English Vinglish, starring Sridevi, will be released in China on February 24, on the fifth anniversary of the late actor’s death. The Hindi film, directed by Gauri Shinde, will be shown in 6,000 Chinese mainland theaters. It received a five-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in Indian theaters on October 5, 2012.
Sridevi’s return to films after a 15-year absence was marked by Gauri Shinde’s directorial debut. ‘English Vinglish’ went on to become India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2013 Academy Awards. Adil Hussain, Sumeet Vyas, Priya Anand, Sulabha Deshpande, and French actor Mehdi Nebbou also appeared in the film.
Sridevi played a naive housewife who decides to take English lessons in the United States after being mocked by her husband and daughter. She gains self-esteem after making new friends in her new class.
Kumar Ahuja, COO of Eros International, stated in a statement about the upcoming China release, “Indian films have gradually gained a foothold in the highly competitive Chinese film market, the world’s second largest. We have seen an increase in demand for Indian films in China Mainland, particularly those with a strong cultural component. We are thrilled that the Chinese audience will be able to marvel at this masterpiece, which features one of the late Bollywood superstar Sridevi’s most memorable performances.”
The film was inspired by Gauri’s mother, who ran a spice business and often wished she knew English to help it grow. Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance in the Hindi version, while Ajith Kumar appeared in the Tamil version.
Sridevi was found dead in her Dubai hotel on February 24, 2018. She had gone with her family to her nephew Mohit Marwah’s wedding. The actor was married to producer Boney Kapoor. Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor are their two daughters. Janhvi made her acting debut with ‘Dhadak’ in 2018. Khushi will make her acting debut in the Netflix film ‘The Archies,’ alongside Agastya Nanda and Suhana Khan.
