Delicious UK - (10)October 2020

THELUNCHBOX(2013)

WHAT’SIT ABOUT?

Whenneglectedyoung

Mumbaihousewife

Ila(NimratKaur)

discoversthelovinglyprepared

lunchesshesendstoher

husband’sworkplacearegoing

astray,shestartsanillicit

correspondencewiththegrateful

accidentalrecipient,Saajan(Irrfan

Khan),a widowerpreparingto

retirefromhisdullaccountingjob.

Thenotestheystashinthe

tiffins(lunchboxes)lengthenas

theirepistolatoryrelationship

grows– Ilaconfideshersuspicions

aboutherhusband’saffair,while

thegrumpy-yet-charismaticSaajan

admitshisfrustrationsandloneliness.

Meanwhile,Saajanis havingtotrain

hisingratiatinglykeenyoungcolleague,

Shaikh,totakehisplace.AsSaajanlearns

moreaboutShaikh’sdifficultbackground,

hedevelopsa grudgingrespectforhim.

SeeingShaikhhappywithhiswife,

whomhemarriedagainstherparents’

wishes,Saajanfantasisesaboutrunning

awaywithIla– andit turnsoutshe’s

thinkingthesamething.Butarethey

bothdreaming(afterall,they’venever

evenseeneachother),or could this odd

couple have a future?

THE MOVIE

WHYTHISMOVIE?

It’saboutmakingfoodasa wayofshowing

affection– somethingallcookscanrelate

to.Ilacooksforherhusband,tryingtowin

backhislove.Shaikhcooksforhisbeloved

wife.WhenherealisesSaajanspendseach

eveningwatchingTValone,hepersuades

himtocometohishouseforlambpasanda.

TheLunchboxis alsoa filmabout

appetites,literalandmetaphorical.Asthe

rut-stuckSaajan’sappetiteis prickedby

thedelightfulnewlunches,hisappetite

for life is reawakened too, further inspired

byShaikh’spuppyishlustforlife.

You’llgaina fascinatinginsightinto

Mumbailife,includingthedabbawalas,

anarmyof5,000Gandhi-cappedworkers

whodelivertiffinboxesto200,000

workerseachday,thenpickthem

up,cleanthemandreturnthem.

Refreshinglyfreeofclichés,

thisdetailed,intimatestoryis

underscoredbynaturalistic,

intelligentperformances,keeping

youquietlyenthralledrighttoits

ambiguousend.It’soneofthose

worth watching again and again.

TRIVIATOMUNCHON

lSadlythebrilliantIrrfanKhan

diedofa tumourinAprilthis

year,agedjust53.Hewasonly 46

whenhemadeTheLunchbox– just

sevenyearsolderthanNawazuddin

Siddiqui,whoplayedShaikh.

lThe130-year-olddabbawalasystemwas

studiedbyHarvardBusinessSchoolandis

certified‘SixSigma’,withthepossibilityof

a mistake in just one in 8 million deliveries.

THEQUOTETOQUOTE

SHAIKH(aftertastingIla’sfood):

Youneedmagicinthehands.Anyone

can make food, but you need magic.

Rent/buyit onGooglePlayandYouTube.

Turn over for our meal suggestion→ WORDS: LES DUNN. BIRYANI RECIPE: MATT MORAN. PHOTOGRAPH: NIGEL LOUGH. FOOD STYLING: KIRSTEN JENKINS. FILM STILL: ALAMY

Isthewaytoa man’sheartreallythroughhisstomach?Streama poignantlyfunnymoviethat

plays with that hoary old notion while enjoying a meaty biryani and a spicy bottle of red

MOV I E N IGH T

film + meal + wine

80 deliciousmagazine.co.uk