The 2012 comedy drama English Vinglish, starring legendary actress Sridevi in the lead role, is one of the most highly acclaimed movies in Bollywood. It is one of the feel-good movies that empowers women and encourages them to overcome their fears. If you liked its refreshing and comforting story, here are some more movies like English Vinglish that deserve to be on your watchlist.
7 movies like English Vinglish to lift your spirits:
1. Laapataa Ladies
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama
Movie Star Cast: Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam, Ravi Kishan
Director: Kiran Rao
Writer: Sneha Desai, Divyanidhi Sharma, Biplab Goswami
Year of release: 2024
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Laapataa Ladies is one of the recently released movies that are similar to English Vinglish. It is a heartwarming story about two brides who get lost from the same train. Phool, separated from her husband Deepak, learns to be independent. While Jaya, who is running away from marriage, gets a chance to achieve her dreams.
2. 12th Fail
IMDb Rating: 8.9/10
Movie Genre: Biography/Drama
Movie Star Cast: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankr, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, Priyanshu Chatterjee
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Writer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Year of release: 2023
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
The highly loved film 12th Fail will give you major motivation, just like English Vinglish. It is the real-life story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, who goes through various challenges in his attempts to clear the UPSC exam. It also showcases his love story with his wife, Shraddha Joshi.
3. Hindi Medium
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama
Movie Star Cast: Irrfan Khan, Saba Qamar, Dishita Sehgal, Amrita Singh, Deepak Dobriyal
Director: Saket Chaudhary
Writer: Saket Chaudhary, Zeenat Lakhani
Year of release: 2017
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video
In Hindi Medium, Raj and Mita, a couple from Delhi, wish to get their daughter Pia admitted to the best English-medium school in the city. They try everything they can, from moving houses to pretending to be poor for a scheme. The film’s lighthearted story received a lot of appreciation from the critics and the viewers.
4. Dear Zindagi
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Movie Genre: Drama
Movie Star Cast: Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Ira Dubey, Rohit Saraf, Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar
Director: Gauri Shinde
Writer: Gauri Shinde
Year of release: 2016
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Dear Zindagi, helmed by the same director as English Vinglish, is another coming-of-age story. Kaira is a cinematographer who is going through a lot in her life and takes the help of a therapist. The film is a sincere attempt at spreading awareness about mental health and its importance.
5. Highway
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Movie Genre: Drama/Romance
Movie Star Cast: Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Writer: Imtiaz Ali
Year of release: 2014
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Highway is a road drama film that was a breakthrough in the lead actress’ Alia Bhatt’s career. She plays the role of Veera, a daughter from a rich family. Veera gets abducted by Mahabir; however, instead of living in fear, she finally gets to experience peace because she was unhappy in her home.
6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Movie Genre: Adventure Drama/Romance
Movie Star Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Writer: Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Farhan Akhtar
Year of release: 2011
Where to watch / OTT Platform: Netflix/Amazon Prime Video
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is one of the feel-good movies like English Vinglish. It is the story of three friends and their bachelor trip to Spain. On this journey, which proves to be very entertaining for the viewers, they confront their pasts, find love, and discover the true meaning of life.
7. Taare Zameen Par
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Movie Genre: Family/Drama
Movie Star Cast: Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Tanya Chheda
Director: Aamir Khan
Writer: Amole Gupte
Year of release: 2007
Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
If you’re searching for movies like English Vinglish, Taare Zameen Par is a must-watch. Though you should be warned that it is guaranteed to make you cry. It is the heart-touching story of Ishaan, a dyslexic child, who finds help in his art teacher when his parents send him to a boarding school.
More about English Vinglish
In English Vinglish, Sridevi played the role of Shashi, who is not proficient in the English language. As she learned English, she also rediscovered herself and her self-respect. Directed by Gauri Shinde, the movie can be watched on JioCinema and ZEE5.
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