By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai : Sridevi’s efforts to overcome linguistic barriers in “English Vinglish” has inspired Dalit girls in Bihar in a big way. Girls from various colleges in Patna and neighbouring towns of Bihar have watched the film and are motivated to improve their spoken English.
“It’s not just housewives. Young unmarried college-going girls feel the same sense of inferiority that Sridevi experiences in ‘English Vinglish’ because of a lack of fluency in English. They are coming forward in huge numbers to see the film and going back with the determination to join English-improvement classes,” Suman Sinha, a leading Patna exhibitor said.
R. Balki, who has produced the film, is delighted by the turn of events.
“That our film has influenced a section of the audience to improve its language skills is awesome. ‘English Vinglish’ is not just about learning English. It’s about the determination that the lack of familiarity will not stop people’s aspirations and dreams from growing,” he said.
Added Sridevi: “To see our film make such an impact makes me happier about its success. This is the real success of ‘English Vinglish’.”
Directed by Gauri Shinde, the film is about a housewife’s struggle to learn English.