The Lunchbox (Review): Serves the recipe of life!

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and the way to your own heart is through a lunch box! This lunch box, serves the recipe of life, is indeed a special one!

The two strangers become pen pals by a coincidence thanks to the Dabbawalas. The unique dabba culture is efficient to point of perfection but a tiny flaw in the delivery leads to the yummy twist in the events.  The entire film flows smoothly like a mocktail and you are tempted by the dabba every time it is prepared and unpacked. The wait for the “chithhi” tucked in with the roti’s can be felt with the characters of Irfan Khan’s and Nimrat’s characters. The Lunchbox re-garnishes the art of letter writing.

The movie is soft on the presentation but very engrossing with its meaning. The modesty in the dialogues is really sweet for the funny bone. Nawazuddin’s line – “Good morning sir, Kaise hain aap?” and his coy smile are a breath of fresh air because of its innocence. The only indigestible part is the repeated wrong delivery of the dabba and the fact that a capable person who is being offered a high position can make silly blunders!

The simplicity of each character makes you fall in love with it. Irfan Khan as Mr. Sajan Fernandes is quite believable when he’s on his office desk and even when he is shrouded with solitude when he refuses to give the ball to kids on the street. Nimrat Kaur as Ila is the vulnerable sweet house wife who pours out her heart into the pages torn out of her daughters note book. Lillette dubey plays the unconventional mummy but looks a little unreal. Bharati Achrekar is the neighbour who can be confided in with all the homely and kitchen matters. Her voice is sufficient for the guidance, because she did not get featured even once in film.

The love blooms in the letters but does it lead the two into a defined relationship in the end is something which everyone watches out for. The film ends quite abruptly because of which it is unable to leave an everlasting after taste.  We can say that the lunch box is quite fresh and also very light on the stomach.

Ratings : 4.5/5