The Lunchbox
The soul of India can be found in the colours, tastes and smell of its food, so it seems appropriate that DIFF Muhr Asia Africa jury member Shekhar Kapur called the old-fashioned romance called The Lunchbox “The most ‘Indian’ film I’ve seen in a long time”. In the film, Irrfan Khan plays Saajan, an accountant approaching retirement with a fear of growing old. Nimrit Kaur’s Ila has a husband who fails to notice her and, though a mixup, ends up cooking tantalising Indian meals for Saajan accompanied by a note. They open their hearts to each other, even though they’ve never met. Debut director Ritesh Batra depicts his characters as alienated from those around them, clinging to home comforts in a modern India moving too fast for them to catch up.
The film got a warm reception from the audience at DIFF.
“It wasn’t glamourised, it was realistic,” said a woman from India who caught the Wednesday night screening. “Other Indian films don’t compare. I was a true work of art.
