The Lunchbox
A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.
Critics Sentiment
Saajan and Ila share personal memories and life experiences through letters
Saajan watches Ila from distance at restaurant but doesn't approach her
The film drops significantly when Saajan fails to approach Ila at the restaurant, creating the story's most frustrating moment after the emotional peak of their letter exchanges.
The Lunchbox builds steadily from its charming premise through deeply affecting letter exchanges that reviewers found emotionally resonant. The film peaks during the middle section where the correspondence deepens, then experiences its lowest point when the characters fail to connect in person, before recovering with a hopeful if ambiguous ending that most critics appreciated for its realistic uncertainty.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 39
Irrfan Khan
Saajan Fernandes
Nimrat Kaur
Ila
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Shaikh
Lillete Dubey
Ila's Mother
Nasir Khan
Ila's Father
Bharati Achrekar
Mrs. Khrishnan
Nakul Vaid
Rajeev
Yashvi Punneet Nagar
Yashvi
Denzil Smith
Mr. Shroff
Shruti Bapna
Meherunissa
Lokesh Rai
Dukes Owner
Vidhya Dhar
Old Man in Train
Sadashiv Kondaji Pokarkar
Dabbawallah at Ila's House
Aarti Rathod
Saajan's Neighbor
Krishna Bai
Toothless Woman
Raj Rishi More
Ila's Brother
Santosh Kumar Chaurasiya
Autorickshaw Driver
Swapnil Shirirao
Dukes Waiter
Avijit Khanwilkar
Young Man in Train
Aakash Sinha
Autorickshaw 2
Crew
Write a Review
Rate each story beat:
