“That was amazing!” was the unanimous and spontaneous loud reaction of a bunch collegians occupying the last row of the theatre at the end of the film, English Vinglish. Their reaction was silently echoed by all others in the theatre. Sridevi has staged a breathtaking comeback and the debutant director Gauri Shinde has made an awe-inspiring entry into Hindi films.

Looking at the works of the duo at no stage did one feel that Sridevi had ever taken sabbatical for 15 years to look after her husband, film producer Boney Kapoor and two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi. Gauri, though 100 ad films old, didn’t appear to be directing her first full-length feature film. They both look so much in sync that it appears as though both had been working for years and knew each other’s expectations and weaknesses.

The story is that of thousands of home maker women all over the world who happily give all their time to make their family happy and comfortable without any thoughts of their own yearnings. They bear all the hardships and readily take a backseat in their family’s success. Sometimes feeling sad that they couldn’t achieve what they wanted ending in them feeling inferior and doubting their own capabilities.

Shashi (Sridevi) is one such woman residing in Pune, a city near Mumbai. She is married to Satish (Adil Hussain), a corporate executive and has two children: young Sagar who adores his mom and Sapna studying in 7th grade who thinks the knowledge of English is success, and so spares little in joining hands with her Dad to belittle and take potshots at Shashi who doesn’t know English well. Though Shashi in her own rights is a popular snack maker — her boondi laddoos are devoured by all her customers who respect her immensely — her family doesn’t think much about her efforts.

In such a mundane life she is asked by her Manhattan, New York-residing sister Meera to come and help with her daughter’s wedding. Petrified of going to a predominantly English-speaking country, she is pepped up by Amitabh Bachchan, her next seat neighbor on her flight to NY. In an excellent cameo, he boosts her courage and advises her, “Enjoy your first trip and don’t get intimidated by these goray loag!”

In Manhattan, though loved and pampered by her sister and nieces, she realises that English is a must to survive and decides to join an English-speaking class where she meets and befriends others with the same handicap.

A very simple and ordinary story. But where Gauri scores is in handling small emotional points. Like, for example, when instead of Satish, Shashi lands up for a PTA meet in the completely English speaking school much against the wish of her daughter, she asks the principal, the priest to speak in Hindi, saying, “My English not so good’’ and he smilingly replies, “Mera Hindi thora bura!” and they both talk animatedly without looking down on the other person.

Or at the airport when Satish wants to hug Shashi bye and she shies away from him. And he laughs and says, “Hug karo to problem, hug na karo to problem” as in a previous scene she had questioned him of hugging his office colleague instead of just saying a hello in a market place.

The best scene is the introduction of the character Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) as the French national wanting to learn English. Shashi enters a café to get something to eat while waiting for her niece. There is a queue at the order and pay counter. The tall, dark and handsome Laurent is the last one and on seeing Shashi, a woman standing behind him, in a typical French man’s courtesy, steps aside to make way for her. Without uttering a single word, Gauri has shown the common courtesy of the French and also introduced the two characters in a silent way. Mehdi has proved what an excellent actor he is and why he is sought after by many directors. He shows his attraction to Shashi with completely underplaying his character as he too has a complex of not knowing the language.

Another point for Gauri is that having been an ad film maker, she knows how to dress her shots. From colour coordination of furniture at home to background scenes, she displays an excellent aesthetic sense. She has draped Shashi in the most beautiful handloom saris from India. The only thing is that every shot is so perfect that sometimes it appears as though we are watching a perfectly made ad film shot.

And what does one say about the comeback star, Sridevi. Motherhood in real life has mellowed her and it looks as though for 15 years she has been really brushing up her acting skills. From looking vulnerable at her daughter’s insults, her husband’s taking-for-granted attitude, crying about her own helplessness on a street of Manhattan or dancing her own version of Michael Jackson step — she has portrayed all the emotions so effortlessly that at present there is no one on par with her talent.

Every other character also has done a good job except perhaps Neelu Sodhi as Meera, her sister. Somehow the rapport between the sisters appears forced at some places. I wasn’t much fascinated by music by Amit Trivedi. Also some shots like long drawn and repetitive class room scenes were unnecessary. If they had been edited well and movie cut short by 10-15 minutes, English Vinglish would have been a superlative film.

This is another movie this year which you should not miss.