English Vinglish is a 2012 Indian comedy-drama film, written and directed by Gauri Shinde. The film's narrative revolves around a housewife who enrolls in an English-speaking course to stop her husband and daughter mocking her lack of English skills,[5] and gains self-respect in the process. The protagonist, played by Sridevi, was inspired by Shinde's mother. English Vinglish was originally made in Hindi; later it was re-shot in Tamil and released along with a Telugu dubbed version on 5 October 2012. The film marked Sridevi's return to filmmaking after a 15-year hiatus; it features French actor Mehdi Nebbou, Adil Hussain, and Priya Anand.[5] Amitabh Bachchan and Ajith Kumar had cameo appearances in the Hindi and Tamil versions respectively.[6]
Before its theatrical release, English Vinglish was premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, where both the film and Sridevi's performance received positive response.[7][8] Prior to its release, the film was screened for the Indian press and critics.[9] It received critical acclaim and several critics hailed it as a "must watch film".[10] Soon after its release, the film was declared a hit in India and overseas.[11][12]
English Vinglish swept all the Best Debut Director awards of 2012 for Gauri Shinde. The film was also shortlisted as India's official entry for the Academy Awards in Best Foreign Language Film category.[13] The film earned global acclaim at several international festivals across the world and Sridevi was hailed as the 'Meryl Streep of India'[14] and the "female Rajinikanth in Japan".[15]
