The Lunchbox (2013)

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.

Director:

Ritesh Batra

Writers:

Ritesh Batra (screenplay), Vasan Bala (hindi dialogue consultant)

Stars:

Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Top Rated Indian Movies #156 | Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 28 wins & 37 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Irrfan Khan	...	Saajan Fernandes
Nimrat Kaur	...	Ila
Nawazuddin Siddiqui	...	Shaikh
Lillete Dubey	...	Ila's Mother
Nakul Vaid	...	Rajeev
Bharti Achrekar	...	Auntie
Yashvi Puneet Nagar	...	Yashvi
Denzil Smith	...	Mr. Shroff
Shruti Bapna	...	Mehrunnisa
Nasirr Khan	...	Ila's Father (as Nasir Khan)
Lokesh Raj	...	Duke's Owner
Sadashiv Kondaji Pokarkar	...	Dabbawallah at Ila's House
Aarti Rathod	...	Saajan's Neighbor
Krishna Bai	...	Toothless Woman
Raj Rishi More	...	Ila's Brother

Storyline

The film, set in Mumbai, revolves around a mistaken delivery by the Dabbawalas (lunchbox service) of Mumbai, which leads to a relationship between Saajan, a lonely widower close to retirement, and Ila, an unhappy housewife, as they start exchanging notes through the daily lunchbox.

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Plot Keywords:

lunchbox | retirement | unconventional romance | open ended | delivery to wrong address | 

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Taglines:

Can you fall in love with someone you have never met?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ritesh Batra, who had made short films, The Morning Ritual, Gareeb Nawaz ki Taxi and Cafe Regular, Cairo, started researching for a documentary on the famous Lunchbox delivery system of Mumbai, dabbawala, known for their efficiency, however after spending a week with them in 2007, he got to know of many interesting personal stories they would overhear while waiting outside an apartment. This idea gave birth to the idea of the film, and instead of making the documentary he began writing a film script.

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Goofs

When Saajan works in the canteen on behalf of Shaikh he has a green marker in his hand, but when the camera changes it turns into red. In the same scene Saajan holds a red marker but when the camera changes it turns into a pen.

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Quotes

Ila: Somwhere I read that the wrong train can lead you to the right station...

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Connections

Featured in Bollywood and Beyond: A Century of Indian Cinema (2015)

User Reviews

Must enjoy the spicy curry in the LUNCHBOX

Must watch with a full stomach, else you'll have a watering mouth every five minutes while watching the plot. India is a country where we give utmost importance to food & family. This story, packed in a Lunchbox, comes to your table & gives you a flavor of Indian ethnicity & the emotions we go through in everyday life !

The overcrowded local trains, Harvard certified Mumbai Dabbawalas, Amidst busy working hours, an irritating yet likable junior And the best friend "Aunty" to a direction less housewife

All this should be enough to drag you to the cinema house & enjoy the spicy curry in the LUNCHBOX.

Details

Official Sites:

Cine Mosaic Official Site

Country:

India France Germany USA Canada

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

20 September 2013 (India)

Also Known As:

The Lunchbox

Filming Locations:

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$44,542, 2 March 2014

Gross USA:

$4,235,151

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,621,777

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sikhya Entertainment, DAR Motion Pictures, National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1