Lunchbox Reviews - Page 7

Saajan Ka Dabba

Rating : * * *

The Lunchbox is a film that serves some wonderful starters and offers a sumptuous main course. However the wait for desserts is way too long and then when you are ready for that, the items are not even revealed.

Eventually, you do feel that pet toh bhar gaya, par mann nahi.

Though the film has been touted as a return to Hrishikesh Mukherjee brand of movies, the fact is that it belongs more to the New Wave cinema that had made its presence felt during the late 70s and early 80s. This means that a major part of the narrative is punctuated by long pauses, several static shots with the principle characters not in the frame, the sound design that transcends through scenes and dialogues as well as dialogue delivery that stays natural to the core.

It is this natural act by the three key protagonists - Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui - that holds this 100 odd minutes film together, though its a different matter that the film seems much longer. Oh yes, one may attribute that to the leisurely pace of the film but then that understandable, considering the genre. There are repetitive scenes as well but then when the entire premise is centred on Irrfan and Nimrat communicating via letters stuffed beneath rotis, that too can be excused.

Meanwhile Irrfan continues to marvel like always. The reluctance, aloofness, tenderness, realisation of self worth, battle between matters of heart and mind is brought together marvelously by the man who is going through some terrific form. Nimrat Kaur plays the part of a bored housewife really well and seems to have really seeped into the character. She is natural to the core and same holds true for Nawaz. He is the comic relief of the film and is excellent in practically every scene that he appears

This means that while the base is set really well for the film, it's the wait for the twist in the tale that surprisingly never comes. This in fact is that part of the film when it isn't quite an exciting suspense build up but a way too extended wait for the finale which takes up time, hence resulting in that sense of 'something missing'. Climax sequence falls in this category as well where everything is left open for interpretation. While critically this may appear to be a masterstroke, one wonders whether audience beyond niche would be happy to see the movie to end the way it eventually does.

There are some genuine heartwarming and chuckle worthy sequences that come in though. (Spoilers ahead) Nawaz's constant persuasion with Irrfan, Irrfan complaining of less salt in the food, duo being reprimanded by the boss, Irrfan's longing for reading the letters, his sigh of relief on knowing that Nimrat and her daughter are safe - so many things work in the film.

However just when one was looking forward to some twist in the tale, there is none whatsoever that indeed makes one feel if those couple of hours gone behind have really been well spent. Watch it but mainly for the performances of the three actors.

Saturday, 21st September 11:15 AM IST

"The Lunchbox" was very limited release for niche audience and film got decent release only in urban high end multiplexes. Film was released in 400-425 screens.

Film started slowly in the morning but got steam as the day progressed. Film collected decent 1.25 cr nett on day one and should register jumps in next two days. Film still has chance to touch 7 cr nett weekend.

#TheLunchbox Fri *actuals* 1.44cr.. V.Good

In an age when instant messaging, email, and various social media have made communication easier and quicker, debutant writer-director Ritesh Batra relies on scribbled notes tucked in tiffin boxes to deliver a charming, old-fashioned love story in 'The Lunchbox'. There's a simple line in this sumptuous film that captures its essence beautifully: "Sometimes even the wrong train can take you to the right destination." It's a line that might help interpret the film's open ending, but one that also nicely sums up its unique premise.

Neglected housewife and caring mother Ila (Nimrat Kaur), determined to spice up her loveless marriage, heeds the advice of a well-meaning Aunty in the flat upstairs (a terrific Bharati Achrekar, heard but never seen) and whips up a killer meal for her husband. But as luck would have it, a rare error in Mumbai's famously efficient dabbawala service results in the tiffin landing up at the desk of a grumpy accountant on the verge of retirement, a widower named Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan). On realizing that her lovingly prepared meal was eaten by someone else, Ila encloses a note in the steel lunchbox the following day. Saajan writes back and this pair of strangers begins a tentative friendship through routinely exchanged letters, sharing with each other their dreams, their memories of loved ones snatched away, and their empty lives.

As much a love letter to Mumbai as it is a searing portrait of loneliness, 'The Lunchbox' unfolds against the bustle of this teeming city. Batra and his cinematographer give us skillfully composed sequences of a dabba's long journey from the kitchen to the desk of its intended recipient. We travel with our characters in local trains, buses and taxis; we go into Ila's middle-class cheek-to-jowl apartment block to Saajan's modest Bandra cottage and the dull government office he has worked 35 years at. It's a metro bursting at its seams, and yet our protagonists are lost souls here.

The third wheel in this story is Nawazuddin Siddiqui's character Shaikh, a younger officer poised to take over from Saajan. Cheery, optimistic and always making the most of an opportunity, Shaikh forges a bond with the taciturn Saajan despite the dour older man's initial reluctance. You see flashes of Mumbai in Shaikh's personality - it is a city that invites you to embrace it with all its flaws. Nawazuddin is wholly endearing and funny in the role; we're unaccustomed to seeing the actor in this light and it's a sheer delight.

Still, it is the two central actors that grab hold of your attention in this story. Irrfan Khan, as the loner who loosens up when he falls in love, makes a nuanced role seem deceptively simple, yet gives Saajan emotional heft. With 'The Lunchbox', Irrfan adds another inspired performance to his extraordinary repertoire. The surprise ingredient here is the relatively unknown Nimrat Kaur as Ila. Playing an insecure hausfrau who gradually blossoms into her own person, the actress doesn't take one wrong step. Spending much of the film alone, she makes Ila entirely believable, yet infuses her with an irresistible luminosity.

The unseen hero of this delicious love story is writer-director Ritesh Batra who pulls off a near perfect script that's reflective of a city and the people that live in it. Through the relationships his characters share, Batra displays a great understanding of human nature, embracing its many complexities. He also masterfully blends food into this narrative, turning it into such a sensory experience that you want to rush out of the cinema and tuck into a lovely meal. The single false note in this bittersweet symphony is Lilette Dubey, a tad over-made up, her performance uncharacteristically melodramatic for this subtle film.

I'm going with five out of five for 'The Lunchbox'. The greatest love stories are the ones that make you root for the protagonists to come together, despite their destinies. This film illustrates how love transforms the unlikeliest of people; it breaks down Saajan's walls and gives Ila the courage to fly. Treat yourself to 'The Lunchbox' - it'll leave you with a craving to seek your own little happiness. The best film I've seen in a long time.

Rating: 5 / 5

#LUNCHBOX emerging as the best Reviewed Film ever...and the audience love pouring in...@Riteshbatra may have made the perfect film...

Lunch box is one of this finest films Indian has ever produced . If sent undoubtedly it will bring an Oscar for the country .