There is an airport ending, too, but not in the classical sense. Again, the thought is pragmatic and sensitive; distance, at times, is the only way to create space for better engagement. And then you hear his voice, “Not all stories have heroes called Shah Rukh Khan…” – and you instantly know why a movie that thrives on inverting the angrezi of love isn’t as novel as it should have been: it is too busy flaunting its humble grammar.

The problem is not with acting or cinematography, it is the script that makes what could have been an exceptional tale of loss of love, a run-of-the-mill Bollywood masala flick.

This is a small film with a very big heart, enduring in its statement on the erosion of mutual respect in a marriage of convenience, and endearing in its susceptibility to keep the narrative clutter-free when the stakes are piled heavily against a friction-free condition of existence.Oh, and yes. This is a two-hero film. Sanjay Mishra and the city of Varanasi.

Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain is neither entertaining nor compelling. It is at its best, watchable in parts. Far from a project destined for excellence in cinema, it is rather an excellent example of ordinary filmmaking.