The Lunchbox (2013)

The Lunchbox (2013)

A love letter to Mumbai and a gentle, enchanting romantic drama

The Very Best

8.9

Movie

Canada, France
English, Hindi
Drama, Romance
2013
RITESH BATRA
Bharati Achrekar, Denzil Smith, Irrfan Khan
104 min

What it's about

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.

The take

"Sometimes even the wrong train takes you to the right destination". In this thoughtful feature film debut by Ritesh Batra, we follow a lonely Indian housewife, Ila (Nimrat Kaur), as she tries to come to terms with a cheating husband, a stale relationship, and a dying father, while seeking love, attention, and appreciation through her cooking. One day, she sends out a special lunch to her husband, but her delivery goes to the wrong address. Spicy food is complemented with a spicy note and thus begins an unlikely and unique romance through the letters she packs in the lunchbox day after day. The man on the receiving end is Saajan, a middle-aged office worker, played by Bollywood star Irrfan Khan. With its delightful characters and beautiful acting, this was a huge success in India, but there is no reason to believe that this bittersweet, Mumbai-based story couldn't be a hit anywhere in the world.

Comments

Add a comment

What did you think? Who should watch it?

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Smoke (1995)

A gorgeous indie gem whose every note is worth inhaling

8.7

The Limey (1999)

A formally inventive neo-noir thriller that also acts as a fascinating reflection on cinematic history

8.6

EO (2022)

A thoughtful glimpse through the eyes of a beast of burden that doubles as a disconcerting portrait of humans

7.6

Cassandro (2023)

A gut-punch performance by Gael García Bernal elevates a conventional biopic

7.2

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

9.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

I’m Not There (2007)

An inspired spiritual biopic that miraculously reflects the poetry and unique essence of its singular subject

8.3

Theater Camp (2023)

Made with obvious love, this riotous shot of mockumentary joy also has a surprisingly sincere heart

8.1

Jaane Jaan (2023)

A Hindi thriller that keeps the suspense of Japanese novel

7.6

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2023 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.