Review of English Vinglish (2012) by Natalie F — 16 Nov 2018

English Vinglish has a different view on motherhood than I have seen in other Bollywood films. While a film like Mother India shows its audience the hardships that a mother can go through and demonstrates the unparalleled love that a mother has for her children, English Vinglish allows its central female character to be more than a mother. The film demonstrates that it is possible to have multifaceted female character in Bollywood. Although being a mother is a large part of Shashi's identity, it is not all that exists in her life. For instance, she is also a baker. She is clearly proud of this work, as can be seen when she is overjoyed that she is called an entrepreneur by her English teacher. It was empowering to see that just because she has children does not mean that she can not have outside interests and passions.

One part of the film that was not so pleasing to me was the ending. I understand why Shashi decided to prioritize her family over her English classes, but it was still a bit disappointing to see her relinquish her independence. A traditional Bollywood mother will do anything for her family. Rosie Thomas asserts that in Bollywood films, a mother "is able to love and give unconditionally" as well as "keep the family and home together" (Thomas, "Melodrama and the Negotiation of Morality"). It would be incredibly unconventional to have Shashi simply abandon her family at the end of the film. I never expected that to happen. However, I did anticipate that her husband would come to realize that he had been taking her for granted. It was frustrating that she never had any sort of confrontation with her husband about his lack of respect for her. It seemed as if Shashi had not made any significant modifications to her old life, which undermined her growth throughout the film.