THE LUNCHBOX 4.5 stars
Warning: You will come out starving after watching so many culinary items.
Have you fallen in love with a person, whom you have never seen and yet you are teetotally excited for one such moment from your love, "almost everyday", which could change you? I bet, not once. The Lunchbox is one such tale. The complacent 'dabbawalas' in the hustling city of Mumbai feed scores of people everyday. They are known for their discernible and timely delivery of the dabbas. Then comes a day, when a lunchbox gets wrongly delivered, which trigers an invisible yet gaily romance between a hassled housewife ILA (Nimrat Kaur), who shuffles between her little daughter and negligent husband, who's having an extra-marital affair, and, a middle-aged widower Government officer Saajan Fernandez (Irrfan Khan). What follows are days of communication through letters. They are not unheard of e-mails & phones but the lunchbox, with a letter everday, brings alive the old-fashioned romance between the two. Saajan has no spices in his life and follows his char with such maturity & ease that the audiences could evidently relate to with typical government employees. He keeps on dodging the man, Sheikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who is to replace him after his retirement and he is even rogue with children. As the conversations amplify, the topic switches from the basic food to that of their lives, letting them open up more about themselves. As the film strides, Ila rolls in a more confident woman. As for Saajan, who has given his 35 years to the job, transmutes from a melancholy employee to that of a man, whose life finds some color via the food. What happens to them thereon, forms the crux of the story.
The film has lasting sights of passing trains and messy government office & Ritesh Batra has done a magnificient job in showing the restlessness of the city entwined with the romance and not forgetting to provide some genuine laughs at regular intervals. Even the minutest details right from the settings to feelings of the three lead actors are taken extreme care of. Unlike typical Bollywood movies, the pace is gentle throughout the movie, which has its own merits in giving ample time for the spectators to adjust to the proceedings and in keeping the audiences engrossed. The director has not only chosen an unconventional plot but gets brownie points too in delivering a simple yet impactful portrayal of human feelings, besides the towering performances of the principal actors. Kudos to him.
On the flip side, the climax & the pace, though, may not appeal to the masses.
Irrfan Khan is the only KHAN who's not a SUPERSTAR but indeed a SUPER STAR. There's nothing he can't perform on. He's the soul of the movie & in true sense, TERRIFIC throughout. It's a delight to watch him again & again surpassing his own previous attempts. Right from his body language to the helplessness of a middle-aged man, he portrays, is simply fantastic. He never falters. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is completely in sync with his character. He is simply outstanding & flawless. He's both repulsive & endearing. No words could truly admire his screen timings and the camaraderie with Irrfan. Watch out for him when every time he comes from nowhere and greets Irrfan "KAISE HAIN SIR!!" and the scene when he invites Irrfan for his wedding. It would bring tears, merely because of his dialogue delivery. Nimrat Kaur is a surprise package. Standing tall in a movie which has Irrfan & Nawaz in the lead, is a daunting task & her performance needs to be lauded. She's the body of the movie. Nakul Vaid, Denzil Smith (as Mr. Shroff) and baby Yashvi Puneet Nagar (as Yashvi) are competent. Lillete Dubey is natural in the role of Ila’s mother. Bharti Achrekar’s voice adds spices. Not to forget, the foodstuffs would literally make your taste buds salivate.
On the whole, Ritesh Batra's meaningful take on love, life, committment & feelings needs to be lauded by the avid cinegoers. This bravura & honest attempt is sure not to be missed. A masterpiece & the most optimistic Bollywood movie been made, thus far.
Warning: You will come out starving after watching so many culinary items.
Have you fallen in love with a person, whom you have never seen and yet you are teetotally excited for one such moment from your love, "almost everyday", which could change you? I bet, not once. The Lunchbox is one such tale. The complacent 'dabbawalas' in the hustling city of Mumbai feed scores of people everyday. They are known for their discernible and timely delivery of the dabbas. Then comes a day, when a lunchbox gets wrongly delivered, which trigers an invisible yet gaily romance between a hassled housewife ILA (Nimrat Kaur), who shuffles between her little daughter and negligent husband, who's having an extra-marital affair, and, a middle-aged widower Government officer Saajan Fernandez (Irrfan Khan). What follows are days of communication through letters. They are not unheard of e-mails & phones but the lunchbox, with a letter everday, brings alive the old-fashioned romance between the two. Saajan has no spices in his life and follows his char with such maturity & ease that the audiences could evidently relate to with typical government employees. He keeps on dodging the man, Sheikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who is to replace him after his retirement and he is even rogue with children. As the conversations amplify, the topic switches from the basic food to that of their lives, letting them open up more about themselves. As the film strides, Ila rolls in a more confident woman. As for Saajan, who has given his 35 years to the job, transmutes from a melancholy employee to that of a man, whose life finds some color via the food. What happens to them thereon, forms the crux of the story.
The film has lasting sights of passing trains and messy government office & Ritesh Batra has done a magnificient job in showing the restlessness of the city entwined with the romance and not forgetting to provide some genuine laughs at regular intervals. Even the minutest details right from the settings to feelings of the three lead actors are taken extreme care of. Unlike typical Bollywood movies, the pace is gentle throughout the movie, which has its own merits in giving ample time for the spectators to adjust to the proceedings and in keeping the audiences engrossed. The director has not only chosen an unconventional plot but gets brownie points too in delivering a simple yet impactful portrayal of human feelings, besides the towering performances of the principal actors. Kudos to him.
On the flip side, the climax & the pace, though, may not appeal to the masses.
Irrfan Khan is the only KHAN who's not a SUPERSTAR but indeed a SUPER STAR. There's nothing he can't perform on. He's the soul of the movie & in true sense, TERRIFIC throughout. It's a delight to watch him again & again surpassing his own previous attempts. Right from his body language to the helplessness of a middle-aged man, he portrays, is simply fantastic. He never falters. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is completely in sync with his character. He is simply outstanding & flawless. He's both repulsive & endearing. No words could truly admire his screen timings and the camaraderie with Irrfan. Watch out for him when every time he comes from nowhere and greets Irrfan "KAISE HAIN SIR!!" and the scene when he invites Irrfan for his wedding. It would bring tears, merely because of his dialogue delivery. Nimrat Kaur is a surprise package. Standing tall in a movie which has Irrfan & Nawaz in the lead, is a daunting task & her performance needs to be lauded. She's the body of the movie. Nakul Vaid, Denzil Smith (as Mr. Shroff) and baby Yashvi Puneet Nagar (as Yashvi) are competent. Lillete Dubey is natural in the role of Ila’s mother. Bharti Achrekar’s voice adds spices. Not to forget, the foodstuffs would literally make your taste buds salivate.
On the whole, Ritesh Batra's meaningful take on love, life, committment & feelings needs to be lauded by the avid cinegoers. This bravura & honest attempt is sure not to be missed. A masterpiece & the most optimistic Bollywood movie been made, thus far.
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