She's smarter by the syllable

In India, money, fame and knowledge of English are the three major marks of "success". Shashi Godbole (Sridevi Kapoor) is a dedicated housewife. She cooks well and takes care of her family. Her only weakness is that her English is poor.

"She's born to make ladoos," or sweets, says Satish, Shashi's well-educated husband. Despite her obvious virtues, Shashi is ridiculed because of her bad English and nobody respects her.

When she is invited to help organise her niece's wedding in America, Shashi secretly signs up for language classes to improve her English.

Not only does she find her language skills improving from the classes, but she also learns to value herself and gain the respect of other people.

But matters grow complicated when Shashi's French classmate, Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou), falls in love with her.

English Vinglish is Gauri Shinde's directorial debut. It may not contain luxuriant visual effects, but it doesn't need to. It reflects a reality experienced by many, and reminds us that "success" comes in many forms. This warm-hearted movie is well worth watching.