I am not being "judgmental" when I say, there are two types of people in this world. Those who think they can't speak
good English and those who think they speak good English. Shashi
[Sridevi in a stupendous comeback] the protagonist in "English Vinglish"
belongs to the first category. She suffers in silence, all the repeated
humiliation heaped on her by her self-centered husband and arrogant
little teenaged daughter who belong to the second category.
Gauri Shinde has not only brought Sridevi back with a bang but she has given us a movie we can relate to. In reality, all of us are either Shashi or her family members. There are no menacing villains, no scheming mothers in law and certainly no big time melodrama. This is one movie so charmingly real in content, execution and presentation that it is bound to stay with us for very long.
What a person, especially a lady has to face in everyday life if good spoken English is not his or her forte is the premise of the movie. All the insults, subtle humiliation and constant taunts Shashi faces through the movie are completely real life. Her muted reactions each time too are natural. She finds solace in making snacks [the best ladoos in the world] and her husband finds even that to be below his dignity.
Ironically, Shashi finds her biggest turning point in life with an event which she dreads at the first mention. Going to 'The' United States of America from 'The' India alone with a 100 passengers ! Going there to help her elder sister with preparations for the wedding of her elder daughter, Shashi ends up in a spoken English course in the big apple.
"Mind your language", the learn to speak English in 4 weeks course brings together a bunch of funny people like a French Chef, a Tamilian Techie, a Pakistani driver with sex on his mind, a Spanish nanny, an African who rarely opens his mouth in a spoken English class, a Chinese hair stylist and a gay teacher.
Beginning
a journey that runs parallel to the preparations for the wedding of her
elder niece, Shashi finds an able support in her younger niece Radha
who helps her through the journey. What she manages to do is shown in a
steady manner with the adulation and unabashed love of the French Chef
Laurent becoming a stepping stone rather than a hurdle for her success.
There is a brilliantly conceived scene of Shashi giving went to her hurt when her teenaged daughter shouts at and humiliates her over the phone. She keeps ranting in Hindi and the French Chef Laurent understands her hurt without understanding a single word. And then she gives a perfect order in English at the coffee shop without even realizing it. Laurent points it out to her in a subtle manner.
This scene actually tells us a simple truth. Faced with the task of making ladoos for the entire wedding party all over thanks to her little son's pranks, she doesn't flinch and sets out with complete confidence in her ability. But acts like flying abroad alone, boarding a train in New York or speaking in English intimidate her.
We create a barrier around us worrying about facing ridicule from others. We crave for appreciation or acceptance for what we do when it is not our strength. A lady who has magic in her hands worries about the reaction of people when she has to speak in English. But when she isn't bothered about any reaction or appreciation, she speaks the correct English.
The climax has to be a speech in English. And this is the highlight of the movie because it is not the fluent and heavily accented American English that we get. It is the honest, hard working and true to character Indian English in which Shashi delivers her speech. In that moment, there is the catharsis of all the pent up angst, humiliation and hurt. But instead of blaming her family, she lifts them up along with her self-esteem. She shows no ill-will towards anyone simply because she loves her 'family' about which she speaks to the newly wed couple. Truly a triumph of will over ill !
Entire cast has done a wonderful job but Adil Hussain as the obnoxious husband, Priya Anand as Radha and Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent are wonderful. And how can we forget the cantankerous old man who 'guides' Shashi through her first flight and beyond the New York airport ? R. Balki can't make a movie without the Bachchan.
Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish" is a cute, life like, honest and feel good movie. Sridevi excels in spite of what looks like an overdoes of botox around that once famous pout. Dialogues rock and Shivansh Kotia as Shahsi's precocious little son Sagar is a riot.
What we see is a very competent handling of a subject that could've been over dramatized and spoiled. They could have made horrendous people popping out from every corner insulting Shashi. Any other Director would have brought in the other parents in her daughter's school lampooning Shashi. And then finally they could have made her avenge all that with a smashing speech in Queen's English with an accent so heavy, that Sridevi could have actually danced on it to "Mere Haaton Me Nau Nau Choodiyaan Hai" !
But thankfully what we get is a down to earth movie that doesn't blame anyone or any culture and stays true to the subject. In short, it doesn't get "Judgmental" !
My opinion: Wholesome sweet "Ladoo" for the entire family. Go for it !
And "Thank You Gauri Shinde for a memorable movie experience !"
Gauri Shinde has not only brought Sridevi back with a bang but she has given us a movie we can relate to. In reality, all of us are either Shashi or her family members. There are no menacing villains, no scheming mothers in law and certainly no big time melodrama. This is one movie so charmingly real in content, execution and presentation that it is bound to stay with us for very long.
What a person, especially a lady has to face in everyday life if good spoken English is not his or her forte is the premise of the movie. All the insults, subtle humiliation and constant taunts Shashi faces through the movie are completely real life. Her muted reactions each time too are natural. She finds solace in making snacks [the best ladoos in the world] and her husband finds even that to be below his dignity.
Ironically, Shashi finds her biggest turning point in life with an event which she dreads at the first mention. Going to 'The' United States of America from 'The' India alone with a 100 passengers ! Going there to help her elder sister with preparations for the wedding of her elder daughter, Shashi ends up in a spoken English course in the big apple.
"Mind your language", the learn to speak English in 4 weeks course brings together a bunch of funny people like a French Chef, a Tamilian Techie, a Pakistani driver with sex on his mind, a Spanish nanny, an African who rarely opens his mouth in a spoken English class, a Chinese hair stylist and a gay teacher.
There is a brilliantly conceived scene of Shashi giving went to her hurt when her teenaged daughter shouts at and humiliates her over the phone. She keeps ranting in Hindi and the French Chef Laurent understands her hurt without understanding a single word. And then she gives a perfect order in English at the coffee shop without even realizing it. Laurent points it out to her in a subtle manner.
This scene actually tells us a simple truth. Faced with the task of making ladoos for the entire wedding party all over thanks to her little son's pranks, she doesn't flinch and sets out with complete confidence in her ability. But acts like flying abroad alone, boarding a train in New York or speaking in English intimidate her.
We create a barrier around us worrying about facing ridicule from others. We crave for appreciation or acceptance for what we do when it is not our strength. A lady who has magic in her hands worries about the reaction of people when she has to speak in English. But when she isn't bothered about any reaction or appreciation, she speaks the correct English.
The climax has to be a speech in English. And this is the highlight of the movie because it is not the fluent and heavily accented American English that we get. It is the honest, hard working and true to character Indian English in which Shashi delivers her speech. In that moment, there is the catharsis of all the pent up angst, humiliation and hurt. But instead of blaming her family, she lifts them up along with her self-esteem. She shows no ill-will towards anyone simply because she loves her 'family' about which she speaks to the newly wed couple. Truly a triumph of will over ill !
Entire cast has done a wonderful job but Adil Hussain as the obnoxious husband, Priya Anand as Radha and Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent are wonderful. And how can we forget the cantankerous old man who 'guides' Shashi through her first flight and beyond the New York airport ? R. Balki can't make a movie without the Bachchan.
Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish" is a cute, life like, honest and feel good movie. Sridevi excels in spite of what looks like an overdoes of botox around that once famous pout. Dialogues rock and Shivansh Kotia as Shahsi's precocious little son Sagar is a riot.
What we see is a very competent handling of a subject that could've been over dramatized and spoiled. They could have made horrendous people popping out from every corner insulting Shashi. Any other Director would have brought in the other parents in her daughter's school lampooning Shashi. And then finally they could have made her avenge all that with a smashing speech in Queen's English with an accent so heavy, that Sridevi could have actually danced on it to "Mere Haaton Me Nau Nau Choodiyaan Hai" !
But thankfully what we get is a down to earth movie that doesn't blame anyone or any culture and stays true to the subject. In short, it doesn't get "Judgmental" !
My opinion: Wholesome sweet "Ladoo" for the entire family. Go for it !
And "Thank You Gauri Shinde for a memorable movie experience !"
3 comments:
This is such a heart warming review!
Liked the end esp.
Divenita, the movie is heart warming. My words just expressed my admiration for the movie. Nothing more.
And thanks :-)
Yes of course the right word, heart warming, Graceful acting by Sridevi.
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