It's a tough deal, making a comeback as a Bollywood mainstream heroine when you are close to 50. But then, Sridevi is no ordinary star. In her heydays of the eighties she ruled B-Town without much of a contest, often driving films to blockbuster status without bothering who the hero was.
English Vinglish wholly draws its USP from Sridevi's return 15 years after Judaai, the last role you would care to remember her for. Debutant writer-filmmaker Gauri Shinde's film is a bittersweet dollop, in itself a story that would have made for just another middle-of-the-road flick. If English Vinglish has become a talking point of sorts, it's because the film truly marks the rebirth of a star.
The script casts Sridevi as Shashi Godbole, middle-class Marathi homemaker. For a star whose career was over the years mostly defined by maxed-out glamour and not much else, that in itself is a departure. But then, Sridevi obviously needed to do something far removed from the glittering Hawa hawai image of yore.
She is fantastic in her new found unassuming avatar, balancing the ordinary traits of Shashi with sparks of the zestful diva we have always known her as. Shashi is imagined as an unusual mix - traditional housewife quite conscious of the 'modern' world she can't match, and yet harbouring steely resolve within.
Her problem is she doesn't know English. In a world where that easily translates to being a loser, pronouncing jazz as jhaaj and thinking 'judgemental' refers to a judge gone mental aren't exactly things that win you friends. So, her executive hubby (Adil Hussain) feels she is just good enough to make laddoos at home and her daughter won't take her seriously. Shashi decides to join a spoken English class without telling anyone.
Much of the script is devoted to Shashi's mastering English even as she balances her chores. In the process, she will make a few self-discoveries too, to become a more confident person.
It is a simple story that banks wholly on one character. Sridevi revels once again in trademark screen presence. Her act would be the reason you'd pay to watch this film. Twice.
The film itself is not without its flaws, though. Shinde is impressive with the feel-good portions but she does go over the top with melodrama in a bid to give the film its emotional core.
The prop cast is essentially fitted in to push Shashi's story forward. Adil Hussain (recall the evil Colonel in Agent Vinod) does a restrained job as Shashi's husband. French-Algerian actor Mehdi Nebbou plays out his subtitle-enabled Frenchman's role well.
Not to forget Amitabh Bachchan, in a pivotal one-shot cameo for a scene featuring him with Sridevi. You wish the duo got to share some more runtime together.
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