English Vinglish

I saw English Vinglish few days back. I  enjoyed it so much. After ages, I have seen a fabulous Hindi movie which is hovering in my mind for days. Great direction, script, storyline, acting by the seasoned actress Sridevi, who has made a come back after more than a decade. The movie touched my heart.

It is so woman oriented- and deals with her emotions, anguish, pains, feelings, turmoil, etc.

I also loved Sridevi’s traditional handwoven sarees, designed by Sabyasachi.

Sridevi plays her part so well, so convincingly and I could relate to each of her emotions, her endeavor to carve a niche for herself, her struggles- everything.

Now why has this movie been playing on my mind? Because as a movie (Bollywood movie), it is great. Rather, perfect, I would say. But what happens in real life is different. A bit or a lot different.

English Vinglish is a story about a woman who is beautiful, great cook, great mother, wife, daughter in law, even "an entrepreneur", who makes and sells delicious laddoos.

Yet all she gets is ridicule and disrespect from her husband and daughter because she cannot speak good English. She visits her sister in New York, and enrolls herself in English language speaking course.

Her journey in learning the language, her commute by metro, her struggle to ask for a coffee at a restaurant, her meeting a French guy, who is romantically inclined towards her, her final speech in English, all these and much more are the highlights of the movie. But towards the end, like a good Bollywood movie, she delivers a speech in English. Her husband is proud of her. Her daughter hugs her and she goes back happily to her family, back to India.

Great story. Now lets do some reality check. Reel vs real life. And that is what has been playing on my mind. In reality, yes everything happens the same- same trials, tribulations, struggle, entrepreneur, woman evolves, emancipates, grows, learns, tries to please her husband, children, meet their demands and expectations and then? Then she is still not encouraged, accepted, still bashed and rejected more. She tries harder and fails more. On the other side, there is this French/ whatever other man, who is accepting, praising, acknowledging, her talents and her as a person. What is that woman supposed to do? 

Fidelity is an over rated virtue- I think. One side is a man who is giving constant rejection, no matter how hard she is trying and proving herself. Other side is a man who is in awe of her and is seeing the hidden gem in her. One side is a life of constant hurt, emotional seclusion, which leaves her drained out. Other side is a life of love. One man is creating a vacuum in her life and the other is filling the void. Where would she go? Where should she go? Is it her fault if she deviates? Is she to be blamed? As I always say, only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. And no one should be "judgemental" then.  Reality vs reel life is much different.