English Vinglish Review

English Vinglish is Sridevi’s comeback film after a 15 year sabbatical. Known for her outstanding performances in films like Chalbaaz, Mr India, Lamhe and many more, Sridevi returns with a film directed by debutante Gauri Shinde, wife of producer R Balki (Paa, Cheeni Kum).

Several popular yesteryear actresses have tried, without much success – Madhuri Dixit failed with Aaja Nachle and Karishma Kapoor returned with one of 2012’s biggest duds Dangerous Ishq. Can Sridevi make a successful comeback?

English Vinglish is about an Indian housewife and her quest to learn English. Shashi (Sridevi) travels to the United States Of America, and finds it extremely difficult to communicate – on the flight, with the airport officials, coffee shops, trains, everywhere. Her husband and children mock her for her inability to understand English. Shashi then decides to join a 4 week English learning course and makes new friends from different cultures and countries.

English Vinglish Review

English Vinglish
Without getting too preachy, director Gauri Shinde takes you on a journey full of life lessons. Through the course of 2 odd hours, the film teaches you not to be judgemental, respect your spouse, the power of dedication towards a certain goal and eventually the satisfaction of achieving what you set out to. Much like R Balki’s other films, English Vinglish too has comedy, emotions and drama. It’s a story that’s well narrated, with characters that are easy to relate to.

There are several scenes in the film that deserve a mention. The New York cafe scene, where Shashi is humiliated (hard to imagine any other actor pulling off). The entertaining sequences in the English classroom. And finally, Shashi’s speech in the climax, that was received with thunderous applause in the movie hall.

The film is slightly slow pace, especially in the second half where it tends to drag a bit. Music by Amit Trivedi blends beautifully into the film. Laxman Uteker’s cinematography is good.

Moving on to the performances, English Vinglish is Sridevi’s show all the way. Her screen presence, charm and acting skills are intact. Her voice and trembling hands can sometimes be distracting. Adil Hussain, who plays Shashi’s husband, is good. Priya Anand as her niece looks pretty and acts well. Amitabh Bachchan makes a special appearance and leaves a mark. The rest, including the french actor, do well.

Overall, English Vinglish is a fine film with a good story and fabulous performances. A film that can be watched and enjoyed with your entire family. Go for it.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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24 Comments

  • I love Sridevi.This movie should have opened in much better number.But eventually it will become a HIT.good luck SRI……

  • indicine wonderful review, and i think her voice helps to make the character look real, inconfident, anxious, stammering, i loved it. i pray to god it picks up quickly, to me sridevi was the only hero of 80s, first female superstar.

  • Awesome-Vawsome. Trade report is also encouraging now that the film has picked up and will grow big over the weekend. Sridevi is truly back with a bang.

  • i dont believe the film is that good sridevi was always overated as an actress she just to act squeeky and bubly all the time witha squeekish voice .. i think her voice had a minor tremor and her dialect was always south indian .. that she is a mature woman is allright!! but her podgy balding producer husabnd thinks she is still heroine material ..with liposuction done on her cheeks she looks sunken and not stunning ..she had a funny lower chin which used to protrude ahead of her front teeth which was her trademark .. no sir this film sucks big time and we dont want to see her back and competing what mads and lolo could not do she certainly cant ..lets hope this one flops cos it is made by south indians which we so much hate

  • anyone who is complaining about sridevi have not seen ev, just watch how she portrays hundreds of emotion so naturally and beautifully that you feel for shashi, not only she has had acclaim in india but globally it was given brilliant reviews in toronto’s film festival, a lot even dubbed her meryl steep of india, and u will know why.

  • Khalid Mohammed on Sridevi

    “Sridevi’s acting is competent, far superior to the supposed acting calibre of today’s leading ladies”

    “Ms Sridevi’s wrap-up speech is so wonderfully delivered that you’re even willing to forgive the screenplay and Shinde’s montage-addicted direction, all their countless trespasses”

    “And it’s not just nostalgia and the goodwill which Sridevi continues to command in the movie lover’s heart, see her any which way, she’s first-rate. The rest of English Vinglish isn’t. It’s just about okay vokay”

  • for some reasons I couldn’t still go to cinema and see it.. can’t wait.. I must watch it this week.. am sure it’s excellent

  • Only have to see sridevi’s acting in the cafe where she expresses embarrassment, they way she did that scene it’s so real, you laugh with her as well as feel and cry for her at the same time, the speech at the climax was so well delivered, her expressions just change so quickly, the part in the plane with bigb, when she drinks that wine, just see hereye movement, most actresses can give best 2 or 3 expressions, sri is just in the league of her own, mryl steep of India. her character reminded me so much of my mother who have similar problems. people are missing out on something very special.

  • And i love salman fans l¥nd all has monster l¥nd like salman and i suck all salman fans l¥nd.because srk and we fans of srk have no l¥nd.

  • Warning to the salman fans don’t compare with srk srk giving highest number of hits
    and salman is a fat men and mr.flopstar

  • why are talks of srk, salman here, this is about english vinglish and sridevi, sridevi is far great than those 2 clowns. that also includes my fave actor akki.

  • But salman king give highest all time blockbusters,and blockbuster also he is india,s and world,s 7th most handsome man so compare of salman with srk is like compare of man with animal.

  • Amazing film, I saw it today at cinema, wonderful, funny, and it deserves 5/5, not only 4 stars Indicine. I enjoyed every minutes of this film.

    Sridevi deserves to win best actress award for this film.. loved her acting.

    Gauri, R Balki’s wife directed this film, similar to her husbands’ direction.. God bless R Balkis, both r super directors!

  • Indicine, you haven’t mentioned much about Mehdi Nebbou-the French actor in your review. Just a half of a sentence is not enough about him. He was fabulous in the movie. His facial expressions, body language were awesome. I agree it’s Sri Devi’s show all over, but this guy is worth mentioning. I really liked the way he praised Shashi in the English Class when David sir asked about what he likes about the class. That is one of my favourite scenes in the movie.

  • trembling hands makes it look so real, something many would face if they are anxious in circumstances shashi faces, it used to be said that sridevi acts with her whole body, which is not something that comes often but only once in a long time.

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