Movie Review: The Lunchbox

So finally a film is here which makes you smile throughout. The Lunch Box is a very sweet attempt by Ritesh Batra, the captain of this ship. While all Irrfan and Nawaz fans would know by now what to expect from this tale, the debutante Nimrat Kaur does not disappoint at all. She's fresh and completely knows what she is doing. Welcome to filmdom Nimrat, you're surely here to stay.

The Lunch Box is one such film that has brought names like Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga, Arun Rangachari, UTV Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, DAR Motion Pictures and NFDC together in one project. 

The script of the film is as interesting as the casting.  Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui who are the 2 effortlessly brilliant actors of Indian Cinema face each other in a film and not trying to bring anyone down but just playing their parts with utmost sincerity. 

Irrfan Khan plays the part of Saajan Fernandez who is a middle aged man living a very bland and boring life. He is a widower and has no colour in his life. He takes the bus, then the local train and works continuously in the claims department, eats lunch, comes back home and sleeps. Well, that pretty much sums up his entire life. Khan underplays the character and very effortlessly shows us what aloofness is without making it rude. Well, whatever you say about this wonder is less. He is Irrfan Khan and he is brilliant. 

Nimrat Kaur is Ila who is a neglected housewife. She tries to cook food for her husband to please him thinking that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach but unfortunately that does not happen. She is just neglected throughout and well, thats the sad life Ila leads. 

Fernandez and Ila are 2 characters who are living the same life and somehow their destiny clashes with each other. A Lunchbox cooked by Ila is by mistake delivered to Fernandez and now begins the sweetest tale of love. In the age of technology, a romance blossoming over handwritten letters is a treat to watch. Surprisingly, the  2 characters in the film exchange everything they have to share on a piece of paper without meeting each other and that is the power of love. Love should catch the heart and not the eye is more or less the sub text here. And yes! This catches our heart too. 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is Shaikh who plays the over enthusiastic trainee. The annoyance of his character becomes endearing here. Shaikh is an orphan and has lived his life all alone until he meets the love of his life. His urge to learn and do something makes his come to his senior, Fernandez and say just one line, Hello Sir, Kaise Hain Aap? Toh phir training shuru karein? in different tones all the time. Aw, You do feel for this one too. 

When asked Karan Johar his first reaction after watching the film, he very proudly said that the first thing that he wanted to do the moment the film got over was to eat. I totally agree with Mr. Johar here. The food in the film has been shot in the way that it makes you slobber throughout and makes you want to eat that hot home cooked food that your mother makes. 

Ritesh Batra who is also the writer of the film has used sarcasm as well. In an exchange of dialogues between the 2 best talents we have in this country, Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Irrfan says " There is no value for talent in this country".  Now if this was done on purpose or no, we cant say but the line truly makes sense. 

The Lunch Box is a sunshine film and it does make you feel good about things in the end. Many people would question the ending as the director has left the end of this story open. But well, that depends on how your thoughts float. A pessimist would think that the love between Ila and Fernandez has ended but in the same scene a optimist would dream of them meeting and falling and staying in love. 

All in all The Lunchbox should be watched by one and all. The film has made us proud at Cannes and should work equally well in its country as well. Its fresh, its sweet and it deserves a chance to walk proudly with arms wide open in a country which has produced love sagas. Come and watch this one and you'll fall in love with the idea of love again.