English Vinglish

Shashi Godbole is a housewife who bakes laddoos and runs a home-based business. Her husband Satish and daughter Sapna mock her English and treat her work as a hobby rather than a serious venture. Her mother-in-law offers quiet sympathy and encouragement.

Shashi travels to customers' homes to deliver laddoos, and the customers respond with affection for her sweets. The positive reception strengthens her resolve to grow the business, and she begins saving the money she earns from every sale.

Satish remains unsupportive, continuing to treat the laddoo venture as a hobby. He underestimates her efforts despite her steady savings, but Shashi stays determined to prove herself.

Shashi attends Sapna's PTA meeting and asks the class teacher to speak in Hindi because her English is not strong. Sapna feels embarrassed by her mother's request in front of teachers and friends, straining their relationship further.

Manu invites Shashi and her family to Meera's wedding in New York and asks Shashi to come early to help organize. They decide that Shashi will go first, with Satish and the kids joining later, framing the trip as both opportunity and challenge.

Shashi shops for her trip and saves money for the journey. Satish works on the visa, and they agree that Shashi will take her savings with her to New York for five weeks, leaving her family behind for a while.

At the airport, Shashi converts her savings into dollars for the trip. She learns she is not allowed to bring certain food items on the flight, adding a practical hurdle to her journey.

During the flight, a fellow passenger offers inspirational advice and helps Shashi navigate the journey, including meal choices. The encounter reinforces her belief that the world should learn from India as she travels.

Shashi arrives in New York and is warmly welcomed by Manu and Radha. In US immigration, rapid questioning flusters her despite tutoring, but the supportive stranger's words echo in her mind.

Manu's welcome puts Shashi at ease, and Radha guides her around Manhattan to see the sights. Shashi experiences the urban bustle, gaining a taste of life in the United States and the potential for her English-learning journey.

In the first days in NY, Shashi is humiliated in a busy coffee shop for her English and money handling, and she bursts into tears. She is comforted by Laurent, a French chef who is also learning English, and this encounter seeds her decision to enroll in a formal English class.

Shashi completes the four-week English-speaking course, but the final exam date clashes with Meera's wedding. She misses the test, while the wedding becomes the platform for her final demonstration of language skills. David announces that she has passed the course with distinction and awards her the certificate at the celebrations.