, the Frenchman is a chef … but these are non-offensive stereotypes, and I won’t make a big deal of them. Elsewhere, I enjoyed Amitabh Bachchan’s guest appearance, but that cheeky line he throws at a US immigration official jarred because it plays to the gallery in a way the rest of the film does not.
Incidentally, a considerate priest at Shashi’s daughter’s school explains that he is not fluent in Hindi, but defying Bollywood’s favourite “Christians are westernised foreigners” stereotype, Father Vincent clearly indicates that his discomfort with Hindi is because he is a Keralite (not because he is a Christian). One factual error: contrary to Father’s statement, Hindi is not our national language. India does not have a Constitutionally designated national language. But we’ll discuss that some other day. Today is about a sweet, unusual film.
A budding relationship between two gay men in English Vinglish is handled a tad awkwardly, but it also conveys the main point of this film. Shashi’s stance on homosexuality tells us that English Vinglish is not about just one unhappy housewife; it’s about empathy for “the other”: the man whose sexual orientation is socially derided, the foreigner who struggles to count out change in an unfamiliar currency at your café counter, the spouse who is uncomfortable in the language you speak. Nice choice, Sridevi. Now when do we see your next film, Ms Shinde?
Survi Reviews
Score: 3.5/5.0
More than 250 films in her career Sridevi, the first Superstar of the 80’s and 90 is back after a 15-year gap with English Vinglish. Ad filmmaker Gauri Shinde is making her directorial debut with English Vinglish. The movie aims to please and entertain the audience for the full TWO hour and 16 minutes and that’s exactly what it does.
Sashi (Sridevi), the wife of Satish (Adil Hussain) and the mother of Swapna and Sagar(Shivansh Kotia), is a home-maker who runs a home-based business of cooking and selling laddus. She is looked down by her husband and teenager daughter for not being able to understand or converse in English, though her mother-in-law (Sulbha Deshpande) is generally supportive of her role of a homemaker.
Sashi’s sister Manu Desai (Sujata Kumar) is a widow living in New York with her two daughters Meera (Neelu Sodhi) and Radha (Priya Anand). Sashi has to go to New York to assist her sister in the preparations for Meera’s wedding, all by herself, while her husband and children join her later. How a “free-thinking woman” Sashi manages to go to New York and copes with the language difficulties there forms the rest of the story.
The performances by this talented cast are tuned to perfection. Each character has something to offer the audience and there are so many moments where you will laugh-out-loud.
Sridevi as Shashi woo everyone with her performance, a PERFECT COMEBACK. She is perfect as caring Mother-longing WIFE-Sincere Student. Shivansh Kotia (Son) & T.Navika Kotia (Daughter) of Shashi suit their roles. Adil Hussain is okay in his role, his character could have been better. Priya Anand is cute in her role. Cory Hibbs, provides a good entertainment. Amitabh Bachchan’s cameo is cute (loved the way he dubs Sourcecode movie). Shashi’s English class is well cast and there’s a South Indian, a Chinese, a Spanish, Gay teacher, French and an African who were just perfect in their performances.
The key to the film is the pacing. It really grabs you from the get go and goes through the motions pretty quickly. Everything is set up nicely and even feels a bit slow at times. It felt like a perfect cut film where everything fell in to place where it needed to. The characters and the actors all worked well together and the outcome was successful.
Scenes I Liked:
Mehdi Nebbou (French) – Sridevi’s scenes
Scenes Between Sridevi – Navika Kotia
Michel Jackson act by Sridevi
Pre Climax Laddu Scene
Sridevi final speech
What’s great about English Vinglish is that every element relies on the other. The performances are great because the script is excellent. The script is excellent which inspires the director and cinematographer to do it justice. Everything comes together beautifully on this picture.
English Vinglish – A MUST WATCH for emotionally engaging script with Sridevi’s solid performance that grips you to the very end.
Sashi (Sridevi), the wife of Satish (Adil Hussain) and the mother of Swapna and Sagar(Shivansh Kotia), is a home-maker who runs a home-based business of cooking and selling laddus. She is looked down by her husband and teenager daughter for not being able to understand or converse in English, though her mother-in-law (Sulbha Deshpande) is generally supportive of her role of a homemaker.
Sashi’s sister Manu Desai (Sujata Kumar) is a widow living in New York with her two daughters Meera (Neelu Sodhi) and Radha (Priya Anand). Sashi has to go to New York to assist her sister in the preparations for Meera’s wedding, all by herself, while her husband and children join her later. How a “free-thinking woman” Sashi manages to go to New York and copes with the language difficulties there forms the rest of the story.
The performances by this talented cast are tuned to perfection. Each character has something to offer the audience and there are so many moments where you will laugh-out-loud.
Sridevi as Shashi woo everyone with her performance, a PERFECT COMEBACK. She is perfect as caring Mother-longing WIFE-Sincere Student. Shivansh Kotia (Son) & T.Navika Kotia (Daughter) of Shashi suit their roles. Adil Hussain is okay in his role, his character could have been better. Priya Anand is cute in her role. Cory Hibbs, provides a good entertainment. Amitabh Bachchan’s cameo is cute (loved the way he dubs Sourcecode movie). Shashi’s English class is well cast and there’s a South Indian, a Chinese, a Spanish, Gay teacher, French and an African who were just perfect in their performances.
The key to the film is the pacing. It really grabs you from the get go and goes through the motions pretty quickly. Everything is set up nicely and even feels a bit slow at times. It felt like a perfect cut film where everything fell in to place where it needed to. The characters and the actors all worked well together and the outcome was successful.
Scenes I Liked:
Mehdi Nebbou (French) – Sridevi’s scenes
Scenes Between Sridevi – Navika Kotia
Michel Jackson act by Sridevi
Pre Climax Laddu Scene
Sridevi final speech
What’s great about English Vinglish is that every element relies on the other. The performances are great because the script is excellent. The script is excellent which inspires the director and cinematographer to do it justice. Everything comes together beautifully on this picture.
English Vinglish – A MUST WATCH for emotionally engaging script with Sridevi’s solid performance that grips you to the very end.
Leisurenama
Score: N/A
What a movie!
Yes, what a movie…
A movie that draws your attention makes you feel and get you thinking.
A simple story narrated in a beautifully effective way. Kudos to the Director.
The issue of ‘spoken English’ might seem insufficient for a screenplay of two and half hours but, the writer – director Gauri utilizes the 135 minutes comfortably to tell us the story of Shashi, a typical Indian housewife, whose efforts, passion and amazing personality goes unnoticed by the family. The movie takes us through all those unspoken feelings Shashi faces time and again. Its not just about being unable to speak English, but also about all those sacrifices she makes of her little delights.
The very opening scene depicts the lives of many such women who prioritize themselves well below their family. And alas, the families never appreciate that. This is presented very subtly interwoven with the main theme of the movie.
This woman after all those years of sacrifices and loosing herself, gets some time for herself and she sets out to accomplish her goal of speaking English and in the process re-discovers her self. And along side she meets people of different nations and completely different backgrounds all of them with a single goal of being able to speak better English. As the intro of all the students of ‘the’ English class goes on, we realize that there are so many regions where people do not speak English, after all it is not “The Language”.
Most of the movie goes in a lighter vein but with loads of emotions, sensitivities and concerns going hand in hand. The director manages well and strikes a balance of all the emotions. In the theatre you can see the audience going ooh and clapping and giggling and falling quite too. Director is successful in getting their full attention. This kind of experience makes English vinglish a movie worth watching in a theatre.
The climax is what makes the film even more worthy. It is when Shashi says, “learn to love yourself to love your life as it is” and also defines marriage as a friendship between two equals, no one is less and no one is more. A nice message to end with isn’t it? With this the movie ends leaving you with a happy satisfied feeling.
Sridevi as Shashi does a wonderful job. She is as amazing as she always was, even after 15 years! She effortlessly gets into the character and what we see on screen is Shashi and not Sridevi. Though at places she seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with her hindi diction.
Songs go along with the story and are well written. The music doesn’t disturb the lyrics and thus the feel of the songs. And Amitabh’s special appearance adds to the glitter. He has a very brief role but an effective one.
Though advertised as Sridevi Vs. Angrezi, the film is actually about Language Vs. Communication and Love Vs. Respect.
P.S: You cannot Love someone without respecting him or her but you still can communicate without language ☺
Yes, what a movie…
A movie that draws your attention makes you feel and get you thinking.
A simple story narrated in a beautifully effective way. Kudos to the Director.
The issue of ‘spoken English’ might seem insufficient for a screenplay of two and half hours but, the writer – director Gauri utilizes the 135 minutes comfortably to tell us the story of Shashi, a typical Indian housewife, whose efforts, passion and amazing personality goes unnoticed by the family. The movie takes us through all those unspoken feelings Shashi faces time and again. Its not just about being unable to speak English, but also about all those sacrifices she makes of her little delights.
The very opening scene depicts the lives of many such women who prioritize themselves well below their family. And alas, the families never appreciate that. This is presented very subtly interwoven with the main theme of the movie.
This woman after all those years of sacrifices and loosing herself, gets some time for herself and she sets out to accomplish her goal of speaking English and in the process re-discovers her self. And along side she meets people of different nations and completely different backgrounds all of them with a single goal of being able to speak better English. As the intro of all the students of ‘the’ English class goes on, we realize that there are so many regions where people do not speak English, after all it is not “The Language”.
Most of the movie goes in a lighter vein but with loads of emotions, sensitivities and concerns going hand in hand. The director manages well and strikes a balance of all the emotions. In the theatre you can see the audience going ooh and clapping and giggling and falling quite too. Director is successful in getting their full attention. This kind of experience makes English vinglish a movie worth watching in a theatre.
The climax is what makes the film even more worthy. It is when Shashi says, “learn to love yourself to love your life as it is” and also defines marriage as a friendship between two equals, no one is less and no one is more. A nice message to end with isn’t it? With this the movie ends leaving you with a happy satisfied feeling.
Sridevi as Shashi does a wonderful job. She is as amazing as she always was, even after 15 years! She effortlessly gets into the character and what we see on screen is Shashi and not Sridevi. Though at places she seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with her hindi diction.
Songs go along with the story and are well written. The music doesn’t disturb the lyrics and thus the feel of the songs. And Amitabh’s special appearance adds to the glitter. He has a very brief role but an effective one.
Though advertised as Sridevi Vs. Angrezi, the film is actually about Language Vs. Communication and Love Vs. Respect.
P.S: You cannot Love someone without respecting him or her but you still can communicate without language ☺
Dolce and Namak Talk Indian Movies
Score: N/A
Lately I've been wondering if Bollywood is losing its appeal for me, I've been getting into other things, haven't loved too many flicks, and even when watching Indian films I was mostly interested in the artsy stuff than the big films. For a while I thought it was Bollywood going through a slump. Then I thought maybe it's me, maybe this hobby had just run its course. But English Vinglish, the story of a woman whose confidence suffers because she can't speak English like the rest of her family can, reminded me why I fell in love with Bollywood back in the day. It reminded me of the feeling of watching a movie and not caring if it's simple or complex, or if it has a certain star, or if it's perfectly edited, or even if I agree with the philosophy of it. It reminded me of those times when I used to watch Bollywood movies just for the magic of seeing a different world materialize in front of my eyes.
Strange how that is because English Vinglish is not a particularly novel story, nor does it have the kind of strong heroine that I usually like to see. In fact I was heard to whisper-scream at poor Shashi (Sridevi's character): "Get a sense of humour already!!". But something about the way the story unfolded made me happy to just be in this movie. Maybe it was the ladoos that made everything sweeter because man oh man are they everywhere in this film! The trailer alone mentions them about 50 times! (And thank God the lovely people at TIFF gave us some after because otherwise I'd probably be in Little India right now, at 3 am, looking for them.)
Having never seen a full Sridevi movie before I didn't really know what to expect from her. But the moment she did a series of Michael Jackson moves in the beginning of the movie she had me eating out of her hand. And even though her wimpy character infuriated me in the beginning I was still happy to cheer for her to become a stronger woman as the movie progressed. Being a big believer in the idea that respect is earned, not implied, I did have a bone to pick with Shashi in the first half of the movie which plays like a less dramatic version of the Seeta story in Seeta aur Geeta. The type of story that irritates me by default. But unlike with Seeta and Geeta I can sincerely appreciate a character who finds the strength to change their condition within themselves, without waiting for a Geeta to come flying down from heaven, so when Shashi decided to go take English lessons and picked up the phone, I was fully on board with this character.
Also, how badass is Shashi's sister? She only had one important line in the whole movie but how fabulous was it that at the core of the story it's not some teenage crush that motivates Shashi to change, but the respect she has for her sister! I, for one, really appreciated this detail, fleeting as it was. Yay for sister power!
Apart from Sridevi, who was simply lovely, Adil Hussain also puts in a wonderful performance as the distant husband. I must commend him for the way he played Satish because it would have been very easy for that character to come across as the villain, but he retains enough warmth in his interactions with Shashi that I kept finding excuses for his behaviour even when, maybe, he didn't deserve it. And I know most people will disagree with this because I've seen this character get labelled as a class A jerk more than once so far. I may be a jerk myself but I found some of his jokes quite funny and harmless, certainly not as offensive as they were made out to be by Shashi's dramatic reactions. Really girl, if you're offended, speak up, slap him, do something about it, don't just sit there and suffer in silence. But I've already addressed this earlier so I won't bore you again with it.
English Vinglish, by the way, is one of those rare Hindi films where you end up caring about all those secondary characters too because they feel like real people. I've seen those people in my own Business English classes, so it was nice to meet them again in a movie. Ironically enough (and a first for me), the non-desi characters felt more fleshed out than some of the desi ones. At least in the English class. And I don't just mean Mehdi Nebbou, who got a heart flutter even out of me when he started speaking in French in one of the scenes towards the end (you'll *know* which one it is but hint: it's over the phone, and yes, it's so much dreamier if you understand French). Hell, you could have swept me onto a dustpan and carried me out of the theatre after that scene, that's how perfect he was. And I don't even like that language. Though, to be fair he did get some glorious lines throughout, and his oh-so-snob attitude towards fries had me smiling from ear to ear, which let's think about it for a second: how often is a non-desi character so well written in a Hindi film that you like them right away? Sadly, not often at all. (Oh but yes, it helps that he's so handsome too.)
Speaking of non-desi characters, I was ready to cringe about the gay English teacher. I mean I was ready to just close my eyes and go lalalalala every time he spoke to avoid throwing shoes at the screen because, well, Indian movies are not exactly known for sensitive portrayals of such minorities. And again, what a surprise. Yes, he was over the top at times (as are, in fact, most of my real life gay friends), but for the most part Cory Hibbs hit all the right notes! Not only did he stay away from those done-to-death mannerisms such as the limp hand, the lisp and addressing everyone with "honey", but the film treats him as normal person, not as a curiosity or as an alien (ok, his clothes were kind of crazy but hey I know straight men who dress worse than that!). And I know the entire audience was with me on this one because there was unanimous clapping when the point was made in one of the scenes in the film. I love Toronto!
Of course Sridevi got the biggest cheers throughout the film, it goes without saying, and well deserved, but from me the biggest cheer goes to the writer-director, Gauri Shinde, who manages to create a story that, as the kids say these days, keeps it real from beginning to end. So real in fact that I was reminded of my first trip to North America and how daunting and complicated everything seemed: from the push-bars on the buses to the streets in downtown (and Toronto is also a grid-city, just like New York, you'd think it's the easiest thing in the world), to the drinks menus in restaurants and the neverending streets in the suburbias. All these little details, all these little fears, all these little victories, Gauri Shinde captures them in the movie and plays them for laughs without shoving them in your face.
And we did laugh a lot throughout the movie. And we smiled a lot. We even clapped a few times. Because there are goofy scenes, yes, but then there are also moments that are funny in a quiet, homely kind of way. My favourite bits were Meera (the bride to be) translating some random ridiculousness to her American husband-to-be when he couldn't understand Hindi. Their relationship wasn't talked about much, but these little moments made them look like a real couple who teases each other and pokes each other. Of course, pyaar se. By the way, not sure if the role reversal was intentional but I like to think this is what Shashi and her husband would have been like at the beginning of their marriage. So just keep that in mind when you're laughing at Meera making fun of her fiance's difficulties with Hindi: if Satish is a jerk, then she is one too. Perspective is everything, no?
English Vinglish is not a story with fireworks and emotional outbursts. It doesn't need to be. It's just a simple little story about how people, words and events can change your attitude towards life in the blink of an eye. And about finding the right balance. It's the kind of movie that I know I could find flaws in (and I probably will on subsequent viewings) but its message is so endearing and so in line with my own life philosophy that I'd rather sit and munch on my ladoo with a smile on my face than nit-pick at it. While I do that, you go watch, I dare you to be a curmudgeon when you come out of it! And if you are, just watch the fabulous songs again!
Strange how that is because English Vinglish is not a particularly novel story, nor does it have the kind of strong heroine that I usually like to see. In fact I was heard to whisper-scream at poor Shashi (Sridevi's character): "Get a sense of humour already!!". But something about the way the story unfolded made me happy to just be in this movie. Maybe it was the ladoos that made everything sweeter because man oh man are they everywhere in this film! The trailer alone mentions them about 50 times! (And thank God the lovely people at TIFF gave us some after because otherwise I'd probably be in Little India right now, at 3 am, looking for them.)
Having never seen a full Sridevi movie before I didn't really know what to expect from her. But the moment she did a series of Michael Jackson moves in the beginning of the movie she had me eating out of her hand. And even though her wimpy character infuriated me in the beginning I was still happy to cheer for her to become a stronger woman as the movie progressed. Being a big believer in the idea that respect is earned, not implied, I did have a bone to pick with Shashi in the first half of the movie which plays like a less dramatic version of the Seeta story in Seeta aur Geeta. The type of story that irritates me by default. But unlike with Seeta and Geeta I can sincerely appreciate a character who finds the strength to change their condition within themselves, without waiting for a Geeta to come flying down from heaven, so when Shashi decided to go take English lessons and picked up the phone, I was fully on board with this character.
Also, how badass is Shashi's sister? She only had one important line in the whole movie but how fabulous was it that at the core of the story it's not some teenage crush that motivates Shashi to change, but the respect she has for her sister! I, for one, really appreciated this detail, fleeting as it was. Yay for sister power!
Apart from Sridevi, who was simply lovely, Adil Hussain also puts in a wonderful performance as the distant husband. I must commend him for the way he played Satish because it would have been very easy for that character to come across as the villain, but he retains enough warmth in his interactions with Shashi that I kept finding excuses for his behaviour even when, maybe, he didn't deserve it. And I know most people will disagree with this because I've seen this character get labelled as a class A jerk more than once so far. I may be a jerk myself but I found some of his jokes quite funny and harmless, certainly not as offensive as they were made out to be by Shashi's dramatic reactions. Really girl, if you're offended, speak up, slap him, do something about it, don't just sit there and suffer in silence. But I've already addressed this earlier so I won't bore you again with it.
English Vinglish, by the way, is one of those rare Hindi films where you end up caring about all those secondary characters too because they feel like real people. I've seen those people in my own Business English classes, so it was nice to meet them again in a movie. Ironically enough (and a first for me), the non-desi characters felt more fleshed out than some of the desi ones. At least in the English class. And I don't just mean Mehdi Nebbou, who got a heart flutter even out of me when he started speaking in French in one of the scenes towards the end (you'll *know* which one it is but hint: it's over the phone, and yes, it's so much dreamier if you understand French). Hell, you could have swept me onto a dustpan and carried me out of the theatre after that scene, that's how perfect he was. And I don't even like that language. Though, to be fair he did get some glorious lines throughout, and his oh-so-snob attitude towards fries had me smiling from ear to ear, which let's think about it for a second: how often is a non-desi character so well written in a Hindi film that you like them right away? Sadly, not often at all. (Oh but yes, it helps that he's so handsome too.)
Speaking of non-desi characters, I was ready to cringe about the gay English teacher. I mean I was ready to just close my eyes and go lalalalala every time he spoke to avoid throwing shoes at the screen because, well, Indian movies are not exactly known for sensitive portrayals of such minorities. And again, what a surprise. Yes, he was over the top at times (as are, in fact, most of my real life gay friends), but for the most part Cory Hibbs hit all the right notes! Not only did he stay away from those done-to-death mannerisms such as the limp hand, the lisp and addressing everyone with "honey", but the film treats him as normal person, not as a curiosity or as an alien (ok, his clothes were kind of crazy but hey I know straight men who dress worse than that!). And I know the entire audience was with me on this one because there was unanimous clapping when the point was made in one of the scenes in the film. I love Toronto!
Of course Sridevi got the biggest cheers throughout the film, it goes without saying, and well deserved, but from me the biggest cheer goes to the writer-director, Gauri Shinde, who manages to create a story that, as the kids say these days, keeps it real from beginning to end. So real in fact that I was reminded of my first trip to North America and how daunting and complicated everything seemed: from the push-bars on the buses to the streets in downtown (and Toronto is also a grid-city, just like New York, you'd think it's the easiest thing in the world), to the drinks menus in restaurants and the neverending streets in the suburbias. All these little details, all these little fears, all these little victories, Gauri Shinde captures them in the movie and plays them for laughs without shoving them in your face.
And we did laugh a lot throughout the movie. And we smiled a lot. We even clapped a few times. Because there are goofy scenes, yes, but then there are also moments that are funny in a quiet, homely kind of way. My favourite bits were Meera (the bride to be) translating some random ridiculousness to her American husband-to-be when he couldn't understand Hindi. Their relationship wasn't talked about much, but these little moments made them look like a real couple who teases each other and pokes each other. Of course, pyaar se. By the way, not sure if the role reversal was intentional but I like to think this is what Shashi and her husband would have been like at the beginning of their marriage. So just keep that in mind when you're laughing at Meera making fun of her fiance's difficulties with Hindi: if Satish is a jerk, then she is one too. Perspective is everything, no?
English Vinglish is not a story with fireworks and emotional outbursts. It doesn't need to be. It's just a simple little story about how people, words and events can change your attitude towards life in the blink of an eye. And about finding the right balance. It's the kind of movie that I know I could find flaws in (and I probably will on subsequent viewings) but its message is so endearing and so in line with my own life philosophy that I'd rather sit and munch on my ladoo with a smile on my face than nit-pick at it. While I do that, you go watch, I dare you to be a curmudgeon when you come out of it! And if you are, just watch the fabulous songs again!
Cinemablographer
Score: 4.0/5.0
An irresistibly heartwarming piece of Bollywood bliss, English Vinglish is sure to have viewers dancing in the aisles as they exit the cinema. That the film deserves to be a mega-hit is almost a no-brainer since it marks the return of Bollywood star Sridevi, who gives the kind of comeback performance that often works itself into Hollywood folklore, but is usually only dreamed of by A-level talent.
Back to the screen after a long hiatus, Sridevi stars as Stashi, a traditional Indian wife and mother caught in the role of dutiful caregiver. Her husband (Adil Hussain) barely pays her any notice. All he thinks Stashi is good for is to stay at home to cook for him. His lack of respect puts an unfortunate stain on Stashi’s one true passion: making ladoos, a sweet, simple dessert that enchants every tooth it touches.
Stashi’s children are similarly ungrateful. They like the sweetness of their mother’s ladoos, but they know not how the little golden balls are sugary symbols of their cultural heritage. Silly and spoiled, Stashi’s son and daughter gobble up their mother’s ladoos but they grant her zero respect. The daughter is especially harsh on her mother, given how little Stashi seems to be with the language of the youth.
This new language, of course, is English. Stashi has a poor grasp of the Anglophone tongue, but this shiny new thing is sweeping across the land and exciting her family. Stashi’s family is a generation of a new India that is greatly influenced by Western culture and customs. Her kids are more likely to take a lesson from Mickey Mouse than from Mother India. Stashi, however, grew up with the belief that marriage is a duty and that familial devotion is a mother’s most important role.
Stashi’s traditional role gets a cross-cultural spin when she is thrust into the epicentre of English enchantment. When she learns that her niece is to be married, Stashi goes to visit her sister’s adopted homeland of New York. Stashi takes a juicy bite out of the Big Apple, and its flavour tickles her tongue.
Once she arrives in the global city of New York, Stashi is overwhelmed by a cacophony of new noises and sounds. All this English babble wafts through her ears, so Stashi’s sister and nieces do their best to translate things into Hindi so that their auntie can feel less lost in the hubbub of miscommunication. After one disastrous encounter with a mean-tempered, ill-mannered Anglophone, though, Stashi’s feelings of shame return. She decides to master the art of the English language before her daughter et al come for the wedding that is to be held in four upcoming weeks.
Stashi therefore enlists in a four-week intensive English class. She joins a school of other citizens who came to America in search of greater opportunity, but were bogged down by their loose grasp of Yankee dialect. If Julia Child can teach Americans to master the art of French cooking, then learning the dos and don’ts of English communication should be a breeze, right?
The fun language sessions of English Vinglish extend Stashi’s heartfelt fish-out-of-water story into a school of Babelfish in search of a common connection. The group helps one another and learns to cut cultural ties as they negotiate the verbal borders between them. Thanks in part, too, to a sweet love story between Stashi and a hunky Frenchman (Mehdi Nebbou), whose kindness and respect tempt Stashi from her familial duties, the lessons teach Stashi how to regain her self-respect. The more she perfects her grasp of English, the firmer hold she has on her sense of self. English Vinglish deserves comparison to The King’s Speech for its inspiring morale of self-confidence and self-worth.
English Vinglish is especially moving thanks to the excellent lead performance by Sridevi. Her big brown eyes are expressive vessels both for Stashi’s excitement and for Stashi’s shame. The heroine of English Vinglish is a shy, modest woman, but a wily and powerful one, too. Most of all, Sridevi makes English Vinglish fun and dynamic entertainment. The supporting cast is enjoyable as well, especially the English class ensemble and Amitabh Bachchan, who makes a hilarious cameo as Sridevi’s kind, movie-loving companion on the plane ride to America.
Viewers less familiar with Bollywood staples like Bachchan, however, might miss some of the film’s charm. Likewise, those unversed in the history of Bollywood convention might be a bit put off by the conservative turn of events in the film’s final act. On the other hand, this film by writer/director Gauri Shinde (making her feature debut) is smart and accessible through its down-to-earth story and straightforward symbolism. The tale of English Vinglish is universal, but the collective morale is peppered with signature Bollywood tunes that give it a unique flavour. Best among the lively soundtrack is the title track “English Vinglish”, which underscores the culture clash with a lively tempo and makes English Vinglish family-friendly fun.
After a successful premiere at TIFF last month, English Vinglish landed in theatres October 4 in an impressive worldwide rollout. The return of Sridevi is a noteworthy event for Bollywood fans, but after this impressive performance, the actress could be a star in North America. English Vinglish deserves to be a cross-cultural hit.
Back to the screen after a long hiatus, Sridevi stars as Stashi, a traditional Indian wife and mother caught in the role of dutiful caregiver. Her husband (Adil Hussain) barely pays her any notice. All he thinks Stashi is good for is to stay at home to cook for him. His lack of respect puts an unfortunate stain on Stashi’s one true passion: making ladoos, a sweet, simple dessert that enchants every tooth it touches.
Stashi’s children are similarly ungrateful. They like the sweetness of their mother’s ladoos, but they know not how the little golden balls are sugary symbols of their cultural heritage. Silly and spoiled, Stashi’s son and daughter gobble up their mother’s ladoos but they grant her zero respect. The daughter is especially harsh on her mother, given how little Stashi seems to be with the language of the youth.
This new language, of course, is English. Stashi has a poor grasp of the Anglophone tongue, but this shiny new thing is sweeping across the land and exciting her family. Stashi’s family is a generation of a new India that is greatly influenced by Western culture and customs. Her kids are more likely to take a lesson from Mickey Mouse than from Mother India. Stashi, however, grew up with the belief that marriage is a duty and that familial devotion is a mother’s most important role.
Stashi’s traditional role gets a cross-cultural spin when she is thrust into the epicentre of English enchantment. When she learns that her niece is to be married, Stashi goes to visit her sister’s adopted homeland of New York. Stashi takes a juicy bite out of the Big Apple, and its flavour tickles her tongue.
Once she arrives in the global city of New York, Stashi is overwhelmed by a cacophony of new noises and sounds. All this English babble wafts through her ears, so Stashi’s sister and nieces do their best to translate things into Hindi so that their auntie can feel less lost in the hubbub of miscommunication. After one disastrous encounter with a mean-tempered, ill-mannered Anglophone, though, Stashi’s feelings of shame return. She decides to master the art of the English language before her daughter et al come for the wedding that is to be held in four upcoming weeks.
Stashi therefore enlists in a four-week intensive English class. She joins a school of other citizens who came to America in search of greater opportunity, but were bogged down by their loose grasp of Yankee dialect. If Julia Child can teach Americans to master the art of French cooking, then learning the dos and don’ts of English communication should be a breeze, right?
The fun language sessions of English Vinglish extend Stashi’s heartfelt fish-out-of-water story into a school of Babelfish in search of a common connection. The group helps one another and learns to cut cultural ties as they negotiate the verbal borders between them. Thanks in part, too, to a sweet love story between Stashi and a hunky Frenchman (Mehdi Nebbou), whose kindness and respect tempt Stashi from her familial duties, the lessons teach Stashi how to regain her self-respect. The more she perfects her grasp of English, the firmer hold she has on her sense of self. English Vinglish deserves comparison to The King’s Speech for its inspiring morale of self-confidence and self-worth.
English Vinglish is especially moving thanks to the excellent lead performance by Sridevi. Her big brown eyes are expressive vessels both for Stashi’s excitement and for Stashi’s shame. The heroine of English Vinglish is a shy, modest woman, but a wily and powerful one, too. Most of all, Sridevi makes English Vinglish fun and dynamic entertainment. The supporting cast is enjoyable as well, especially the English class ensemble and Amitabh Bachchan, who makes a hilarious cameo as Sridevi’s kind, movie-loving companion on the plane ride to America.
Viewers less familiar with Bollywood staples like Bachchan, however, might miss some of the film’s charm. Likewise, those unversed in the history of Bollywood convention might be a bit put off by the conservative turn of events in the film’s final act. On the other hand, this film by writer/director Gauri Shinde (making her feature debut) is smart and accessible through its down-to-earth story and straightforward symbolism. The tale of English Vinglish is universal, but the collective morale is peppered with signature Bollywood tunes that give it a unique flavour. Best among the lively soundtrack is the title track “English Vinglish”, which underscores the culture clash with a lively tempo and makes English Vinglish family-friendly fun.
After a successful premiere at TIFF last month, English Vinglish landed in theatres October 4 in an impressive worldwide rollout. The return of Sridevi is a noteworthy event for Bollywood fans, but after this impressive performance, the actress could be a star in North America. English Vinglish deserves to be a cross-cultural hit.
Cinema Chaat
Score: N/A
Finally Sridevi returns to films! A low key and female centric family drama, English Vinglish allows ample opportunity to show off her great range and perfect timing. Gauri Shinde has written a nice story with a whiff of “Shirley Valentine” about it, and directs with assurance.
Shashi (Sridevi) is a wife and mother, taken for granted by her family – husband Satish (Adil Hussain), bitchy teenage daughter Sapna (a very convincing Navika Kotia) and son Sagar (the endearingly cheeky Shivansh Kotia). She is a good cook and keeps a lovely home as well as running a business making and selling ladoos, barely having a moment to herself. Shashi is accomplished and loving, but that is what is expected of her so she gets no credit for that. The family mock her for her lack of polish and poor English. The cheap shots are also a way of father and daughter bonding and excluding Shashi. Shashi is gracious and rarely retaliates, instead letting her beautifully expressive eyes show the pain.
When Shashi’s New York based niece Meera is about to be married, Shashi is sent ahead of her family to help with the preparations. Nervous at leaving her kids and husband, she is forced to go where she can be useful. Again, her feelings are ignored for the sake of convenience.
Shashi stays with her sister and niece Radha (the sparky Priya Anand) and spends her days missing her family at home. Daunted by America and feeling left out, Shashi secretly enrols in a dodgy “Learn English in 4 Weeks” class.
This is where the film detours into “Mind Your Language” territory. Taught by David (played by one of the worst actors I have ever seen, and I am including Mimoh in that list) and along with her fellow students, Shashi begins to come out of her shell. One of the students keen to get her right out of her shell is the dishy French chef, Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou). The tentative stirrings of romance between Laurent and Shashi are very well played even if his lines are cheesy.
The rest of the class start off as a collection of broad stereotypes, but the actors develop their characters really nicely. Sumeet Vyas, Rajeev Ravindranathan and Maria Romano are particularly good fun. I also liked the way food played a role in communication and relationships.
The story isn’t really about learning English as a road to happiness, but it is about getting your mojo back and gaining the respect of your loved ones. There is a theme of English language undermining Hindi and excluding people in their own country, but really she could have taken a pottery class or something else.
Much as I cheered when Shashi managed to navigate her way into the city or order a coffee, and I loved seeing her grow in self esteem and happiness, I have a slight problem with the character. She was so passive aggressive, even considering of her lack of confidence. Why make Radha cover for her so she could sneak to class? Why not just ask her sister to keep it quiet as a surprise for the family or at least not ask Radha to be an accomplice. Telling Laurent about her family in Hindi seemed at least partly a lie by omission rather than purely an outpouring of the heart given their level of conversational skills. Her final speech was two-thirds guilt-trip inducing perfect filmi Ma (and the opposite of the real situation) and finally one-third honesty about what she believed was needed for happiness. It made me like her less than I wanted to and I felt heavily manipulated at times as she is clearly meant to be the morally good person in the frame.
Shashi lost me at times, but Sridevi never did. Her performance was beautifully nuanced. As her self-confidence grew, Shashi’s expressions became less guarded and her eyes lit up. When Sridevi smiled she was radiant. I really wanted Shashi to be happy, despite my reservations. I think this was more about Sridevi than Shashi though – I am so happy to see her working in films again.
The music by Amit Trivedi mostly ranges from bland to twee. I’ve never been a big fan of his and the tweedly emo guitar thing is not my style. The songs are mostly in the background or used in montages of Shashi looking sad. It was all appropriate to the tone of the film but I won’t be listening to the soundtrack anytime soon.
Whether it was Gauri Shinde or former co-star Sridevi who won him over, Amitabh Bachchan makes a fun appearance. He plays a rambunctious man of the world and gave Shashi some much needed confidence and sensible advice. Priya Anand is a standout. I liked her sassy style in her debut (Leader) and she was very natural as the lively college student Radha. Adil Hussain is also excellent as the thoughtless Satish, and the children are perfect for their roles. Maybe too perfect – that girl is a right little cow. The random extras at the wedding were energetic and got into the dances.
The visual design is excellent. Shashi’s house in Pune looked lived in and real, even if her saris were a bit too fabulous. I drooled over some of her outfits; all of them in fact, except the dark pink one (I don’t like pink) and the mauve (it was a bit too shiny). The NRIs lived in a very American suburban house with Indian touches in the decor. It was a nice representation of their life abroad and the connection to home.
I saw this with four friends and at least three of them cried several times during the movie and we all laughed a lot. It’s a film I would have loved to see with my mother and then go out with her for coffee. It’s a well crafted film, with a good story and some fine performances. Despite some issues, I highly recommend it. Welcome back Sridevi!
Shashi (Sridevi) is a wife and mother, taken for granted by her family – husband Satish (Adil Hussain), bitchy teenage daughter Sapna (a very convincing Navika Kotia) and son Sagar (the endearingly cheeky Shivansh Kotia). She is a good cook and keeps a lovely home as well as running a business making and selling ladoos, barely having a moment to herself. Shashi is accomplished and loving, but that is what is expected of her so she gets no credit for that. The family mock her for her lack of polish and poor English. The cheap shots are also a way of father and daughter bonding and excluding Shashi. Shashi is gracious and rarely retaliates, instead letting her beautifully expressive eyes show the pain.
When Shashi’s New York based niece Meera is about to be married, Shashi is sent ahead of her family to help with the preparations. Nervous at leaving her kids and husband, she is forced to go where she can be useful. Again, her feelings are ignored for the sake of convenience.
Shashi stays with her sister and niece Radha (the sparky Priya Anand) and spends her days missing her family at home. Daunted by America and feeling left out, Shashi secretly enrols in a dodgy “Learn English in 4 Weeks” class.
This is where the film detours into “Mind Your Language” territory. Taught by David (played by one of the worst actors I have ever seen, and I am including Mimoh in that list) and along with her fellow students, Shashi begins to come out of her shell. One of the students keen to get her right out of her shell is the dishy French chef, Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou). The tentative stirrings of romance between Laurent and Shashi are very well played even if his lines are cheesy.
The rest of the class start off as a collection of broad stereotypes, but the actors develop their characters really nicely. Sumeet Vyas, Rajeev Ravindranathan and Maria Romano are particularly good fun. I also liked the way food played a role in communication and relationships.
The story isn’t really about learning English as a road to happiness, but it is about getting your mojo back and gaining the respect of your loved ones. There is a theme of English language undermining Hindi and excluding people in their own country, but really she could have taken a pottery class or something else.
Much as I cheered when Shashi managed to navigate her way into the city or order a coffee, and I loved seeing her grow in self esteem and happiness, I have a slight problem with the character. She was so passive aggressive, even considering of her lack of confidence. Why make Radha cover for her so she could sneak to class? Why not just ask her sister to keep it quiet as a surprise for the family or at least not ask Radha to be an accomplice. Telling Laurent about her family in Hindi seemed at least partly a lie by omission rather than purely an outpouring of the heart given their level of conversational skills. Her final speech was two-thirds guilt-trip inducing perfect filmi Ma (and the opposite of the real situation) and finally one-third honesty about what she believed was needed for happiness. It made me like her less than I wanted to and I felt heavily manipulated at times as she is clearly meant to be the morally good person in the frame.
Shashi lost me at times, but Sridevi never did. Her performance was beautifully nuanced. As her self-confidence grew, Shashi’s expressions became less guarded and her eyes lit up. When Sridevi smiled she was radiant. I really wanted Shashi to be happy, despite my reservations. I think this was more about Sridevi than Shashi though – I am so happy to see her working in films again.
The music by Amit Trivedi mostly ranges from bland to twee. I’ve never been a big fan of his and the tweedly emo guitar thing is not my style. The songs are mostly in the background or used in montages of Shashi looking sad. It was all appropriate to the tone of the film but I won’t be listening to the soundtrack anytime soon.
Whether it was Gauri Shinde or former co-star Sridevi who won him over, Amitabh Bachchan makes a fun appearance. He plays a rambunctious man of the world and gave Shashi some much needed confidence and sensible advice. Priya Anand is a standout. I liked her sassy style in her debut (Leader) and she was very natural as the lively college student Radha. Adil Hussain is also excellent as the thoughtless Satish, and the children are perfect for their roles. Maybe too perfect – that girl is a right little cow. The random extras at the wedding were energetic and got into the dances.
The visual design is excellent. Shashi’s house in Pune looked lived in and real, even if her saris were a bit too fabulous. I drooled over some of her outfits; all of them in fact, except the dark pink one (I don’t like pink) and the mauve (it was a bit too shiny). The NRIs lived in a very American suburban house with Indian touches in the decor. It was a nice representation of their life abroad and the connection to home.
I saw this with four friends and at least three of them cried several times during the movie and we all laughed a lot. It’s a film I would have loved to see with my mother and then go out with her for coffee. It’s a well crafted film, with a good story and some fine performances. Despite some issues, I highly recommend it. Welcome back Sridevi!
A Nutshell Review
Score: N/A
Many will know I have been following Bollywood films over the last few years with keen interest, with one of the prime reasons being, why not? We have dedicated halls and screens which are always showing the latest the industry has to offer, very often having same day premieres, and I cannot fathom having to close this option off for the lack of language ability. English subtitles is a boon, and my only option to understand what's being said on screen. English is of course the plot element here in this film, written and directed by Gauri Shinde, who has made a film that's strong in heart, and powerful in performance.
I'm talking about Sridevi's comeback to cinema, having retired some 15 years ago to raise her kids. And this leave of absence surely helped her in her protagonist role here, but more on that later. For those unaware, like I was previously, Sridevi is arguably the best actresss Indian Cinema has produced over the last few decades, and it is only today that I fully understood why. Her performance as Shashi, the traditional Indian housewife, is impeccable, and the littlest of nuances put into her role, reaped results in the manifold. As a line of dialogue described, her eyes are like coffee drops in a saucer of milk, and that in itself is an understatement.
Charisma is something that you have, or have not, and Sridevi's presence is something that arrests your attention immediately when she comes on screen. Carrying the entire movie, it's unbelievable to think that she's pushing 50 already, as her performance here will probably inspire many actresses of today's generation sit up and take note, to realize that they still have a long way to go to reach a fraction of her level. I'm sold, impressed, and very eager to catch up on her filmography to see what more she had to offer during the 80s and 90s when she was at the peak of her popularity then.
Her comeback in English Vinglish is a casting coup for its filmmakers, and let's not forget Shinde's story which was custom fit for her as well, playing the role of a mother, which probably made it quite an easy transition back to the industry. But it's an important role because one of the key takeaways from the narrative, is how we often take those who love us for granted, and as part of the process, inadvertently hurt them too. We may not realize it, or sometimes we do, but these hurt will likely be the worst possible. A callous word and a careless comment go a long way, and is difficult to, or sometimes cannot be taken back.
It's something many of us have been through and experienced, regardless which side of the equation one was on, where respect does not get accorded, and where words go out to make others feel small about themselves. In Shashi's case, this happens to be her lack of command in the English language, perceived to be an ability of social status, made quite unbearable when her children thinks it so, and when her husband (Adil Hussain) also gets in on a private joke with their daughter.
The film's story worked on many layers, and what I especially admired is how Sridevi becomes the spokesperson for lessons without being too overt about it, save for the ending speech that hammers in the emotion, and is sure to make your eyes well up. It deals with, on a macro level, how as humans we should be helpful and tolerant to those who don't speak our language or understand our culture, that one shouldn't be made to think one's superior just because, or make the other look small. And on the more micro level, the structure of the family and its importance. All these and more, told through a story about a woman finding her inner strength to stand out, stand up and be counted, building and reinforcing confidence that she's more than just a Laddoo machine.
But social factors aside, the more obvious ingredient that's put into the movie, is the Mind Your Language type scenes when Shashi enrolls herself into an English crash course to learn conversational English in four weeks. Instead of Mr Brown, there's Mr David (Cory Hibbs) the teacher (whose sexual orientation again highlights the differences in the human race and the need for tolerance and acceptance), and a motley crew of classmates from various parts of the world bonding together. From a woman who centered her life around family, building a network of friends became something of a lifeline of sorts, in keeping life interesting through the sharing of experiences, and of course, food.
English Vinglish has everything a typical Indian film contains, from comedy to romance - handled with such maturity - culture and language. What more, it has Sridevi's remarkable return, showing why she was, and still is, one of the iconic female actresses ever to grace the screens of Indian Cinema. A definite recommendation, and though formulaic at parts, is delivered with such slickness, that I'd shortlist it as one of the best this year. Look out for Amitabh Bachchan's cameo as well, on board a plane and watching Source Code with amusement!
I'm talking about Sridevi's comeback to cinema, having retired some 15 years ago to raise her kids. And this leave of absence surely helped her in her protagonist role here, but more on that later. For those unaware, like I was previously, Sridevi is arguably the best actresss Indian Cinema has produced over the last few decades, and it is only today that I fully understood why. Her performance as Shashi, the traditional Indian housewife, is impeccable, and the littlest of nuances put into her role, reaped results in the manifold. As a line of dialogue described, her eyes are like coffee drops in a saucer of milk, and that in itself is an understatement.
Charisma is something that you have, or have not, and Sridevi's presence is something that arrests your attention immediately when she comes on screen. Carrying the entire movie, it's unbelievable to think that she's pushing 50 already, as her performance here will probably inspire many actresses of today's generation sit up and take note, to realize that they still have a long way to go to reach a fraction of her level. I'm sold, impressed, and very eager to catch up on her filmography to see what more she had to offer during the 80s and 90s when she was at the peak of her popularity then.
Her comeback in English Vinglish is a casting coup for its filmmakers, and let's not forget Shinde's story which was custom fit for her as well, playing the role of a mother, which probably made it quite an easy transition back to the industry. But it's an important role because one of the key takeaways from the narrative, is how we often take those who love us for granted, and as part of the process, inadvertently hurt them too. We may not realize it, or sometimes we do, but these hurt will likely be the worst possible. A callous word and a careless comment go a long way, and is difficult to, or sometimes cannot be taken back.
It's something many of us have been through and experienced, regardless which side of the equation one was on, where respect does not get accorded, and where words go out to make others feel small about themselves. In Shashi's case, this happens to be her lack of command in the English language, perceived to be an ability of social status, made quite unbearable when her children thinks it so, and when her husband (Adil Hussain) also gets in on a private joke with their daughter.
The film's story worked on many layers, and what I especially admired is how Sridevi becomes the spokesperson for lessons without being too overt about it, save for the ending speech that hammers in the emotion, and is sure to make your eyes well up. It deals with, on a macro level, how as humans we should be helpful and tolerant to those who don't speak our language or understand our culture, that one shouldn't be made to think one's superior just because, or make the other look small. And on the more micro level, the structure of the family and its importance. All these and more, told through a story about a woman finding her inner strength to stand out, stand up and be counted, building and reinforcing confidence that she's more than just a Laddoo machine.
But social factors aside, the more obvious ingredient that's put into the movie, is the Mind Your Language type scenes when Shashi enrolls herself into an English crash course to learn conversational English in four weeks. Instead of Mr Brown, there's Mr David (Cory Hibbs) the teacher (whose sexual orientation again highlights the differences in the human race and the need for tolerance and acceptance), and a motley crew of classmates from various parts of the world bonding together. From a woman who centered her life around family, building a network of friends became something of a lifeline of sorts, in keeping life interesting through the sharing of experiences, and of course, food.
English Vinglish has everything a typical Indian film contains, from comedy to romance - handled with such maturity - culture and language. What more, it has Sridevi's remarkable return, showing why she was, and still is, one of the iconic female actresses ever to grace the screens of Indian Cinema. A definite recommendation, and though formulaic at parts, is delivered with such slickness, that I'd shortlist it as one of the best this year. Look out for Amitabh Bachchan's cameo as well, on board a plane and watching Source Code with amusement!
Access Bollywood
Score: 3.5/4.0
One of my favorite feelings is when I watch a new film that makes me think, “Now this is a movie. I wish more movies were like this.” Films that provoke that sensation for me aren’t necessarily perfect, but they are always well executed examples of the form that feel both familiar and fresh. Watching English Vinglish gave me that feeling.
This is writer-director Gauri Shinde’s first film, but you’d never know it. She gets how movies are supposed to be made. The pacing is excellent, and the characters are complex and grow throughout the story. English Vinglish is an impressive debut.
Shashi (Sridevi) is an Indian housewife unappreciated by her husband, Satish (Adil Hussain), and preteen daughter, Sapna. Her young son, Sagar (Shivansh Kotia), is still in the cuddly phase of childhood, and her live-in mother-in-law is sympathetic, but both require Shashi’s frequent attention, reducing her existence to that of a short-order cook. Satish even resents Shashi’s modest catering business selling her homemade sweets, insisting that cooking for her own family should give her satisfaction enough.
The real point of contention in the family is that Shashi doesn’t speak English. Her husband speaks it at his office and her children study it at school, so Satish and Sapna are able to make jokes at Shashi’s expense without her understanding. When Shashi’s sister asks her to fly to New York for a few weeks to help with preparations for her daughter’s wedding, Shashi is forced to confront her feelings of inadequacy regarding English. She enrolls in a language course that changes her perspective on everything.
Of course, Shashi’s linguistic problems are just part of a larger identity crisis. Is she more than just a cooking- and cleaning-machine? Should she even aspire to be more than that? Why does she need to know English if she never leaves the house without her husband or kids to act as translators?
Shashi’s search for self-worth is universal, but there are distinct feminine aspects to her problem. It’s expected that men define themselves by their jobs, but what metric should a homemaker and mother use to define herself? As Shashi tells one of her classmates, “When a man cooks, it’s art. When a woman cooks, it’s duty.” Defining a life by the execution of rote tasks seems insufficient.
The classmate Shashi discusses cooking with is a handsome French chef named Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou). They form a friendship based on their love of food as well as their sense of isolation as foreigners who don’t speak the dominant language. The relationship is also fueled by Laurent’s obvious crush on Shashi.
Laurent’s affection puts Shashi in a precarious situation. She doesn’t lead him on, but she’s pleased to finally have someone — let alone a good-looking younger man — make her feel like she’s beautiful, funny, clever, and talented. Laurent’s compliments are hard to resist when the alternative is being treated like a glorified servant by her husband.
The French chef’s crush is understandable because, at age 49, Sridevi still looks perfect. Her performance as Shashi is likewise flawless. She channels every mother throughout history when Shashi puts on a brave face in response to her daughter’s insults, determined to hide her emotions until she’s alone.
Sridevi’s subtlety gives Shashi an air of realism: her quick, birdlike movements as she tries to comprehend the ticket machine in the subway; her slight smile as she silently mouths one of her newly acquired English words; even her dance moves are small and slightly embarrassed, rather than the broad gestures of a seasoned performer.
Nebbou’s performance as Laurent is also perfectly restrained. Since he can’t say the words, Laurent shows his fondness for Shashi through glances that linger longer than is considered socially appropriate. He’s not pushy, but he is persistent. He’s charming, but not in a cartoonish way.
The members of Shashi’s family are well-drawn. Her niece, Radha (Priya Anand), is an enthusiastic co-conspirator who encourages Shashi’s personal growth. Satish and Sapna aren’t villains, but they seem to enjoy sharing knowledge that Shashi lacks. Little Sagar is adorable, and never annoying or distracting.
Shashi’s English class is populated with characters who all have their own motivations, though not all are successfully portrayed. Jennifer (Maria Pendolino), the language school receptionist, is so believable that, for all I know, they cast an actual language school receptionist to play the part. However, the class’s lone East Asian of unspecified national origin, Yu Son (Maria Romano), distracts with her indeterminate accent.
Also suffering from accent-related problems is David (Cory Hibbs), the teacher of the class who initially speaks with a quasi-British accent that fades as the movie progresses. What does not fade is David’s flamboyant gayness. His over-the-top affectations make him into a caricature who can’t even be humanized by Shashi’s “gays are people, too” speech late in the film.
If the only real problems in a movie relate to a couple of minor characters, it’s safe to declare the film a success. English Vinglish is a refined, adult coming-of-age story with a fantastic heroine at its heart. This is definitely a must-see.
This is writer-director Gauri Shinde’s first film, but you’d never know it. She gets how movies are supposed to be made. The pacing is excellent, and the characters are complex and grow throughout the story. English Vinglish is an impressive debut.
Shashi (Sridevi) is an Indian housewife unappreciated by her husband, Satish (Adil Hussain), and preteen daughter, Sapna. Her young son, Sagar (Shivansh Kotia), is still in the cuddly phase of childhood, and her live-in mother-in-law is sympathetic, but both require Shashi’s frequent attention, reducing her existence to that of a short-order cook. Satish even resents Shashi’s modest catering business selling her homemade sweets, insisting that cooking for her own family should give her satisfaction enough.
The real point of contention in the family is that Shashi doesn’t speak English. Her husband speaks it at his office and her children study it at school, so Satish and Sapna are able to make jokes at Shashi’s expense without her understanding. When Shashi’s sister asks her to fly to New York for a few weeks to help with preparations for her daughter’s wedding, Shashi is forced to confront her feelings of inadequacy regarding English. She enrolls in a language course that changes her perspective on everything.
Of course, Shashi’s linguistic problems are just part of a larger identity crisis. Is she more than just a cooking- and cleaning-machine? Should she even aspire to be more than that? Why does she need to know English if she never leaves the house without her husband or kids to act as translators?
Shashi’s search for self-worth is universal, but there are distinct feminine aspects to her problem. It’s expected that men define themselves by their jobs, but what metric should a homemaker and mother use to define herself? As Shashi tells one of her classmates, “When a man cooks, it’s art. When a woman cooks, it’s duty.” Defining a life by the execution of rote tasks seems insufficient.
The classmate Shashi discusses cooking with is a handsome French chef named Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou). They form a friendship based on their love of food as well as their sense of isolation as foreigners who don’t speak the dominant language. The relationship is also fueled by Laurent’s obvious crush on Shashi.
Laurent’s affection puts Shashi in a precarious situation. She doesn’t lead him on, but she’s pleased to finally have someone — let alone a good-looking younger man — make her feel like she’s beautiful, funny, clever, and talented. Laurent’s compliments are hard to resist when the alternative is being treated like a glorified servant by her husband.
The French chef’s crush is understandable because, at age 49, Sridevi still looks perfect. Her performance as Shashi is likewise flawless. She channels every mother throughout history when Shashi puts on a brave face in response to her daughter’s insults, determined to hide her emotions until she’s alone.
Sridevi’s subtlety gives Shashi an air of realism: her quick, birdlike movements as she tries to comprehend the ticket machine in the subway; her slight smile as she silently mouths one of her newly acquired English words; even her dance moves are small and slightly embarrassed, rather than the broad gestures of a seasoned performer.
Nebbou’s performance as Laurent is also perfectly restrained. Since he can’t say the words, Laurent shows his fondness for Shashi through glances that linger longer than is considered socially appropriate. He’s not pushy, but he is persistent. He’s charming, but not in a cartoonish way.
The members of Shashi’s family are well-drawn. Her niece, Radha (Priya Anand), is an enthusiastic co-conspirator who encourages Shashi’s personal growth. Satish and Sapna aren’t villains, but they seem to enjoy sharing knowledge that Shashi lacks. Little Sagar is adorable, and never annoying or distracting.
Shashi’s English class is populated with characters who all have their own motivations, though not all are successfully portrayed. Jennifer (Maria Pendolino), the language school receptionist, is so believable that, for all I know, they cast an actual language school receptionist to play the part. However, the class’s lone East Asian of unspecified national origin, Yu Son (Maria Romano), distracts with her indeterminate accent.
Also suffering from accent-related problems is David (Cory Hibbs), the teacher of the class who initially speaks with a quasi-British accent that fades as the movie progresses. What does not fade is David’s flamboyant gayness. His over-the-top affectations make him into a caricature who can’t even be humanized by Shashi’s “gays are people, too” speech late in the film.
If the only real problems in a movie relate to a couple of minor characters, it’s safe to declare the film a success. English Vinglish is a refined, adult coming-of-age story with a fantastic heroine at its heart. This is definitely a must-see.
Something About Everything
Score: 7.0/10.0
I rarely write reviews of Indian movies. Firstly, I am not a professional reviewer. Mostly, I just want to note my reactions. Secondly I write a review, when I want to talk about a good movie that deserves to be watched and people around me seem to have missed it. For an Indian movie, everyone has seen it before me, because I don't go to theaters as often, and I refuse to watch pirated DVDs. So there is not much point writing the review - notable exceptions being Dharm and Khamosh Pani.
I watched "English Vinglish" becuase it seemed a rare family friendly Bollywood movie, and it is. It is a comeback movie for actress Sridevi, who ruled the Indian box office in her prime. That was a less of a reason for me, as I was one of those odd people who was totally apathetic to her star powers. I could never tolerate her dialogue delivery, and this movie reminded me that strongly. She did have the charisma and acting skills to carry an entire movie on her shoulders, and she does that with spades here.
Sridevi plays the central character of Shashi Godbole, a middle-aged housewife, with a good family - a successful and faithful husband, a typical teenaged daughter, an adorable son, and for a change, a supportive mother-in-law.Shashi is a great cook, and in spite of the daily struggles, manages to run a small operation of selling homemade sweets. It's a simple life. Simple, however does not mean, without sorrows. In spite of being totally devoted to her family, she is under-appreciated, and often a subject of mockery and put-downs. The reason - her lack of ability to fluently speak English. She has to travel to New York to help with her niece's wedding. While there, she enrolls herself in a crash course to learn English. This experience turns out to be a course in self-discovery as well.
The simplicity of this story is the strength, because it's told sincerely. This sincerity ensures that it doesn't become unrealistic. When Shashi completes her course, her English still sounds rough. She doesn't defeat anyone in the knowledge of the language - she just learns enough to get by.That same sincerity is also highlighted by a near lack of extremes. Shashi's family comes across not as some exceptional case, but one that we all can relate to. Their interactions are not contrived, but are those we all have experienced and/or seen in our lives. She is not being treated terribly by her family. She is not just being treated respectfully.
That's an important point the movie succeeds in making. As Shashi says in a scene, she doesn't need love, she has it, what she needs is respect. Hence there was never a scope for an affair or a love triangle. It's a movie whose characters are mature and composed in their behavior.
It's not a perfect movie. There were places where I cringed. The biggest problem is the constitution of the group of students. A Mexican nanny, a Pakistani cab driver in New York, a French cook, a South-Indian Software Engineer with problems with his English accent, an Asian lady who works in a hair salon ! If that's not stereotyping on steroids, then I don't know what is. Of course, the teacher is gay - filling the obligatory role of the nice person belonging to a minority group, which happens to be gays these days. Such formulaic treatment unnecessarily reduces the impact of the theme.
Fortunately, the director avoids other clichés. The difficulties faced by a visitor in a foreign land are kept realistic, and not used to create unnaturally uncomfortable scenes. And thankfully, there is no preaching. No over-the-top emotional reunions at the end. The movie makes effort at every juncture to avoid being overly sentimental. It still is predictable. In a movie like this, that's what we want. Predictable happy ending.
Sridevi is being praised for her effort here, and it's well deserved. What should also be mentioned is, acting is really good across the board. Although her character is feeling neglected in the story, the movie revolves around Sridevi and kind of neglects almost everyone else. Not a huge minus, because whatever we need to learn about other characters, the director manages to convey that in brief scenes.
I have to tip my hat to director Gauri Shinde. It's a great debut. The first couple of opening minutes were my favorite. In just a few frames, without showing anyone's face, she built the foundation of the story - in Shashi's family everyone else's needs come before hers. Brilliantly done. This is as much Gauri Shinde's movie as it is Sridevi's.
I recommend this movie to even those who haven’t watched many Bollywood movies. It's slow. It's not great but it's very good, and quite safe for kids of these days.
I watched "English Vinglish" becuase it seemed a rare family friendly Bollywood movie, and it is. It is a comeback movie for actress Sridevi, who ruled the Indian box office in her prime. That was a less of a reason for me, as I was one of those odd people who was totally apathetic to her star powers. I could never tolerate her dialogue delivery, and this movie reminded me that strongly. She did have the charisma and acting skills to carry an entire movie on her shoulders, and she does that with spades here.
Sridevi plays the central character of Shashi Godbole, a middle-aged housewife, with a good family - a successful and faithful husband, a typical teenaged daughter, an adorable son, and for a change, a supportive mother-in-law.Shashi is a great cook, and in spite of the daily struggles, manages to run a small operation of selling homemade sweets. It's a simple life. Simple, however does not mean, without sorrows. In spite of being totally devoted to her family, she is under-appreciated, and often a subject of mockery and put-downs. The reason - her lack of ability to fluently speak English. She has to travel to New York to help with her niece's wedding. While there, she enrolls herself in a crash course to learn English. This experience turns out to be a course in self-discovery as well.
The simplicity of this story is the strength, because it's told sincerely. This sincerity ensures that it doesn't become unrealistic. When Shashi completes her course, her English still sounds rough. She doesn't defeat anyone in the knowledge of the language - she just learns enough to get by.That same sincerity is also highlighted by a near lack of extremes. Shashi's family comes across not as some exceptional case, but one that we all can relate to. Their interactions are not contrived, but are those we all have experienced and/or seen in our lives. She is not being treated terribly by her family. She is not just being treated respectfully.
That's an important point the movie succeeds in making. As Shashi says in a scene, she doesn't need love, she has it, what she needs is respect. Hence there was never a scope for an affair or a love triangle. It's a movie whose characters are mature and composed in their behavior.
It's not a perfect movie. There were places where I cringed. The biggest problem is the constitution of the group of students. A Mexican nanny, a Pakistani cab driver in New York, a French cook, a South-Indian Software Engineer with problems with his English accent, an Asian lady who works in a hair salon ! If that's not stereotyping on steroids, then I don't know what is. Of course, the teacher is gay - filling the obligatory role of the nice person belonging to a minority group, which happens to be gays these days. Such formulaic treatment unnecessarily reduces the impact of the theme.
Fortunately, the director avoids other clichés. The difficulties faced by a visitor in a foreign land are kept realistic, and not used to create unnaturally uncomfortable scenes. And thankfully, there is no preaching. No over-the-top emotional reunions at the end. The movie makes effort at every juncture to avoid being overly sentimental. It still is predictable. In a movie like this, that's what we want. Predictable happy ending.
Sridevi is being praised for her effort here, and it's well deserved. What should also be mentioned is, acting is really good across the board. Although her character is feeling neglected in the story, the movie revolves around Sridevi and kind of neglects almost everyone else. Not a huge minus, because whatever we need to learn about other characters, the director manages to convey that in brief scenes.
I have to tip my hat to director Gauri Shinde. It's a great debut. The first couple of opening minutes were my favorite. In just a few frames, without showing anyone's face, she built the foundation of the story - in Shashi's family everyone else's needs come before hers. Brilliantly done. This is as much Gauri Shinde's movie as it is Sridevi's.
I recommend this movie to even those who haven’t watched many Bollywood movies. It's slow. It's not great but it's very good, and quite safe for kids of these days.
Amodini's Movie Reviews
Score: 4.0/5.0
I went in to see this film with very moderate expectations. Firstly I am not a big Sridevi fan (inspite of films like Sadma, where her work has been quite fantastic). Secondly I had seen the trailers, and Sridevi’s character in them seemed to be the kind of nauseatingly ultra-naive, over-sweet, over-moralistic person that Bollywood is so good at creating. Thirdly, she has slimmed and aged over her hiatus of 15 years (that’s one more than Ramji’s vanwas) and I’m wondering whether her role will be age appropriate, or will she morph midway into some disco-loving aunty in figure-hugging hoptpants – this is Bollywood after all, you never know! I’m here then to tell you, O good readers, that none of my above fears came true. This is a fabulous film, even if it did have some flaws.
Sridevi plays Shashi Godbole, married to Satish (Adil Hussain), and mother of two beautiful kids. Satish has a good corporate job and provides well for the family, and Shashi keep the household running smoothly taking care of the kids and her mother-in-law (Sulabha Despande). Homely Shashi’s one passion is cooking and she indulges in this via her hobby/business of making boondi laddoos and supplying them to homes. Essentially Shashi is the typical housewife who values her family over all else. All should be hunky-dory for her.
When Shashi is invited to New York to attend her sister’s daughter’s wedding, Satish decides she must go by herself to help out, with himself and the kids following at a later date. A sheltered Shashi is hesitant, but goes anyway. In New York, surrounded by unfamiliar people speaking a language she does not know (English), Shashi’s tamped down insecurities come rushing to the fore – she can either face them or be the Shashi she has always been, docile and unquestioning.
Sridevi, in this film, appeared to be more South-Indian than Maharashtrian, which is what Shashi is supposed to be. Still she does well, appearing to be the loving mom and the patient, doting wife and daughter-in-law. She still has that beauty; it is tinged with a restrained maturity now, but that makes her all the more graceful. The role is graceful as well; Shashi is a very, very nice person, so much so that you feel for her when her daughter delivers one of her rude barbs, or her husband ignores her quiet pleas for attention.
Good acting, a decent cast, apt music and a reasonable pace make this a good film. The film is written and directed strongly – so kudos to Gauri Shinde. The characters are developed well enough – Shashi is a little too patient and good, but I liked her anyway. A lot of screen time is devoted to the English class and those scenes appeared to be right out of the “Mind your Language” television series with cliched stereotypical personalities – a Chinese beauty-salon worker, the gay teacher, the idli-loving South Indian and the Hispanic nanny. There are also the finer touches, the well-crafted scenes between her and French classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) where understanding transcends language barriers. In one such moment she wonders aloud to Laurent, that anything in the world can be taught, but how can one be taught to respect another’s feelings ? Good question indeed, and a sort of theme for this film.
Besides all this though, the reason I really liked English-Vinglish is because I identified with Shashi, as a woman juggling home and work and kids and a little me-time. I’m nowhere near as patient and good or as sedate as Shashi appears to be (and thank goodness for that!), but I do sympathize when she wrings herself out for her kids and all she gets is thankless disparagement in return. I’m not the only one feeling Shashi’s pain; many women friends feel the same, and it is a common story for home-makers who seem to get taken for granted by their families, not to mention a culture and society that touts a sacrificing, selfless Bhartiya nari as the epitome of woman-hood. When Shashi weeps, and berates herself for being selfish, for thinking about herself, I longed to reach in and comfort her and tell her that it was OK; she was important too.
This is Shashi’s story, so it is definitely a woman’s point of view. It is also a story of empowerment, from Shashi’s clear-thinking ma-in-law, who urges Shashi to enjoy her time in New York, free from the demands of her household, to her supportive niece (lovely Priya Anand) to Shashi’s hesitantly made decisions to stand up for herself. This is a must-see film, and a required watch for families.
Kidwise : Clean, this one is made for families.
Sridevi plays Shashi Godbole, married to Satish (Adil Hussain), and mother of two beautiful kids. Satish has a good corporate job and provides well for the family, and Shashi keep the household running smoothly taking care of the kids and her mother-in-law (Sulabha Despande). Homely Shashi’s one passion is cooking and she indulges in this via her hobby/business of making boondi laddoos and supplying them to homes. Essentially Shashi is the typical housewife who values her family over all else. All should be hunky-dory for her.
When Shashi is invited to New York to attend her sister’s daughter’s wedding, Satish decides she must go by herself to help out, with himself and the kids following at a later date. A sheltered Shashi is hesitant, but goes anyway. In New York, surrounded by unfamiliar people speaking a language she does not know (English), Shashi’s tamped down insecurities come rushing to the fore – she can either face them or be the Shashi she has always been, docile and unquestioning.
Sridevi, in this film, appeared to be more South-Indian than Maharashtrian, which is what Shashi is supposed to be. Still she does well, appearing to be the loving mom and the patient, doting wife and daughter-in-law. She still has that beauty; it is tinged with a restrained maturity now, but that makes her all the more graceful. The role is graceful as well; Shashi is a very, very nice person, so much so that you feel for her when her daughter delivers one of her rude barbs, or her husband ignores her quiet pleas for attention.
Good acting, a decent cast, apt music and a reasonable pace make this a good film. The film is written and directed strongly – so kudos to Gauri Shinde. The characters are developed well enough – Shashi is a little too patient and good, but I liked her anyway. A lot of screen time is devoted to the English class and those scenes appeared to be right out of the “Mind your Language” television series with cliched stereotypical personalities – a Chinese beauty-salon worker, the gay teacher, the idli-loving South Indian and the Hispanic nanny. There are also the finer touches, the well-crafted scenes between her and French classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) where understanding transcends language barriers. In one such moment she wonders aloud to Laurent, that anything in the world can be taught, but how can one be taught to respect another’s feelings ? Good question indeed, and a sort of theme for this film.
Besides all this though, the reason I really liked English-Vinglish is because I identified with Shashi, as a woman juggling home and work and kids and a little me-time. I’m nowhere near as patient and good or as sedate as Shashi appears to be (and thank goodness for that!), but I do sympathize when she wrings herself out for her kids and all she gets is thankless disparagement in return. I’m not the only one feeling Shashi’s pain; many women friends feel the same, and it is a common story for home-makers who seem to get taken for granted by their families, not to mention a culture and society that touts a sacrificing, selfless Bhartiya nari as the epitome of woman-hood. When Shashi weeps, and berates herself for being selfish, for thinking about herself, I longed to reach in and comfort her and tell her that it was OK; she was important too.
This is Shashi’s story, so it is definitely a woman’s point of view. It is also a story of empowerment, from Shashi’s clear-thinking ma-in-law, who urges Shashi to enjoy her time in New York, free from the demands of her household, to her supportive niece (lovely Priya Anand) to Shashi’s hesitantly made decisions to stand up for herself. This is a must-see film, and a required watch for families.
Kidwise : Clean, this one is made for families.
Blank Page Beatdown
Score: 5.0/5.0
In my lifetime, there have been very few instances of legendary artists, retiring, and then coming back into the fold of what they do best. Growing up I remember watching movies by Sridevi. She was always sweet and great and a pretty decent actress. However, it’s even more amazing when she comes out of retirement after 15 years with an amazing movie in ENGLISH VINGLISH. Here’s my Movie Review…
ENGLISH VINGLISH tackles a topic that, surprisingly hasn’t been dealt much in Indian movies thus far; that of English as a 2nd language, and the difficulties that come with it. Gauri Shinde is an amazing Director who is able to pull off this movie with such sensible sweet-ness and it leaves one speechless. It comes as no surprise that this movie is by the same team as PAA & CHEENI KUM.
Sridevi plays Shashi, a typical Indian housewife with 2 kids and a businessman husband. She’s dutiful, respectful, traditional and has no clue of the English language. Given the new generation and modernization of the world… Shashi is often ridiculed and mocked for her inability to speak English, which prevents her from participating in certain aspects of her life, like Parent-Teacher conferences. How a mother can feel detached and disrespected due to this communication barrier, is handled amazingly in ENGLISH VINGLISH.
A trip to New York for her niece’s wedding, provides an opportunity for Shashi to take a crash course in English… and the experiences she has in doing so… changes her life forever. This… is ENGLISH VINGLISH… and it’s amazing.
It’s such a simple premise, done so amazingly that the audience is taken through a journey of all the emotional spectrums of life. Everything from lighthearted moments, to tears invoking emotional scenes to insane sequences of endearment is what ENGLISH VINGLISH is full of.
Writer & Director Gauri Shinde superbly does the writing and dialogues, and the performances from each actor reflect the story that much more. Sridevi is in fine form and doesn’t seem to have missed a step in her 15-year absence from the Industry. She looks and performs so brilliantly, that I hope this was a permanent comeback and not a one off, so that she continues to teach this new generation a li’l something about acting.
ENGLISH VINGLISH excels because it takes a simple story and shows us how terrifying it much be for someone who doesn’t speak a word of English to be living in this day and age. A handicap where the simple act of ordering a coffee + sandwich in English is such a horrible experience that it can leave one in tears, is not thought about by the rest of us.
This is truly a great universal film, to be enjoyed by South Asians and non-South Asians alike, as it’s a take that can be related to by anyone for whom English is a 2nd language. Shashi’s journey might mirror that of countless others and ENGLISH VINGLISH can go from being an entertaining film to an inspirational one.
ENGLISH VINGLISH tackles a topic that, surprisingly hasn’t been dealt much in Indian movies thus far; that of English as a 2nd language, and the difficulties that come with it. Gauri Shinde is an amazing Director who is able to pull off this movie with such sensible sweet-ness and it leaves one speechless. It comes as no surprise that this movie is by the same team as PAA & CHEENI KUM.
Sridevi plays Shashi, a typical Indian housewife with 2 kids and a businessman husband. She’s dutiful, respectful, traditional and has no clue of the English language. Given the new generation and modernization of the world… Shashi is often ridiculed and mocked for her inability to speak English, which prevents her from participating in certain aspects of her life, like Parent-Teacher conferences. How a mother can feel detached and disrespected due to this communication barrier, is handled amazingly in ENGLISH VINGLISH.
A trip to New York for her niece’s wedding, provides an opportunity for Shashi to take a crash course in English… and the experiences she has in doing so… changes her life forever. This… is ENGLISH VINGLISH… and it’s amazing.
It’s such a simple premise, done so amazingly that the audience is taken through a journey of all the emotional spectrums of life. Everything from lighthearted moments, to tears invoking emotional scenes to insane sequences of endearment is what ENGLISH VINGLISH is full of.
Writer & Director Gauri Shinde superbly does the writing and dialogues, and the performances from each actor reflect the story that much more. Sridevi is in fine form and doesn’t seem to have missed a step in her 15-year absence from the Industry. She looks and performs so brilliantly, that I hope this was a permanent comeback and not a one off, so that she continues to teach this new generation a li’l something about acting.
ENGLISH VINGLISH excels because it takes a simple story and shows us how terrifying it much be for someone who doesn’t speak a word of English to be living in this day and age. A handicap where the simple act of ordering a coffee + sandwich in English is such a horrible experience that it can leave one in tears, is not thought about by the rest of us.
This is truly a great universal film, to be enjoyed by South Asians and non-South Asians alike, as it’s a take that can be related to by anyone for whom English is a 2nd language. Shashi’s journey might mirror that of countless others and ENGLISH VINGLISH can go from being an entertaining film to an inspirational one.