Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish is a heartfelt film about
a woman's journey to find self-worth in spite of a society that looks down upon
her inability to speak English. The protagonist Shashi, played beautifully by Sridevi,
ultimately finds her way past the humiliation and subjugation of being a "typical
Indian housewife," and learns to love herself with a newfound confidence in
her ability to learn English. I am struck by the recurring use and mention of
laddoos in the movie. Not only do these sweets provide gustatory imagery and
draw us into the film with their appeal to taste, but they also serve as a key
component of the characterization and plot. Over the course of the film, the
laddoos symbolize different aspects of Shashi's mindset, relationships, and personal
development.
From
the opening scene, laddoos are established as an important representation of
Shashi's happiness. As she goes from house to house delivering her hand-made,
carefully packaged sweets, the shots consist of close-ups of the laddoos as
well as of people's faces and the joy they experience while eating them. However,
immediately afterwards, Shashi's unsuccessful attempts to share this joy with
her husband Satish, as well as his disapproval of her business, introduces us
clearly to the dynamics of their relationship. The laddoos take on the meaning
of Shashi's independence and self-respect, which her husband clearly does not
value. Later, on the first day of English class in New York, Shashi is
applauded when she explains her "small business" of making and
selling laddoos. The repetition of the word "entrepreneur" and the
expression of excitement on Shashi's face framed by a close-up shot, casts the
laddoos back in their role of representing Shashi's self-esteem, which is now
raised by her supportive group of friends. In fact, the word
"entrepreneur" literally re-brands Shashi and marks a new chapter in
her character development – her phase of gradual liberation and growing
confidence. She recognizes that the actions that are considered insignificant
duties back home are valued differently by her new society. This idea is also
emphasized in the powerful conversation between Shashi and Laurent as they
discuss the role of gender in terms of culinary duty; Shashi ironically remarks
that "When men cook, it is art. When women cook, it is responsibility."
This establishes a clear parallel between the food and her role in society, and
brings to light in an easy-to-understand way the differences between social
obligations of women and men in the household. Laddoos also become a symbol of
cultural exchange and the subtle and important relationship between Shashi and
Laurent. For example, even when they both only know a few words of English,
they are able to giggle together after calling a woman in the train
"laddoo." Laurent also says that "food is love" – and the forbidden
love that sneaks into Shashi and Laurent's relationship is enacted through an
exchange of laddoos and crêpes,
which Laurent calls "French laddoo."
One
striking laddoo scene in particular occurs during the climax of the film, just
as Shashi is getting ready to sneak out to attend her last English class. As
she drops the tray of carefully made laddoos onto the pavement, the reaction is
one of classic melodrama. The shot of the fallen laddoos is followed by at
least ten seconds of absolute silence, and then gasps and shocked faces. The
slow, melancholic orchestral music that fades in as she gazes away from the
camera, lost in self-reflection set the tone for a pivotal upcoming moment. Indeed,
as Shashi goes against everyone's attempts to persuade her otherwise, and decides
to remake all the sweets, she symbolically begins to reconstruct herself. The various
concepts that the laddoos have symbolized throughout the film come together
beautifully in this scene. For example, through Shashi's reasoning "why
pass in another class while failing my favorite subject" we see laddoos as
her true passion as well as her familial responsibility – at once her pleasure
and her barrier on the path to complete freedom (finishing her English class). During
the slow-motion shots of the broken laddoos being swept and discarded once and
for all, the ground becomes a literal depiction of a clean slate. This represents
Shashi's rejection of the conflicting identities that her family's presence in
New York has brought up. As she begins to painstakingly make the new batch, the
swaying white circular lanterns in the background mirror the shape of the
circular laddoos, and are reminiscent of pendulums in the wind, adding grandeur
and weight to an ordinary kitchen scene. Then, before returning to the shot of
the kitchen, we see a quick frame consisting of a flower vase angled from below
with sunlight streaming in the background. The yellow of the light and the
subsequent yellow of the laddoos illustrates the magnitude of the transition
from cold asphalt to warm oil – a foreshadowing of the similar personal transformation
that Shashi is about to reveal to the world. In fact, the laddoos themselves are
like tiny balls of sunshine, warm in Shashi's hands – a visual feast that
contrasts with the next shot of the gray skyline and English classroom, hinting
that Shashi has made the right choice. At this critical moment, Satish even
offers to help Shashi shape the laddoos, but she sends him away with a shake of
her head, which demonstrates her steely determination to rebuild her identity
herself. As the groom Kevin's parents arrive, instead of asking about Shashi
they mention her laddoos, establishing them even more firmly as her identity.
Finally,
Shashi delivers her triumphant speech – and immediately, we see again the laddoos
stacked in a firm, stable pyramid. As she proudly serves all the guests, the
laddoos become symbolic of her cemented confidence and self-worth, which she
can now openly share with society. In a touching moment, the laddoos become a
symbol of transformative love; tearful Laurent savors the last laddoo Shashi
gives him, while her husband, who seems to finally show remorse at his actions
and respect for his wife, gets two laddoos in his plate, which depicts Shashi's
unwavering sense of loyalty and duty. The golden circles on Shashi's red sari
also mirror the laddoos, and when she remarks to Satish that the sari was a
"good choice," we learn that their bond is still strong. The lanterns
in the background this time are also circular and golden, completing the
harmonious and happy picture. The laddoos in the film illustrate through visual
and sensory detail Shashi's journey of self-empowerment and her ultimate
message that "Nobody can help you better than yourself."
great explanation...
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