The Lunchbox

2013 | Drama | 105 minutes | Hindi with English subtitles

Info

Ila is a young wife in Mumbai anxious to bring a spark of romance to her marriage with her husband Rajiv. Ila decides to prepare a scrumptious lunch for Rajiv that she feels will please him very much. She uses a local service to deliver the lunchbox from her home directly to Rajiv’s desk at work. But there’s a mixup. Ila’s lunchbox is delivered by mistake to Saajan Fernandes, a widower who is about to retire. Ila writes a note to Saajan about the mixup and places it in the lunchbox. An exchange of messages between Ila and Saajan ignites a friendship between the two as they share memories and events in their lives. In shock, Ila finds out that Rajiv is having an affair. With her marriage crumbling she sends a note to Saajan that she plans to move to Bhutan where the cost of living is less. Saajan suggests they move there together. They decide to meet at a restaurant to discuss this, but Saajan does not show up. Saajan confesses to Ila that he did show up, but when he saw her looking so lovely and young, he got cold feet. Ila is still determined to leave her husband and move to Bhutan with her daughter. Meanwhile, Saajan changes his mind and decides to look for Ila in the crowded streets of Mumbai. Will they connect or will they each end up living money lives.

Cast

Irrfan Khan (Saajan Fernandes) / Nimrat Kaur (Ila) / Nakul Vaid (Rajiv)

Why Stream This Film?

The Lunchbox provides a searing emotional experience: as cities get more crowded, they can also get more lonely.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 97%
Metacritic Score: 76

Accolades

75th Venice Film Festival, Winner, Golden Lion
Ten Academy Award Nominations. Winner: Best Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Best Cinematographer (Alfonso Cuarón)
Festivals: Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York
Best Film of 2018: Time Magazine and The New York Film Critics Circle

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