English Vinglish

My review: English Vinglsih

Sri Devi's comeback to mainstream cinema after a long sabbatical is a memorable one with this "English Vinglish" scripted & directed by Gauri Shinde. It is a fun filled ride with food for thought which moisten the viewers' eye in the end with joy. Message that family is the one place where people can't be judgmental should be more supportive of each others weakness is light-heartedly told using English as a metaphor.

Gauri Shinde's script is flawless if one excuse the numerous ill-informed stereotypes based on the cultural milieu from where people come from. There are very few instances in this movie where boredom rears its head may be in the second half. Otherwise it is quite an engaging movie with very few complaints. Neatly written & excellently executed , movie moves at a brisk pace too.

Dialogues are excellent. When Amitabh Bachhan mouths that he has come to visit US to spend few dollars for the American economy to recover , why India not "THE" India & why US "THE" United States of America are some of many insightful & brilliant dialogues.

Sri Devi is excellent . Though she looks old in many places she has not lost touch of her acting skills. The underplayed emotions which finally gets an outlet when her daughter comments about her English knowledge & her outburst in Hindi to a French classmate is one outstanding scene portrayed excellently by Sri. It is a dream comeback for her. Amitabh Bachhan exhilarates the viewers with his neat cameo.

Rajeev Ravindranath as "Tanglish" speaking Ramamoorthy & Sumeet Vyas as Pakistani Salman Khan are brilliant in keeping the audience in splits though these two characters are caricaturized the maximum. Especially Ramamoorthy's Idli scene is a laugh riot. Priya Anand is good as ever while rest of the support cast give a good support. Casting & performances are good.

Technically movie is world class with neat cinematography by Laxman Utekar. Amit Trivedi's musical score is supportive to the narrative.

"English Vinglish" is one those rare gems like "Vicky Donor" wherein the maker have hit upon a perfect mix of entertainment , message & appropriate emotional chord with the viewers. It is an intelligent comedy with a very good message at the same time one can relax their mind off their busy lives.

Bottomline: English "WIN"glish

3.5/5