Writer/Director: Ritesh Batra
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddun Siddiqui
‘A Captivating Indian Classic’
Few actors in Bollywood are as celebrated as Irrfan Khan. Ever since his rise to fame during the 1960’s, Khan appeared to be a star with a bright future in the industry. Whether it’s star-crossed lovers, gangsters or storytellers, Khan proved he could portray several unforgettable characters. Khan’s finest strength as an actor was always his versatility. Through his abilities to portray characters that are relatable, Khan became an actor audiences value. Khan was an actor with the rare ability to convey emotion through his expressions without speaking any words. However, in 2020 Khan’s great career was all of a sudden cut tragically short when he passed away from Cancer. Khan’s shocking death marked a huge loss for the film industry. His unexpected death left movie-goers in India which grew up watching the actor emotionally affected. In the wake of his tragic death, Khan left behind several unforgettable movies which are worth celebrating. Throughout his enduring career, Khan constructed many commemorated movies that are worth watching.
I’m a huge fan of Khan and adore all the films he has made in his enduring career. However, “The Lunchbox” definitely stands out as being my favourite. Since its release in 2013, Ritesh Batra’s movie has stood the test of time as an Indian classic. Packed with strong production, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best Bollywood films ever made. At the centre of it all is an exceptional turn by Irrfan Khan, who embodies an Indian man that forms a bond with a lunch lover. Ultimately, what makes “The Lunchbox” a captivating Bollywood classic is its message. The movie delivers a meaningful message about social class which would resonate with everyone. A captivating Bollywood classic about lunches, there are several strong reasons why “The Lunchbox” is a movie which is definitely worth seeing.
Set in modern Mumbai, “The Lunchbox” tells a story of two lovers that connect over love for a lunchbox. Irrfan Khan plays Saajan Fernandez, a work-oriented man driven to succeed in his job. Saajan has always paid attention toward his job with little time in the world if any for a romance. However, Saajan’s life changes when he connects with a woman through a lunchbox delivery system. Ila (Nimrat Kaur) is a woman with a love for cooking Indian dishes. Forming a strong bond together, Saajan and Ila often get along well with each other. Through notes that they deliver to each other in the lunchbox, Saajan and Ila develop a powerful relationship together. However, their fantasy relationship is threatened by the harsh realities of living in an uncompromising country. As their secret love affair is revealed publicly, Saajan questions if it’s possible to pursue romance with a woman which he doesn’t know entirely. Faced with a dilemma, Saajan discovers the harsh realities of living in India.
Ritesh Batra is fascinated with the stories of lovers in India. A renowned filmmaker, Batra has often told stories about lovers which face grim obstacles in India. With “The Lunchbox”, however, the filmmaker created his first drama about lovers in India. It was the director’s first attempt to capture the barriers experienced by lovers in India, but he succeeded immensely. Through spellbinding cinematography, Batra captures a pair of strangers bonding over their lunch in India. Batra effectively uses montages capturing the strong bonds between a pair of lovers in India. For instance, montages elevate the lunch scene. During this memorable scene, Saajan and Ila bond together over their lunch delivery system. One appreciates montages capturing the bonds between a pair of lovers exchanging notes over their lunch. Montages are complicated techniques to use in movies. As Farhan Akhtar’s “Dil Chahta Hai” claimed, montages elevate classic Indian films about friendships. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through breathtaking visuals, Batra captures hardships that strangers are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “The Lunchbox” is the production design. Batra effectively uses real-life locales capturing the beauty of India. Throughout the movie, India serves as a strong backdrop capturing the lives of lovers facing a dilemma. For instance, the backdrop of India elevates the banana scene. During this scene, Saajan expresses his thoughts about eating habits of citizens living in India. One admires the backdrop of India that captures the social class traditions of the country. Real life locales of India are tricky techniques to utilize in films. As Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” had demonstrated, real life Indian locales enhance movies about poverty in India. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Moreover, the musical score is magnificent. Max Richtner’s music is integral towards the success of the movie. It gives the movie a warm atmosphere capturing the heavy burden that commemorated lovers in India bear. Through phenomenal production-design, Batra captures the lives of Indian lovers that face a decline.
Storytelling is one of the key reasons why “The Lunchbox” is a captivating Indian classic that is compelling. The movie is beautifully written, and successfully uses voice over narration to capture the tensions endured by working-class men in India. Batra’s screenwriting strength is his abilities to capture the tensions of lovers in India using voice-over narration. Throughout the movie, Saajan expresses his thoughts on Indian life using insightful voice over narration. Batra effectively uses narration to capture the tensions faced by Indian lovers. For instance, the voice over narration enhances the letters scene. During this heartfelt scene, Saajan is reflecting on his life in Indian society through meaningful voice over narration. Narration is a tricky technique to use in movies. As Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” demonstrated, narration enhances adaptations of survival books. Mira Nair’s “The Namesake” suggested that narration elevates Indian films about immigration. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through a bold screenplay, Batra captures the lives of lovers in India today.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Irrfan Khan delivers one of his finest career performances as Saajan. Khan achieved appreciation for playing conflicted heroes in Shakespearean adaptations. With “The Lunchbox”, however, he took on his most complex role. It isn’t simple to embody the personality of a man forming relationships among lovers in India, but he succeeded tremendously. This is the actor unlike you’ve ever seen him before: intense, charismatic and emotional in his most meaningful role. With mesmerizing expressions, he captures angst, desperation and trauma of an Indian man that seeks romance. It’s a powerful performance from one of the finest actors that had once worked in India.
Nimrat Kaur is phenomenal as a woman stuck in broken marriages facing emotional damage. While Khan gets the showier role, Kaur is equally excellent as a woman stuck in a broken marriage spiralling out of control. Kaur is one of those actresses that has always had an aptitude for conveying emotions by her monologues and her strengths are evident in “The Lunchbox”. Whether she’s flirting with Saajan through letter writing or pursuing her passion for cooking, Kaur effectively employs her body language to create a strong woman that’s compelling. It’s a strong performance from one of the greatest actresses working in India today.
Finally, “The Lunchbox” will earn everyone’s appreciation for its depiction of Indian social class traditions. Unlike most Bollywood films, the movie tackles universal themes everyone would relate to. The film tackles commemorated themes including identity, marriage and mental health which would definitely resonate with everyone. It delivers a strong message about social class which will definitely resonate with everyone. Therefore, “The Lunchbox” is one of those rare Bollywood movies everyone would adore.
Fans of Irrfan Khan will definitely appreciate “The Lunchbox” and so will movie-goers seeking thought-provoking entertainment. A captivating Bollywood classic, it celebrates an actor that built an iconic legacy before passing away in ways which were tragic.
Nearly 10 years following the release of a groundbreaking Bollywood film about strangers exchanging notes on their lives through lunch they are eating, it’s a captivating reminder of an incredible actor that built a lasting legacy gaining a huge fan following through his abilities to portray larger-than-life characters that are compelling whose engaging movies are definitely without a doubt worth celebrating years after his heartbreaking passing left the world mourning.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 