The Lunchbox, produced jointly by Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and UTV Motion Picture, brings to us the rare epistolary. If the acclaim it has garnered before release is anything to go by, The Lunchbox promises a naturalist fare. Two fine performers called Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have been cast in 2 of the 3 lead characters with Nimrat Kaur (the Cadbury Silk lady) being the third. As one watches the film, realisation dawns that the acclaim so garnered is ever so slightly misleading. The Lunchbox ever so subtly cuts out a shapely slice of life fare.
The plot traces the exchange of letters that happens between a lonely middle age insurance company employee and an unhappy housewife when (shockingly) the dabbawala delivers lunch meant for the latter's hubby to the former and how this transforms their lives.
To come to the performances, it is a feast of underplaying on display here. Irrfan Khan displays his easy natural flair by doing exactly what is expected of him. Be it the subtle show of frustration at constant nagging, the quick display of cunning for slight issues or the display of constant sadness, he has got it all ready with him. Nimrat Kaur packs in an equally good performance with the added advantage of her natural yet pretty looks. Nawazuddin Siddiqui keeps the humour element going throughout the film and gives a solid supporting act. Also worth mention is a small yet effective cameo by Lillete Dubey and the unseen 'Aunty' character. On the whole, the perfect elegant ensemble.
The director and writer Ritesh Batra remains as realist and as abstract as possible in his execution of his own strong subject matter. The screenplay is the definite hero of this film. The film utilizes minimal live dialogue and focuses on the facial expressions of it's characters through 70% of the run time. The story unfolds at a smooth pace for most part of the film with it getting a bit annoyingly glacial at the last 15 or so minutes of the film. Yet, what is most impressive is that the writer/director gives an apt abstract touch to conclude the film. A few plot threads are left open for the spectator to decide on. The transformation shown in the lead characters' lives is a perfect demonstration of delectable subtlety. The naturalism in the director's execution is deliciously consistent throughout.
Able technical work can be seen in almost all departments. The editing is smooth as silk and the Cinematography, as natural as the film itself. However, the most impressive work is done by the sound mixing and sound editing department. In a film where the music score is so slight, the spectator's involvement is kept alive by the apt mixing of natural urban hustle bustle and the set of daily noises. The most impressive touch was however when the sounds kept going on in the succeeding frame and stop abruptly when a character speaks out. The sound technicians are in for many awards this year.
To quote in short, The Lunchbox is an uncut gem. Natural with its own dirt and grit, yet as precious as its polished counterpart. Such unabashed display of subtle naturalism is very rarely seen on Indian screens. Had the film been a little less glacial in pacing, it would have been brilliant. However, it keeps itself to being good, salt of the earth stuff. It goes on to prove that every moment in mundane human life can give an engaging story to the spectator if narrated in the right manner.
3.5 on 5
