The Lunchbox review

A hearty, sentimental meal

By Matt Maytum
published

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When a mix-up in Mumbai’s famous ‘dabbawalla’ lunchbox delivery system leads to widower Sajaan (Irrfan Khan) receiving a stacked tiffin box assembled by unappreciated housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur), it sparks an exchange of letters.

A romance centred on a mix-up of lunchboxes? It’s as slight as it sounds, but there’s enough warmth and wit packed in to suggest this Indian charmer could have breakout potential.

First-time writer/director Ritesh Batra deserves credit for mining gently captivating drama from a pitch that could have just ended with passive-aggressive Post-its left on the office fridge.

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Matt Maytum
Matt Maytum
Deputy Editor, Total Film

I'm the Deputy Editor at Total Film magazine, looking after the long-form features there, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.

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