REVIEW: ‘The Lunchbox’ – A Full-Course Meal That Leaves One Hungry For More

Hi All, 

Two strangers in a crowded city, one a lonely housewife and other a lonely government servant. She pleases him with food. In return he sends her motivating letters. Until finally they decide to meet and break away from their monotonous, boring, loveless lives. That in a nutshell is ‘The Lunchbox’ for you. 

Ritesh Batra‘s ‘The Lunchbox’ is his first feature film after winning accolades for his short films. The film isn’t just a story about the magic of food alone. There is the spiciness of relationships, the sourness of the city of Mumbai, where in spite of having so many people around you, one still feels like a stranger and sweetness of love, where in the age of Internet and mobiles, Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan) and Ila (Nimrat Kaur) still exchange letters over a ‘dabba’. 

The film might have not made it to the Oscars, where it could possibly even had the chances of winning it! But nevertheless ‘The Lunchbox’ triumphs hearts of the middle-class Mumbaikar or for that matter any Indian with its sheer simplicity and magical performances. 

Unlike most of the films which depict the city of Mumbai in a glorified manner, ‘The Lunchbox’ stays as real to the city as its characters. From the irritated dabbawala, who Ila yells at for delivering the food to a wrong address, to the bunch of kids at Saajan’s locality cribbing about the latter’s rude and arrogant nature, each of these simple, small characters make you feel so connected to the film and sneak a glimpse of one’s own life. 

Even Ila’s culinary experiments and her conversations with the next-door Aunty (Bharti Acherekar – only through background voice) seem realistic. Ritesh Batra’s exemplary writing, simple and to the point is as crisp and crunchy like Ila’s own special recipes she makes for her newfound love and stranger friend Saajan. Batra truly exemplifies that the road to a man’s heart is truly through his stomach.

So much that even Sheikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) gets attracted to the charm of this dabba each time his colleague Saajan opens ‘The Lunchbox’. With the aroma of sumptuous food also begins a bond of friendship, one that Saajan has been craving for.  

But the bigger question, a more curious one, is whether Ila and Saajan ever meet? And that’s where ‘The Lunchbox’ gives the biggest twist in the tale. A sweet-sour take on the love between two strangers, between two different age-groups. And that’s where it strikes the high point, quite a similar feeling to one biting on to a teekhi mirchi in a dal tadka only to find the jug of water beside us empty. Experience it yourself!

‘The Lunchbox’ is simple, straight-forward and beautifully embeds relationships within the film without making a dal khichdi. From the loveless chemistry of Ila and her husband to the humourous friendship between Saajan and Sheikh, Ritesh Batra poignantly focuses on various dynamics of life, including the power and the need of a strong companion for sharing thoughts. 

Michael Simmonds (Cinematographer) and John Lyons (Editing) give ‘The Lunchbox’ a realistic feel and dimension. The detailing of shots and the spirit of the city cannot be ignored and the two guys triumph with some moments that spring up nostalgia. Situations that are a part of our daily lives, yet unnoticed in front of our eyes. Shots and sequences that come in ‘The Lunchbox’ that are a glimpse of our own mundane and monotonous lives in a way. 

‘The Lunchbox’ is also effective because of its realistic casting. Nimrat Kaur plays the housewife with sheer conviction and ease. A perfect symbol (not offensive in any manner) and a reflection of many educated women, who sacrifice careers for a family! Irrfan Khan as Saajan Fernandes once again proves his worth as a brilliant performer. It’s the skin of the character that Irrfan gets into well, which is hard to ignore. A good example of his pavwala (read Christian) accent when he converses with Sheikh. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Sheikh is hilarious and entertaining. I am sure one might have come across such characters in real life! 

Kudos to Ritesh Batra for his take on relationships. And two big thumbs up for UTV Motion Pictures and Karan Johar for backing up ‘The Lunchbox’. A simple yet sweet film like this would have gone unnoticed if not for your sweet association. 

On the whole ‘The Lunchbox’ is a full course meal, that leaves on hungry for more! Need I say more. Time to grab a bite of this dabba!  This one will not be shared. It needs to be experienced! 

Rating: **** 1/2

(the half cut is for the abrupt end, if only there would have been something more spicy!) 

MUMBAI LOCAL – #3 – The Man From Another City

PROLOGUE:
Mumbai Local – Stories From The Lifeline Of Mumbai. A series of short stories that explores the  life of a citizen in a local train. Stories, about relationships, about culture and about the undying spirit of the people, just like the lifeline of Mumbai itself. Some real, some experiences, some fictional and many mere an observation. The many a faces, that seem strangers, draw me close to them. Some ambitious minds, some deceived, some real, some fake. Some young, some old, some hot, some cold like stone. I am one among them, and that’s what draws me more close to them. That’s what draws me towards their face, because every face has a story to tell.

Author: Aashray Akundi

Aashray is a dear friend of mine, who I first met at SIMC, Pune where we both pursued our masters. A theatre enthusiast and a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan, the dancer-actor friend of mine shares his first experience in the city of Mumbai. Currently working here in Mumbai, Aashray is originally from the land of the Nawabs- Hyderabad. This is his exclusive story.

It was a usual evening like any other day after work. I went straight to my grandmother’s house in Bandra from BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) where I work. It had been quite a while since I had met my ammama (grand-mom) and my relatives. It is actually very relaxing feel to have a family in a new city, you do not feel lost. The little joys of meeting a cousin who just came back for a short vacation from New York, the 5 year old kid sister playing around with her little pup and her kitchen set. The pleasures of seeing nani patiently listen to my job woes and the mundane life, uncle and aunt just back from a hectic day at work. A perfect family atmosphere and you feel complete. Each time I made a plan, the ruthless rains of Mumbai (my first experience of the rains in a new city) played spoilsport.

I spent some quality time with them and had the pleasure of having awesome ghar ka khana. Before I could realise, it was time for me to get back to my hostel and sleep. I couldn’t afford to gate late again for the next day’s race to work! I walked down the streets of Bandra passing through a paan tapri. I resisted myself from buying a cigarette (in an attempt to quit, it does work!!), got a rickshaw and headed straight to Santa Cruz Station. It was a routine that around 10:30 or 11 in the night, a herd of women would stand outside the station in fancy clothes. It seemed by their appearance and talks that these weren’t women, one would regularly converse with. A few men enjoyed ogling at these ladies while a few decent ones chose to keep silent and walk away from their eyes. A quick glance at the happenings and I headed off to the platform to catch a train to Mumbai Central pondering over what I had just seen.

At that time of the hour, the train was fairly empty. With just 5 – 6 people sitting inside the second class compartment, I got into the train and made myself comfortable at one of the seats. When the train stopped at Khar Station, a little sweet girl got into the train. She must be around 9 or 10 years old, well dressed. She looked as if she was returning from a wedding with her family. I expected an entire battalion of people to get into the train with her but to my surprise she was the only one who turned up. As the train sped away from the platform, the girl took out two small wooden plates and started singing.

It took me by huge surprise that a girl, so decently dressed, was singing a cliché Hindi song and begging for a living. It took me a while to imagine that girl as an urchin. Why on the planet would someone dress so decently and sing and beg for a living? It’s an ill-fated world, you see. I thought that she is from a decent family. But I was wrong. She went around all the people (all men in the compartment) and started begging for money.

Eventually she came to me and I nodded my head and refused to give her a penny. I don’t think it is right to beg for money. But, I was still thinking in my mind and was trying to judge if this girl is actually a beggar or is she trying act like one. For me I couldn’t see her as one with her being dressed so decently. But it’s beyond words to explain what I saw next. It can put a nation to shame. A man sitting near me called her on the pretext of giving her money. The girl, sensing that she is getting some money to grab a meal for the night maybe, made her way towards where I was sitting. But to her utter dismay, the man began indecently behaving with her. He touched her hands, palms. It was a rather embarrassing scene. There were a few others and me who objected. The man stopped and the girl walked away from him with a silent fear.

I couldn’t bare the sight of the man sitting next to me behaving like a pervert, a hungry dog and walked away to the footboard with sheer awkwardness on my face. I could see the girl, now in one corner, almost at the other end of the compartment trying to control her tears. She didn’t complain, she didn’t express, and she didn’t retaliate. She just was too numb to react on what had just happened with her.
Mahim had arrived.  I got off the train. As I got down and walked myself through the edge of the platform, I could see the man get closer to the girl again. Before I could realise, and as the train begin to make its way from the station, a Good Samaritan, grabbed the hands of the girl and jumped off the train. The boy’s decent look and his concern for the young girl made me realise that I too can do my bit in helping the girl in distress.
By now the girl was all in tears and inconsolable. A few people at the platform stopped by to see, what supposedly was a tamasha for them. Especially watching two young men, trying to console a wailing girl, at that hour of the night. But they obviously didn’t know what she had gone through. We managed to stop her crying and got her a bottle of water. We wondered if handing the girl to the cops was a safer or better option. But with the cops, there would have been loads of question to answer. So we asked the girl as to why she was doing all this. Decently dressed she didn’t have to beg. It was after much hesitation that she revealed that her mother was a sex-worker and abused by her drunkard father. She begs on the train to help her mother so that she does not face the wrath of her husband.

She insisted us on leaving her all by herself and head to our homes. She didn’t mean to create any trouble for us because of her. There was a truth in her words but this was the best we could do. I offered her some money (after I initially was hesitant and finally gave in). I caught the next train and headed back home. It struck me later that contacting some NGO would have been a better option, but in all that commotion, it never came into my head.

It was a disturbing evening for me, but then these are the bitter facts of life we all encounter at some point of time or the other.  Life sometimes put challenges which are difficult to overcome. I am new to the city, but that day it was a lesson learnt about the miseries of life.

 

REVIEW: Shuddh Desi Romance: Breezy, Realistic, Engaging Film For The Youth

Hi All, 

As a part of my work, I happened to meet the writer of ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ (SDR) Jaideep Sahani, along with the cast, Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor, at Wellingkar, Mumbai. The student interaction was a part of a ‘Shuddh Desi India Ki Romantic Soch’ survey conducted by an agency. All I can say is that the statistics weren’t as convincing, the way Mr. Jaideep Sahani has put his heart out to the latest YRF venture, ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’.

Jaideep Sahani, who returns to writing almost four years after the under-rated ‘Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year’ (a film which was brilliantly made, yet shunned by audiences) probably has vetted out everything he has in his heart towards ‘SDR’, yet never goes preachy with this endeavour. He has put all the four years of failure and frustration and as a writer emerges as the strongest high of the film. Rarely does a writer gets his biggest due in Indian cinema and this review right at the first deserves a mention for Jaideep Sahani. 

Set in Jaipur, Raghuram Sitaram (Sushant Singh Rajput), a tourist guide is confused between the right women in his life. Working as a paid baraati  for Goel (Rishi Kapoor) he runs away from commitment, much like our generation lads, who cannot differentiate between the first love and infatuation, at the same time fears from commitment to marriage. So much that, the film begins at the point when he escapes on the pretext of heading to the loo (bathroom breaks, quite brilliantly played in the film) and runs away from his own marriage. 

Sharing a similar view is Gayatri (Parineeti Chopra) who is as much afraid of commitment and relationships, but cool with the live-ins. A tyrant past with her list of boyfriends has put a thought in her head that guys cannot be trusted. And again when Gayatri is about to get married, she too escapes with a bathroom break excuse. 

And then there’s Tara (Vaani Kapoor), who is first to the concept of arranged marriages. But she is smart enough to play her cards well from her experiences. Straight and blunt on relationships, sex and marriage and guy talks. 

While the west has happily embraced the live-in culture, in India it is still considered a ‘haww’ (as said by Parineeti in one of my interviews with her, and the interaction at the Wellingkar discussion) . While on one one hand with the concept of arranged marriages, one tries to lend one’s life completely in the hands of someone fairly unknown to you, on the other there’s that faint doubt on if live-in partners can be a happy couple post marriage. At the end, it all bows down to commitment and SDR works as it puts forth the confused status of the youth as aptly as it can. 

In spite of set in Jaipur, there is a stark realism in the plot that Sahani invokes into the story. I probably feel that the location on purpose is chosen as Jaipur (a fairly small town), as the metros already are breeding with such confused minds. It’s probably characters from smaller towns, that face the wrath from the hypocritical society and SDR just goes to put it to good light. 

Sahani and Maneesh Sharma need to be lauded for bringing out characters that stand out and not just actors from the performances. Sahani especially with the dialogues so colloquial and witty manages to take a satirical take on society at several scenes. 

Manu Anand does a brilliant job capturing visuals of Jaipur well and so does Namrata Rao at the edit. The second half could well be trimmed and the film made a bit shorter. It isn’t too long, but gets a tad too repetitive before coming to a conclusion. 

Sachin-Jigar with their music are refreshing. Considering Hindi film’s are filled with songs (at unnecessary situations), SDR is just right with the songs and music. The ‘Ati Random’ track at the opening sets the tone of the film, ‘Tere Mere Beech Mein‘ sets the confusion, ‘Gulabi‘ poignantly explores rich Jaipur with the tinted glasses. The background scores just go in with the random confusions and convulsions. 

Sushant Singh Rajput proves that ‘Kai Po Che‘ wasn’t a fluke debut and capitalises big from his debut. I will not be surprised if he is set to play the small town lad with ease and confidence in some future films. Vaani Kapoor as Tara makes a good debut and strikes an impression. Rishi Kapoor as ‘Goel’ is fantastic. Like the big-daddy stuck between the old v/s new generation conflict, his character truly stands out amidst the bunch of youngsters. Rajesh Sharma is okay. 

But surprisingly it is Parineeti Chopra, who walks with the cake with her bindass act. Gayatri is perfectly played by Parineeti and is starkingly different from her bubbly roles played so far. Not that the bubbliness isn’t there. But watch out for yourself to see how she transforms herself into the matured-confused girl, as much and as realistic as today’s modern youth. 

To sum it up, ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ is breezy, realistic and an engaging film on relationships, commitment and commitment-phobics! It is characters that emerge strong in the film that makes it so lovable. Quite different from all candy-floss romances, SDR is humorous, satirical and gives a message without going gaga over it. No melodrama here, just pure, unadulterated, Shuddh Desi Romance!  Watch It for its realism, may be you could just relate to Raghu, Gayatri or Tara!

RATING: *** 1/2

-Rahul Iyer