Adil Hussain recalls first meeting with Sridevi for English Vinglish: She had tears in her eyes…

Adil Hussain was in awe of Sridevi when he started shooting for English Vinglish with her. He reveals that such was the impact of watching her in Sadma as a viewer, that he could not eat food after it ended, he was left depressed.

Playing her husband many years later in the film,he got a chance to tell it to her face, post which she had tears in her eyes. “This film is one of the pillars of my work in the film industry, that established me in the hearts of the Indian masses. Two films which both released on my birthday- October 5 though in different years- English Vinglish and What Will People Say went on to become hits. My producers should know this when they decide a release date for my films now,” he laughs.

But on a serious note, he adds, it was a film made by Gauri Shinde from her heart. “As a person too she is very compassionate, and of course we cannot forget one of the top ingredients of the film, Sridevi herself. Her contribution to the role, the film, made this film what it was. Also, it’s very rare that all characters in a film get to shine, it’s always about the hero or heroine. But in this one, all were written so wonderfully, they had a beginning, middle and end,” he shares.

Hussain cannot forget the entire shoot experience, but one scene will particularly be etched in his memory. It is the climax of the film, where Sridevi’s character, Shashi, delivers a monologue about the ridicule she has had to face all her life courtesy her husband and children. “We were shooting in New York, and everyone of was wearing jackets because it was cold. Sridevi was shivering because she couldn’t! In the shot, we were at least wearing thermals. She would deliver the scene, and immediately be covered the moment cut was said. But I felt so bad for her,” he rues.

His character, though not the antagonist, does ridicule his wife for her poor English skills. Did he get a lot of hate after viewers saw the film? He denies, “They loved it, because the role and the way it had been portrayed, they could immediately recognise that this character could be their husband or brother… everyone is like that. We all grew up in a male chauvinistic patriarchal house, where 99 percent it works like that. They may not recognise or agree.”