The Lunchbox

“Sometimes a wrong train can take you to the right place” – this is the essence captured in this brilliant movie, The Lunchbox. It is a story of a beautiful relationship between two strangers and how love can evolve in an unusual situation. An excellent execution of a simple love story between a young housewife and a middle-aged man. This story is one of its kind and breaks new boundaries in Indian Cinema.

Sajan Fernandez (Irrfan Khan) is a lonely widower and is close to his retirement. He has a mundane routine which for him is his world. He is punctual and immaculate. On the other hand there is an unhappy housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur) who is trying to spice up her boring marriage with her exquisite culinary skills. One day there is a mistake in the delivery made by the dabbawala. They deliver the dabba to Sajan mistaking him to be Ila's husband, who she is trying to win back. It seems her husband has not missed her sumptuous food while Sajan is surprised by the food prepared by the local eatery. Soon Ila realises something’s amiss and it also does not take long for Sajan to discover the same. It is from here the story takes a new course and gets interesting. Ila and Sajan start exchanging letters and forge a friendship. They regularly exchange letters, their dreams and the emptiness in their respective lives. Just when Sajan is soaking in a new bond, he is given the responsibility to train his replacement Shaikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who is young, vibrant and talkative. He often tells small lies but is harmless and has his own story to share. All in all, he is a very likeable character. Soon Shaikh & Sajan develop a camaraderie between them. But do Ila & Sajan eventually meet? Do they stay in touch or are they separated by circumstances? It does not have an ending which one may have thought of while watching the movie, but it is still likable.

The movie is well directed and it holds the audience's attention throughout the movie. The characters are well sketched and the actors have been aptly chosen. Rarely do we get to see two powerhouse performers like Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the same shot........ and with what brilliance!!! They seemed so natural and look every bit their respective character. Irrfan Khan’s expressions, mannerism, his body language speaks volumes of him being a great actor. As for the debutant Nimrat Kaur, she is a delight to watch. She makes the character Ila look real. It shows sheer dedication and the hardwork put in by all. There are some real dabbawalas that we get to see in the movie in minor roles. There are some great moments in the movie. I specially like the blind man gag followed by a momentary silence by Irrfan. The story makes you think about the little things in life which are worth living for. This genre of movie may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I still strongly recommend this movie to all who appreciate the nuances of simple film making. I am a believer of such simple cinema and subtle love stories. This one is certainly not to be missed. A great love story is the one which is treated well and is minimalistic in its approach and is yet be able to deliver a heart-warming experience. It is not every day we see a movie that is worth the time and money spent.

In terms of story, performance, direction, importance to details given to characterisation, their appearances, mannerisms and entertainment, I rate this movie as 5/5.

Nidhi