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Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Movie review (Hindi)

The Lunchbox

Yes, the central character of the movie is the Lunch box or Dabba as it is known in Mumbai where the movie unfolds. It is the story of a stainless steel lunch box with four container contained in a green bag which is delivered from Ila (Nimrat Kaur, the female protagonist) to Fernandes (Irrfan Khan, the male protagonist). The twist lies in the fact that the dabba is delivered to the wrong person. The dabba lands up on the wrong table for several days and so we have this unique story unfold with every letter sent in the box.

Kudos to the director for fusing documentary and drama. The Mumbai local trains, the dabbawallas, their singing together – it’s all a slice of reality and seems to be happening somewhere in my neighbourhood. And thanks to the producers for having landed such a talented cast with Nawazuddin adding to the magic. The voice of the neighbour is an interesting touch to get the movie going ahead since Ila has no one to share her dilemmas with, which again showcased lives in the city. Hard hitting stories of Ila’s mother, her brother, her unseen neighbour, her husband’s affair add on to the bigger picture.


So does the lonely housewife and excellent cook, Ila get to meet the middle-aged Fernandes? Cunningly, the director leaves us to decide that.

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