You
can teach a person anything except to be sensitive to other people’s feelings.
This
one line, spoken in Hindi to a Frenchman who didn’t understand a word but still
understood everything, is the central idea of English Vinglish. Debutante director Gauri Shinde
uses a light, gently humorous touch to deliver a feel-good tearjerker that also
happens to mark Sridevi’s return to films after 15 years. And what a classy
return. As Pune-based Shashi Godbole - sheltered wife, mother of two, and
maker/caterer of fantastic laddoos - Sridevi is graceful, dignified, and so, so
endearing. It is impossible not to feel for Shashi when her husband and
children repeatedly make fun of her for not knowing English. When her daughter
says she doesn’t want Shashi to come to her school to pick up her report card
because it would be embarrassing. When, on her first visit abroad (she travels
alone to New York for her niece’s wedding; the husband and kids join her
later), she needs to show the immigration officer a letter stating the purpose
of her visit because she can’t remember the answer her husband taught her. When
she breaks down after being yelled at by the Starbucks staff because she has
trouble placing her order and is completely flustered by the unknown choices
flung at her: still or sparkling water? Americano, cappuccino, latte? Bagel,
wrap, sandwich?
Every
time her husband belittles her and her work, every time her daughter snorts
derisively at something she says, even when it makes perfect sense, it raises
the question – why this obsession with English? Why is it necessary for
everyone to speak English in order to be respected? Sure, if Shashi had the
kind of job that required her to speak English, it would be a different story.
But she doesn’t. And she is clearly an intelligent woman with the ability to
make a go of things, she has her own thriving business - however little it may
earn compared to her husband’s job - and she is a good, kind person who showers
everyone around her with love. I’d call that pretty damn successful, wouldn’t
you?
But
years of ridicule from her husband and kids have chipped away at her sense of
self-worth, and, bruised by the Starbucks incident, she decides to secretly
sign up for English language classes in NY (her younger niece does find out,
but keeps the secret and helps Shashi however she can). And here, special
mention must be made of the script and direction - there is such good humour in
the classroom scenes that one can’t help but smile even though her classmates
are exactly the stereotypes expected in an American English language class –
including a Paki cabbie (named Salman Khan, no less) who’s all about the
bhai-bhai spirit and hitting on the pretty, single Chinese hairstylist; a Tam
techie who misses idlis and his mother in that order and thinks the AIEOU
written on the blackboard is Aiyyo; and a soulful French chef, Laurent. Through
these classes, with the help of her new and very supportive friends and the
romantic attentions of Laurent, Shashi learns to feel good about herself, to
love herself again. Because the problem is not just the dismissive belittling
of her job and her lack of English skills, it’s her feeling unloved, unappreciated, and unequal in her
marriage. And again, the direction is so deft that one doesn’t even hate the husband.
He is insensitive to how his barbs hurt her, but it somehow never feels
intentional. He’s too busy to chat when she excitedly calls him at work to tell
him about her massive number of laddoo orders for the day, but he will proudly
tell everyone that she makes the best laddoos in India. When she tells him that
people in the US call her an entrepreneur (a word she has proudly practised all
the way home from class), his gentle teasing may not be what's called for right
then, but it is clearly without malice.
For
me, then, English Vinglish is not about Shashi learning English at all. The language
part is just the backdrop to a larger, more universal story about how we treat
people, even those we love; how we don’t realize that everyone has something to
offer; and how we see ourselves through the eyes of those we love and whose
love we crave, instead of just being comfortable with who we are. Shashi’s
emotional speech at her niece’s wedding had me in tears because even though I’m
not married and I've never had her language problems, I could still relate to
how she did not feel loved, respected, or equal in her marriage.
Yes, the
plot is a tad thin and stretches towards the end, moving along a predictable
path. Yes, there are some amusingly jingoistic one-liners that seem solely
meant to generate audience applause (which they did successfully) - especially
at the visa interview and the airport (Amitabh Bachchan's hilarious special
appearance is an absolute treat). Even the camerawork is a bit shaky at times,
taking away from key moments that set up the conflict. And yes, the conclusion
is a tad too warm and fuzzy to feel realistic. But ultimately, English
Vinglish is a
quietly strong statement about love, respect, and self-respect. And one that'll
stay with you.
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