Movie Review: English Vinglish

Gauri Shinde makes an assured debut as a director with English Vinglish, and if you were to ask me its biggest strength, it lies in its ensemble cast. The lead character of Shashi Godbole could have been played by any good actor, but having roped in Sridevi is a masterstroke. She is terrific and effortlessly charming as the middle-aged homemaker in charge of a small laddu business who patiently endures the little taunts and scoffs from her husband Satish (Adil Hussain) and teenage daughter Sapna for her inability to speak English.

Shashi attends to the needs of the family before hers, but they in return take her for granted. The rest of the movie, then, is about how she enrolls for a four-week English speaking course during a trip to New York to attend her niece's wedding, and in the process rediscovers herself and earns her respect back in the family. As much trite as it sounds, Shinde does a masterful job recreating these familiar moments, and the result is a feel-good film that's breezy and heartfelt. Oh, yes, welcome back Sridevi!