Story
Sashi (Sridevi) is a conservative housewife from Pune. She doesn’t know English and her family thinks that it’s a big disadvantage (shame) to have such a mom/wife. Sashi’s niece is getting married in USA and she had to travel alone to New York before her family joins her. Sashi takes a decision to learn English by the time her family joins her. The rest of the story is all about how she achieves it.

Actors:
Sridevi makes her come back with elan. She plays a middle-aged woman and a mother of two who strives for her self-respect. She loves husband despite him being nonchalant about her. There are certain minute expressions to be given when she gets hurt with the comments of her kids and husband and she portrays her feelings very effectively. There is a thin line between friendship and love with the french character. She embodied the essential qualities of a good, respectable yet free-minded independent Indian woman.

Priya Anand marks her Bollywood debut with this movie. She is perfect for the role of niece who encourages Sridevi’s secretive mission of learning English in 4 weeks. Adil Hussain is exceptionally good as a husband who makes Sridevi feel that she is inferior with his innuendos. Sulbha Deshpande is like the granny we find in Balki’s films and she adorable. Mehdi Nebbou is fine as a man who is smitten by the charm of Sridevi. The classmates, teacher and receptionist of English class make a good impression. Kids are cute. Amitab Bachchan did a guest appearance as a co-passenger in flight.

Story - screenplay - direction: Gauri Shinde - wife of Balki (director of Chini Kum and Paa) has the same essential taste of Balki. Compared to Balki’s films, this film has a bit of female orientation. Like Balki’s movies, this movie too has sweetness in it and a sensitive issue that is faced by almost of wives in India. Most of the husbands fail to acknowledge the contribution made by wives by thinking that it’s their duty. There is a dialogue in the film in which Sridevi says that family members doesn’t look at the love with which the homemaker does work for them, in stead they think that it is a homemaker’s duty to do so. Screenplay of the film is perfect. A couple of points in screenplay make this story more interesting - 1. making Sridevi learning English a secret affair. 2. Clash of English exam with wedding and then Sridevi English speech in wedding becoming the consummate point.

Other technical departments: Amit Tridevi’s music is enjoyable. Laxman Utekar’s cinematography is of top class. Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is smooth. Dialogues are well-measured and entertaining.

Analysis: If you are a kind of guy who like films like Cheeni Kum and Paa, you will end up loving English Vinglish. A homemaker is the most neglected person in Indian scenario. This film is about how a homemaker proves her mettle and creates a sense of pride and self-esteem for herself. At the same time, she doesn’t hurt the system and people around her. On a whole, English Vinglish is a sweet, progressive and an entertaining film. A must watch!!!

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