Film review: Sridevi shines in English Vinglish

Mumbai, Oct 6: How many of us really want our parents to be with us, when we are with friends? There are large sections of Gen Y youths who feel ashamed to have their loving dads and moms present, when they are with friends in metro cities. The basic reason, some of you might agree, is the language barrier - to put it in brief, the older generation's lack of fluency in English. As a debutant script writer-director Gauri Shinde has taken this issue, though not a bold one, but has presented it on a large canvas. Shashi, played by Sridevi, is a normal housewife, friendly, loving, caring, and the best laddoo-maker in town, but she is made fun of by her children, even her husband, for not being fluent in English. Shashi is weak in the basics of English language. In one scene, her husband tells her, women are only meant to make laddoos. A sexist barb, no doubt. When Shashi is called by the principal of the school where her daughter studies in, for a meeting, she is overawed by English-speaking techers and students. A hesitant Shashi confesses her weak point and requests the principal to allow her to speak in Hindi, the language she is comfortable in. To which, the red-faced Principal, with an unreal smile, too reveals her weak point, which is Hindi. Here, Shashi's daughter is not pleased with her mom and says, she is embarrassed. Shashi now has to stay in the US for 5 weeks to help her sister plan for her niece's wedding. Embarrassed once again in a café in the US, now it was high time for Shashi to turn her Vinglish to English. 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, played by Mehdi Nebbou, even has a huge crush on her) on the other. There are few heart warming moments which would give a lump in your heart. But will Sahshi be able to overcome her language barrier? What would be the case when her family joins her in the US? That's what the story further deals with. Even after a gap of 15 years from Bollywood, Sridevi still looks refreshing. Compared to Madhuri Dixit in Aaja Nachle, or Karisma Kapoor in Dangerous Ishq, Sridevi stands out with her exquisite performance. And with woman-centric flicks dominating Bollywood, this one is surely gonna lead with triumph. Sridevi carries the same charm and innocence which she used to show in her earlier flicks 15 years back. Gauri Shinde makes a fabulous debut as director. R Balki's collaborator and wife, Shinde, does something similar what his husband did in Cheeni Kum and Paa, both starring Amitabh Bachchan. The veteran's cameo appearance in the flick could be considered as a lucky charm for the movie. Amit Trivedi's music is really good, especially the Navrai Majhi (excellent timing, especially when Shashi introduces her classmates) and the title tracks. Overall it's a feel good and an entertaining film. A must watch with family. I'll go with 3.5 stars for Gauri Shinde's excellent direction and Sridevi's exceptional performance. Don't consider it as Sridevi's comeback, just look out for a woman who steps out of her family's shadow and learns to love herself.