English Vinglish is Sridevi’s return to the golden screen as leading lady. It is directed by debutant director Gauri Shinde and produced by R. Balki (Cheeni Kum, Paa). English Vinglish was premiered at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival, where Sridevi’s performance drew a standing ovation and critical acclaim.
Gauri Shinde makes a fabulous debut as director. Amit Trivedi’s music is really good, especially the Navrai Majhi (excellent timing, especially when Shashi introduces her classmates) and title tracks. Editor Hemanti Sarkar has done an apt job. Laxman Utekar’s cinematography gives you such wonderful scenes. The script, the performances, the cinematography, music sync gorgeously on screen.
As writer and director Gauri Shinde’s first film, English Vinglish is remarkable! The characters are well researched and written and cast appropriately. At any point, the script doesn’t break away from its central plot line, which is Shashi and her small world, into random scenes, which is wonderful and rare. Shinde pulls off the pace of the film just right and the background score and music add to the story’s flow.
The film has a clutch of fine performances. Both Adil Hussain and Mehdi Nebbou, despite their sketchily written roles, are solid. Priya Anand as the niece turns in a noteworthy performance. But it is Sridevi who is obviously the soul of English Vinglish.
This is the first time in her legendary career that Sridevi has worked with a female director and to that, I can only say, Gauri Shinde was the right choice! That Sridevi chose to step out after 15 long years from her cocoon of marital bliss for English Vinglish is definitely something audiences won’t forget for a long time simply because they have been spoiled by her incredible acting skills all over again! That too, sans the song and dance numbers and her body writhing in studio rain to a Kaate nahin kat te track ala Mr India! It’s like leave the acting to Sridevi and the “shacting” is best left to the rest of her ilk.
Fashion’s most adored designer, Sabyasachi, has done an excellent job with Sridevi’s sarees in the film and she carries them off superbly on her lithe frame.
Her hesitant but heartfelt climactic speech, delivered undemonstratively, is the high point. But it takes two hours too long in coming. Chances are that by then you might cease to really care about her newly acquired spoken English skills. If you don’t, you might actually feel a little lump in your throat. That is the kind of film English Vinglish is. It would work strictly for those who can discount the film’s oversimplified worldview.
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