“What happens if we don’t have anyone to tell our stories? I think we forget things if we have no one to tell them to.”
The Lunchbox is one of those movies that has the depth of an ocean. It’s a movie about a wrongly delivered lunchbox that connects a frustrated housewife and a lonely widower. For the people who don’t want to think much and would watch the movie for some dopamine hits, this will be the story. But the story has much more meaning to offer if you have the patience to sink deeper.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Why You Shouldn’t Watch
The depth and subtlety make the movie meaningful for intentional watchers. But it might be difficult for the regular viewer. So don’t even think about this movie if you’re looking for something to pass some time in a crowded train station or airport, or looking for a movie that will save you from your boring trip to your nani’s house. You get the idea, right? If you are not mindful enough, you’ll only get bored and frustrated because of the slow pace of the movie.
Why You Should Watch
What makes the movie wonderful is probably not the story—because the story’s too simple. It’s the characters, their interactions with each other, and the interpretations we make of the silence between them.
There is a hidden conflict inside both the main characters. They each has their own beliefs that’s holding them. Finally you’d get to see how their connection influences them to shatter the rigid opinion about their life they have followed for years. You’d get to see them slowly and gradually break free and it’d be a wonderful feeling to see them do that.
We have to talk about the brilliant performance of Irrfan Khan. Many actors and filmmakers say that he was one of the best actors we had, and this movie would make you believe that. He played the part of Saajan Fernandez so well that you couldn’t think—or bother to think—that anyone other than him could play that role.
Then there are Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Nimrat Kaur, who are not very celebrated actors in the Bollywood film industry. Maybe they didn’t have the looks or dance moves. But the performances they gave in this movie suggest why they play an important role in keeping the essence of true cinema alive.
Writer’s Advice
To enjoy the movie, you have to deeply observe the characters. There are no big dialogues or earth-shattering twists. But, every dialogue is intentional. You really have to look closely without missing anything to understand the gravity of the things.
And lastly, the movie helps us understand our lives better. You just have to look for similarities in situations or perspectives. Maybe, if you look closely, you’ll change the way you look at things after watching this movie.
Best Time to Watch The Lunchbox
You should watch The Lunchbox on a rainy silent evening when you feel lonely and searching for connection.
People behind The Lunchbox
The Lunchbox is directed by Ritesh Batra. For the screenplay, the director also had the help of Rutvik Oza, who contributed to the dialogues, character development, structuring of the plot, refining of scenes, etc. Other notable names include Guneet Monga (Producer) and Anurag Kashyap (Producer).
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