Sridevi may be the only reasons for some, but nevertheless this movie has a lot to offer both men and women. Every man who walks into the theatre will definitely see his mother in Sashi’s character, but will he do anything about it is yet to be seen. May be make-up for the lost opportunity by treating his wife, sister and other women better?
Now let us see the top 5 reasons….
1. Women empowerment (WE) means equality, respect, and opportunity: Women empowerment is often misunderstood as a gender war and right to competition, but this movie clearly explains that WE means giving them an opportunity to be heard, respecting their feelings and providing them with a platform/opportunity to learn/perform/express. And for those women who think WE is about overconfidence and arrogance, director Gauri shows that it is not by painstakingly and prudently constructing Sashi’s character.
2. Character casting: Director, Gauri Shinde has understood that Sashi’s character needs the experience of motherhood more than beauty and since Sridevi was away from lights, screen and action for 15 years, the movie was apt for her and delivered a big come-back bang. Like I said earlier, every man will see a reflection of himself in the husband and children character. Be it the French actor Medhi Nebbou or the little boy Shivansh, every character tugs your heart.
3. Script, Music & Costumes: The script flows seamlessly and there is never a point in the movie where one finds himself adjusting himself in the seat and waiting to throw some Red Bull on the sagging screenplay. The script gives you an opportunity to tear, laugh many at times, and finally walk out with a smiling face and teach how to respect partners in a marriage. With Bollywood dance being popular in the West today, director has avoided throwing in too many songs, and trimmed it to suit the story. Sridevi’s sarees, OMG! From cotton to chiffon to polyester, Saree will soon make a comeback and dethrone “Nighties” from being the national dress of Indian women.
4. Real on reel: I will be irate if Film Fare and the Government of India hands over Sridevi a trophy for acting in this movie. This character needed 15 years of experience away from lights, camera and action and completely in marriage and motherhood to play this role. She lived her real life on the reel. There was never a moment where you felt she acted, leave alone overacting or emoting beyond the need.
5. An ode to Womenhood and Motherhood: The other day I read a Modern Love column in NYTIMES and one of stories said that indifference takes marriages to the brink of divorce more than infidelity. Sashi had ample opportunities and reasons to step out of her marriage, but it is her patience, prudence and perseverance that made rest of her family look at her with awe and admiration. Her speech at the wedding just makes your realize the value and respect of partnership.
It is easy for women to misunderstand “empowerment” and read it as being “overconfident” and “arrogance” and that is the fine line that Gauri Shinde walks in the movie “English Vinglish” and shows the difference and makes women in your home and work worth worshipping!
Watching English Vinglish is the first step to saving your relationship and marriage and the last opportunity to reform yourself, if not your English. Definitely respect for women (your mother, wife, sister and colleagues, classmates) would go up by a few notches after watching this movie.
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