Mini-Review: English -Vinglish: Vintage Sridevi returns

Diamonds are forever…

No, I am not referring to the classic James Bond flick, but paying tribute to our own versatile actress Sridevi.
The lady who went into hibernation after marriage and children decades ago, returns to show the same sparkle and magical class in a role that was made for her in the latest Hindi/ Tamil offering: ` English Vinglish’ directed by  Gauri Shinde who has at once established herself as a quality director of reckoning  in this `feel good’ film about an ordinary middle class housewife, often belittled and snickered at for her lack of English skills in this modern “ anglicized’ world by her self-centred family members who take digs at her frequently, uncaringly.

 She hides her tears and swallows her hurt and it is here that Sridevi is so real as the middle class house-wife Shashi, who is a ‘laddoo- maker’ by choice, that everyone can empathise with her.
Even her proficiency and popularity as a good sweet maker is somehow held against her and derisively mocked at. She then gets a chance to go abroad to be with her sister in New York alone and she is naturally petrified at the thought of making it all by herself in an alien English land.
But the lady is courageous, determined to learn English in a coaching class in New York  to get back her self-pride and some ‘show the world ‘ that she is not just ‘born to make only laddoos’.

The movie has many endearing moments like a cameo by Amitabh who provide solace and comfort to her on the flight to a soft spoken, French student who inadvertently falls for her simplicity and grace, a Pakistani called funnily as Salman Khan and a home sick madarsi..

The movie is all about her fight not only with her inner demons of fear and insecurity but also the time which is running out as the wedding dates at her sister’s house, get near and she is pushed to make a complicated choice.

This is a real heart touching movie and must be seen to appreciate.
The characters and performances are so real that you can reach across and touch them.
And Sridevi stands tall. Freckles and all.

Now everyone will know ` what and who’ we have been missing on the Indian silver screen all these years