The Lunchbox
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Lillete Dubey, Nakul Vaid
Rating: (PG)
Four stars (out of five)
In Mumbai, where an estimated 5000 men, known as dabbawallahs, deliver up to 200,000 lunchboxes daily from homes and restaurants, one delivery doesn't reach its intended recipient.
To wean the attention of husband Rajiv (Nakul Vaid) away from his cellphone, Ila (Nimrat Kaur) cooks a special lunch to be sent to his work.
When the lunchbox return empty she is encouraged that Rajiv liked the food but soon realises the lunch went to the wrong man.
Ila encloses a note with her lunch the next day.
The dabbawallah's mistake is not a one-off, and the note strikes an unexpected chord with Saajan (Irrfan Khan), an ageing accountant in a soul-destroying job.
That about sums up the plot that mimics any number of Western rom-coms, except that The Lunchbox is awash with a subcontinent sensibility.
Beautifully shot in a quasi-cinema verite style, both Kaur and Khan really capture what it means to cling to the small ray of light gifted to them through a strange twist of fate.
The ''will they or won't they meet'' question is almost superfluous, as Ritesh Batra's script skilfully weaves their enlightening conversation about life, love and hope around the bustling metropolis enveloping them.
Best thing: The ending. Too often obtuse endings leave you feeling empty, but The Lunchbox gets it just right.
Worst thing: Not being able to taste or smell the food.
See it with: A reservation at an Indian restaurant afterwards.
- Mark Orton
