On a New York film set, the food had gone stale, and so had everyone’s patience. Adil Hussain had a fix nobody expected from an actor. A six-course meal, and a memory of Sridevi he still carries.
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Actor Adil Hussain has shared a memory from the sets of ‘English Vinglish’. He spoke about cooking a six-course meal for the late actress Sridevi and the film crew during the New York shoot.
Hussain’s film ‘52 Blue’ is ready to screen at the upcoming London Indian Film Festival. During a conversation with news agency IANS, he looked back at his time working on ‘English Vinglish,’ the 2012 film that marked one of his early Hindi projects.
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The shoot took place in New York. According to Hussain, the catering served the same kind of food every day. He described it as a North Indian restaurant style menu that repeated often.
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Sridevi grew tired of the spread. Hussain said she expressed her frustration directly, telling him the food was not working for her anymore.
Hussain offered to cook for her instead. The plan grew beyond a single meal. He ended up preparing a six-course spread for 70 people on the set.
He said he had assistance with the preparation, mainly chopping and similar tasks. Sridevi enjoyed the meal. Hussain called it one of his fondest memories from the shoot, watching her relish the food he made.
‘English Vinglish’ was Hussain’s third Hindi film. At the time, Sridevi had already worked in close to 300 films. He recalled the experience of stepping onto a set with an actress of that stature so early in his Hindi film career.
He spoke about her willingness to discuss scenes with him. Both actors would suggest changes to each other during shoots. If one proposed a different way to play a scene, the other would consider it and often agree to try it out. Hussain described her as someone always open to improvisation.
Hussain also spoke about the broader culture in the film industry. He described a hierarchical system where established stars rarely engage with newcomers on equal terms. He said this pattern holds true most of the time, though not always.
Also, he said Sridevi did not follow this pattern. Despite being a newcomer himself, Hussain found that she consulted with him regularly during scenes. He called the communication between them open and focused on the film’s outcome rather than status or seniority.
‘English Vinglish’ was directed by Gauri Shinde and released in 2012. The film starred Sridevi in the lead role, alongside Hussain, Priya Anand and Mehdi Nebbou. The story follows a homemaker who enrolls in spoken English course in New York and gains confidence through that very experience.
The film marked Sridevi’s return to screen after long gap and was well received by audiences and critics. It remains one of her most recognised performances in later years.
Sridevi passed away in 2018. She remains one of Indian cinema’s most recognised actresses, with career spanning several decades across multiple languages.
‘English Vinglish’ is often cited as one of the films that showed her range as performer in more understated role compared to her earlier commercial successes.
Since ‘English Vinglish’, Hussain has continued working across Hindi cinema, regional films and international projects. He has appeared in titles spanning different genres and has built a reputation for his work in independent and festival circuit films.
His latest project, ‘52 Blue’, is scheduled for a screening at the London Indian Film Festival. Details about the film’s full lineup and other selections at the festival have not been shared yet.
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