Patriarchy manifests and is deeply rooted in many social spheres. It is reinforced through several gender norms and family traditions and in the context of India the general notion is that men are the breadwinners and women are the homemakers. These issues around misogyny, casual sexism and the superior status given to the English language which has ostracised the non-English speaking section of the society are beautifully represented by Gauri Shinde’s movie English Vinglish.
Along with the issues mentioned above, it also sheds light on something prevailing in almost every Indian household about how family can sometimes pick on our weaknesses the most and make us feel unsafe in our supposed safest place. It was released in October 2012 and the protagonist of the movie “Shashi” is played by Late Sridevi. The movie is about 2 hrs and 20 mins long and every minute of the movie is relatable and thought-provoking. The movie captures the wavy coexistence between Hindi and English in a middle-class Indian family. From the first scene, it foregrounds the difficulties that arise from Shashi’s inability to converse in English which leads to her alienation within her own home. However, the film also presents how the females of the new generation, here Shashi’s daughter Sapna, have the access to the resources which have traditionally been a male privilege. The story is also inspiring considering how Shashi is determined to overcome her weakness of not being able to speak in English but is also focussed on her family at the same time which keeps up with the values and duties of an “Indian Mother”. The main objective of the movie can be summarised by this one line spoken by Satish (Shashi’s Husband), “My Wife was born to make laddoos” as the camera points to Shashi whose face changes from happy to embarrassed to brave. It shows us everything the movie is about. How Indian women are constantly subjected to such remarks and their worth is judged by the taste of their food. And how some women are finally breaking free from these stereotypes and claiming their place in the world.
The movie starts with the setting of a typical Indian family where the woman of the family, here “Shashi” wearing a traditional Indian Saree wakes up before anyone else and starts to work in the kitchen and prepares a cup of tea for herself but gets up twice in the middle of her tea time to take care of her mother in law and her husband which is a very clear representation of a typical Indian household where women are expected to leave their task unfinished on being called by the elders or their husbands. They are taught to cater to their husband’s needs before their own. These gender roles have been discussed in one of the classes as well where we talked about how the ads always have a woman working in the kitchen or preparing tea for her family.
The core issue presented is how English has become the language of Global Capitalism. English that has been given the stature of eminence is a direct result of capitalism. It is deeply rooted in daily commerce. Shashi who runs her own little business of selling laddoos which are extremely appreciated by her Hindi Speaking customers is deemed insignificant by her own husband who uses English for his daily business. Satish (Shashi’s husband) also goes beyond to exemplify the patriarchy when he asks Shashi to quit her business because her food is only meant for him. His desire to be the sole recipient of his wife’s talents is the result of his resolute belief that business in the real world is only deemed to be of significance if carried out in English. Therefore English Vinglish very articulately captures two social issues at once, language incapacity being used to enforce repressive gender norms. It’s noteworthy as how empowered Shashi feels when she learns the term “Entrepreneur” in her language class, not because the movie is trying to validate English supremacy but how she learns the term in an entirely new surrounding outside of her domestic sphere where she was otherwise hushed by the patriarchal society who wouldn’t want to validate her work and her success.
It’s worth mentioning that English being given superior status and being the language of the elites isn’t alien to contemporary India. As mentioned in one of the readings discussed in class the Britishers were joined by some Indians who could understand English and be a part of their society and they were termed as the elite class who were invited to lunch parties and all high society events and were also seldom included in the decision-making process as well.
Another important issue depicted by the film is the emerging accrual of social and economic power by non-native English speakers. This is presented by Shashi’s interaction with a fellow passenger played by Amitabh Bachchan who on being asked the purpose of his visit says, “ To help the United States of America… You know, spend some dollars, help recover your economy ” This particular remark depicts India as more powerful than America alongside suggesting that language hierarchy and English being placed on a higher pedestal than Hindi does not signify submission.
The movie also tackles the issue of how men are dignified for the same work done by women regularly. Shashi expresses distress to her French Friend by saying “Mard khana banaye toh kala hai and aurat banaye toh uska farz hai’’ which means that men are respected and valued and given the title of chefs or entrepreneurs for cooking but when Shashi sold Ladoos at home not only was she not respected enough for it by her husband but was discouraged to continue it.
This movie also very beautifully portrays the strength and determination of Indian women who are often subjected to an inferior status and are seen as helpless creatures when out and about in the real world. Sridevi's character Shashi makes it a point to learn English and in an unfamiliar strange country not only figures out how to reach the subway and take the metro but also with her humble and kind personality makes friends along the way. She has multiple obstacles but always made it a point to figure out some way to overcome them. She wasn’t afraid to ask for help when required unlike many men, this displays how women approach any situation in our society and aren’t afraid to ask for help to serve their purpose whereas men on the other hand often hold back because of their masculine ego and pride. But the real problem actually lies in how the patriarchal society has certain stereotypes which make men suppress their emotions in the fear of being seen as vulnerable.
Although, as a viewer, I questioned the reasoning for English being given a supreme title in this world, I couldn’t help but wonder how this language has also united cultures and people from different backgrounds who’d otherwise not socialize. Shashi joins a class with a French chef, a Pakistani cab driver, a Chinese hairdresser, a Mexican nanny, and a few others, all of whom were united with a single aim ie. to learn and understand English. This bond that she shared with her fellow classmates transcends racial and class barriers, gender, and age norms and is strengthened with their common determination to learn the language and feel like they can conquer the world in their own beautiful ways. Another example of English unifying cultures is by interracial marriage. Shashi’s niece Meera is engaged to an American man named Kevin who doesn’t understand Hindi but is overjoyed by Indian food and customs and displays an eagerness to learn more about the Indian heritage. The way the wedding has been carried out in the movie shows how Indian customs do not need to be sacrificed at the expense of adjusting to western culture.
I felt like the movie touched another very important issue but could have done better at concluding it rather than leaving it unmentioned altogether in the latter half. Shashi’s daughter in several instances threw tantrums at Shashi and made her feel inferior even though Shashi was a supportive and loving mother. Shashi’s sense of isolation is deepened by Sapna’s remarks. This depicts the intergenerational rift which often leads to the domestic confinement of the non-English speaking elders in our families. Her daughter’s character portrays how kids can be so ungrateful of their parents and their struggles and pick on their weaknesses to prove their point. If anything, after seeing this movie we learn how not to be like to our parents.
Another very important issue that has been subtly portrayed is how men are indeed threatened by the idea of a modern independent woman. Satish at several instances looks down upon Shashi for not being independent enough to travel alone on a plane or attend the parent’s teacher meeting without him however on the other hand when Shashi chooses to spend time alone in New York and introduces her classmates as friends to Satish, he seems perplexed and starts acting up. He was neither happy nor proud for his wife who had this newfound power and independence and in fact had a touch of insecurity in his demeanor. This form of misogyny prevails in many households where the women are seen as inferior for just being confined to domestic work but are also criticized and viewed as a threat to society if they choose to break free from those shackles.
I really liked the way this movie dealt with the issue of one’s longing for respect. When Shashi’s fellow French classmate expresses his emotions towards her, she is taken aback because she hadn’t been praised that way before. It is then when she realizes that she doesn’t need more love in her life, what she really needs is respect. This bode with me because at several instances in a woman’s life we crave respect and recognition for our work rather than attention for our looks.
The scene that struck me the most was Shashi’s speech at the end of the movie. Shashi is asked to speak for the newlyweds but her husband in the hope of saving Shashi and himself from embarrassment lets everyone know of his wife’s inadequacy. The camera then moves over to Shashi who looks calm as ever, gently gets up, and gives the most heartfelt speech in English. This scene resonates with many viewers because in her speech she doesn’t draw the idealistic marriage goals for the couple but lays out the real-life obstacles that one needs to overcome as a couple. She emphasizes how in marriage the individuals are supposed to be treated as equals which are unlike the case for most marriages which are predominantly dominated by men. She also talks about the importance of self-love and recognizing one’s own potential. Couples often tend to lose their individuality which leads to an uneven shift in the balance. Her speech ends with emphasizing the importance of having a family which is supportive and nonjudgmental which shows how one can keep up with the modern world without forgetting the importance of their family.
English Vinglish despite its name is not just about English, English here is just used to represent the general attitude of this society where being fluent in English is correlated to being Modern and worthy of respect whereas lacking the knowledge of proper grammar and vocabulary confides a human being to the household duties which don’t deserve the same spot on the level of stature and respect. In my opinion, Gauri Shinde has done an excellent job capturing the nuance bits of sexism that are often ignored and developed the character of Shashi which has been played so beautifully by Late Sridevi with her winsome girlishness, charismatic beauty, and composed and charming personality.
I feel like the biggest strength of the movie is how it doesn’t romanticize the reality of the English-led world nor does it signify the boycott of traditional values, it indeed displays a beautiful blend of the local and the global world. It also in a way suggests that bilingualism can ensure a diverse unification instead of a hackneyed homogeneity. English can and should be used to communicate with the capitalistic world but one needn’t lose faith in their own language and cultures which is shown in the last scene where Shashi, who is now fully capable of reading and understanding an English newspaper, asks the flight attendant for a Hindi paper instead. It’s also noteworthy that a lot of people who don’t have English as their native language like Shashi’s fellow classmates have learned English as a second language which in itself is an achievement even if it’s not perfect.
To conclude, English Vinglish is an inspiring story of a simple Indian homemaker who goes through the journey of discovering her self-worth and displays great courage in the face of adversity. Despite having numerous obstacles along the way, her will and determination help her embrace the strong, independent woman in her. In my opinion, the film did justice in portraying the social issues and forced the viewers to question their own behavior in several instances.
