Film Of The Week

The Lunchbox, a gentle and charming film from India brings to mind the classic Hollywood film, The Shop Around the Corner and its modern remake, You’ve Got Mail. It reminds us of the inherent romance of letter writing at a time when electronic modes of communication have made it verge on being obsolete.

Writer/Director Ritesh Batra’s debut feature film has been a hit at the major film festivals, winning the Critics’ Week Viewers’ Choice Award at Cannes, and being in Official Selection at Sundance among others. Set in the bustling city of Mumbai, it’s an intimate drama with touches of humour as two lonely and disaffected souls find unexpected companionship.

We first meet wife and mother, Ila (Nimrat Kaur), in her small apartment as she makes food to be delivered to her husband at work. A floor above is her unseen Auntie, simply referred to as Auntie, and it’s a regular source of humour to hear Auntie’s shouted advice to Ila on how to make her apparently unappreciative husband start to notice her again. The lunch is picked up by one of the city’s thousands of bicycle-riding delivery people (dabbawallas) and delivered to the desk of office worker, Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan – Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire, In Treatment). Saajan immediately realises there’s something awry because it’s not the food he ordered from a local café, but he eats every mouthful because it’s so delicious.  

Ila and Saajan eventually work out what’s going on after a series of notes are sent between them in the food containers, and a daily correspondence starts between them, progressing from comments about the food to intimate details about their lives and philosophies. Meanwhile, Saajan, about to retire from his job, is hounded by the young and eager Shaikh (Nawazzudin Siddiqui) to train him to take over the position and Ila becomes suspicious about her husband’s movements.

Batra uses an effective device of occasionally jumping forward to an event and then showing what led up to it, which somehow deepens the emotional impact as we wonder why a choice has been made and are then enlightened. Both lead actors are compelling to watch, with the overall result being as delicious as Ila’s mouthwatering food.

by Vicki Englund