English Vinglish is a heartwarming film released in 2012, directed by Gauri Shinde and starring the legendary actress Sridevi in the lead role. Despite its heartwarming narrative and positive reception, the film faced several challenges during its production and release.
In a new interview, R Balki, who was one of the producers for English Vinglish, revealed that when Gauri was writing the film, nobody was ready to produce it because it was going to be shot in the US with a female lead.
"They said, ‘How can you have a film with a female lead and spend so much?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean by female lead? I don’t understand the word ‘female lead.’ I mean, there’s a person there, an actor. They said it won’t recover,” Balki told Radio Nasha.
The filmmaker then mentioned that he met Rakesh Jhunjhunwala by accident and then the film happened but very differently. He further revealed that he had discussed a different project with Sridevi but that couldn't be made because it all happened when Gauri was already writing English Vinglish. Later, Balki organised a meeting with Gauri and Sridevi and the two decided to work together on this film.
The movie revolves around the life of Shashi Godbole, a middle-aged Indian housewife who faces numerous difficulties due to her inability to speak English fluently. Her journey to overcome these challenges forms the crux of the story. Eventually, 'English Vinglish' did very well and is considered one of the best films of Sridevi's career despite the fact that she had such an elaborate body of work.
English Vinglish was particularly significant because it marked Sridevi's comeback to the silver screen after a 15-year hiatus. Her return to the big screen was met with critical acclaim. She delivered a captivating and emotionally resonant performance that won the hearts of audiences and critics alike. Her portrayal of Shashi was a key factor in the film's success. Balki's last release was Abhishek Bachchan starrer Ghoomer, the film inspired by real incidents was very well received by the critics but it didn't do that well at the box office.
The film revolved around Saiyami Kher's character who is a cricketer and loses her right arm just before she's going to play her first match for India. She's later trained by Abhishek's character to push herself and perform with just one hand. Both Saiyami and Abhishek got a lot of praise for their performances.