English Vinglish star Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachchan. English Vinglish star Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya Bachchan. The film celebrates the unique qualities of Indian English. 

BRITISH diplomats posted to India will first need to learn Hindi, as ''Hinglish'' - a blend of Hindi and English - becomes the country's most important language.

The move marks a return to colonial practice when young officers first learnt to speak Hindustani, Urdu and Persian before their postings, as well as recognition that English is no longer the favoured language of India's political and business elites.

In recent years there has been a rise of powerful politicians and new billionaires in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states who either do not speak English or pepper it with Hindi phrases they feel better capture their meaning.

The rise of Hinglish has frustrated British diplomats as it has become more widely used on India's English language television news channels and in the country's English press. Officials believe diplomats fluent in Hindi will develop a better understanding of India and be quicker to spot business opportunities for British companies.

The move comes as the unique nature of Indian English is celebrated in English Vinglish, a hit Bollywood film. The story revolves around an Indian middle-class housewife who decides to learn English because she is ridiculed by her family.

While English is no longer the exclusive language of choice for India's business elite, it is still a badge of status and a passport to better jobs.

Bollywood film titles increasingly use Hinglish - in the film Jab We Met (When We Met), for example - while commercials routinely blend the two languages. A shampoo ad featuring Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, urged female viewers: ''Come on girls, waqt hai shine karne ka!'' (it's time to shine).

Hindi and English words have moved freely between the languages for 200 years and have been celebrated in dedicated dictionaries, such as the Hobson-Jobson. Words such as cummerbund, pyjama, shampoo, bungalow and doolally are all of Indian origin.

But the increasing mash of the languages has led to a move away from English alone being regarded as sufficient for diplomats. ''The Foreign Office is placing increasing importance on the ability to transact business in foreign languages,'' said a British high commission spokesman.

''English news channels often have a portion where people choose to express themselves in Hindi because it captures what they're trying to say better than the English equivalent, so it's increasingly important for British diplomats to be able to appreciate the nuances.''

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