Having
never seen a desi film in theatre before, I was confused as to whether risk
watching English Vinglish. Finally I
made up my mind and got ready for the first desi movie experience in theatre. And
I did not regret it. In the current age of utopian Karan Johar love stories
that make no sense and the commercial flicks where a normal hero could perform
supernatural stunts, English Vinglish is a new genre of family drama full of
fun. And for Sridevi, it’s the right movie to make her comeback.
The
storyline is very simple. Sashi (Sridevi) is a home maker who is well known for
preparing delicious laddoos. She undertakes bulk orders for festivals and celebrations.
Also she manages her household with ease. But her husband Satheesh (Adil Hussain)
and her teenage daughter Sapna constantly criticize her since she could not
speak English. Sapna feels bad to even introduce her mother to her friends just
because her mother could not speak English. When Sapna insults her after the
parent teachers meeting, Sridevi’s expressions are brilliant.
The
story takes a turn as Sashi is sent to US to help her sister with the
preparations for her daughter’s wedding. Sashi enrolls herself in a spoken
English class where she meets a bunch of people who struggle through their
lives in US just because they don’t know English. The spoken English sessions
presided by Sir David are hilarious. Sashi’s classmates include a Tamil Software
Engineer, a Pakistani cab driver, a Chinese beautician, a Mexican nanny, an
angry African man and a French chef Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou).
With
the encouragement from her niece Radha (Priya Anand) who comes to know about
her secret English lessons, Sashi begins watching English films and works on
her English meticulously. Through her passion towards learning the English language
and her culinary skills, Sashi wins the hearts of everyone in her class, especially
that of Laurent. His affection for Sashi is very beautifully portrayed. The
English final exam and the wedding fall on the same date. Due to a certain turn
of events, her appointment to attend the exam falls at stake. Does Sashi manage
to take the exam and attend the wedding as well? Which one does she choose to prove herself:
her culinary skills or her English speaking skills?
Well,
she does prove herself in both. Radha invites the entire class to the wedding
where Sashi proposes a toast for the couple and surprises everyone with her
elegant speech. She thanks Laurent for ‘making her feel good about herself’.
Finally Sashi makes the people who mocked her eat their own words in a good
way. The movie has a totally good feel about it.
It
is so colorful and full of life with all the Indian wedding flavors. The movie
is set on with a wedding background which provides a very good reason for fun
and celebration throughout the movie. All the songs are good on the ears and
gets the audience on their feet to dance. It feels as if you have just attended
your cousin’s wedding or something when you come out of the theatre.
The
screenplay is very interesting and it has a few think for yourself moments. One
such example is where Sashi asks her teacher why India is not the India whereas
US is called ‘the’ United States. Ajith and Amitabh Bacchan have done guest
appearances in Tamil and Hindi respectively. Hats off to Gauri Shinde for
having painted a lovely family drama in the name of English Vinglish. The cast
is very natural in portraying an ordinary Indian family. The little boy
Shivansh Kotia who plays Sagar, the son of Sashi is so bubbly and energetic.
Every character in this movie has done a commendable job.
After
a really long time I had a sense of happiness throughout the movie and I came
out of the theatre with this infectious smile. The movie definitely had its
after effects which left me happy for a whole day which of course is a good
thing. If you really are a person who wants to live a two hour of desi flavored
American wedding with bubbling fun and happiness, go for it! Have fun!
