The return of Hawa Hawai girl

The hawa hawai lady who once ruled the industry in the ‘80s and ‘90s is back. She had left her flourishing career for marriage to Boney Kapoor, and kept herself to raising her two daughters. Thanks to debutant director Gauri Shinde who enticed her back on the big screen, Sridevi is among us again after 15 years with English Vinglish. Excerpts from an interview:

Your character Shashi in English Vinglish has created a buzz. What’s so unique about her?

Shashi is a character I can’t stop talking about. She was so wonderful to play on screen. She is a homemaker who finds herself in a country where language becomes a barrier. Her problem is something which every person in the world can relate to. It’s a universal problem as one knows how tedious and nerve-wracking it is to communicate when language is a problem. She, however, decides to do something about it. Her journey from there on is fascinating.

What was it like working with the husband-wife duo – director Gauri Shinde and producer R. Balki?

I knew I was in good hands because I loved Balki’s films Cheeni Kum and Paa. His work speaks for itself. Working with Gauri too has been an amazing experience. She has great vision and knows exactly what she wants from the character Shashi.

With language being a hurdle for you initially, what kind of struggles did you have to go through?

I started working in the industry at the age of four and was working in Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam and Kannada films initially. I later on started working in Hindi films. I didn’t know all the languages in the beginning. They would make me mug up my lines and would simultaneously explain the meaning of those lines along with the scene. After I was done memorising it all, I would enact my mugged up lines like a parrot. But that was only for sometime as I slowly learned the language.

In terms of box office what are your expectations from this film?

All that matters is the audience liking the film and I hope they do as much as I have enjoyed working in it. I still haven’t been able to take in the response we got for the film at the Toronto film Festival. That’s a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. Now I am excited about how the fans will react to the film.

How does a mother of two big girls manage to look so beautiful and fit? What’s your secret?

Thank you! I try and keep a healthy lifestyle. I avoid having fried food, aerated drink, and exercise regularly by doing brisk walking or playing tennis with my daughters. But most importantly I find happiness in whatever I do.