They say that food is the language of love and so it proves for Ritesh Batra in his debut feature. It is food that provides the bridge to bring together two lonely souls stuck in a life of isolation. We are social animals after all; the desire to share everything from rare intimate moments to mundane daily tasks a powerful one. The only thing seemingly capable of matching this desire is our ability to seek out ways to achieve it. Step forward a well-made lunch to do just that in this wonderful film.
The famous dabbawalas’ of Mumbai are the vehicle through which remote widower Saajan (Irrfan Khan) and neglected housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur) come into contact. Renowned for their reliability in delivering hot food made at home to the office in time for lunch, here they make a rare error. A mix-up leaves the lunchbox Ila has slaved over to impress her husband coming to Saajan instead. When the error becomes apparent, they begin exchanging notes in the box, gradually growing closer as they do so.
Batra, who also wrote the screenplay, demonstrates a remarkable ability to construct a realistic relationship. Notes that start off curt, sometimes even rude; evolve into a genuine outpouring of emotion, the perfect tonic to break down the isolation both are living in. In the case of Saajan, nearing retirement from his accounting job, the isolation is self-imposed having chosen to cut himself off from the world. For Ila, it is the neglect of her husband that has left her trapped at home. In their barren daily routine, the delicious potency of her food is the only thing that can awaken rich emotional lives lost or never found.
A number of nice little touches add to the story. A newly alive Saajan is not only drawn into romance with Ila but also a friendship with his eager young replacement Shaikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a man he initially dismisses. As well as offering gentle comic relief, Shaikh is a mile stick against which Saajan’s return to society can be judged. As the lunchtime correspondence takes root, his interest, and eventual liking for his younger colleague grows. Soon he finds himself travelling to work with Shaikh, covering for him, and even meeting his family.
Poor Ila does not get the same treatment. Aside from brief conversations conducted with an unseen voice elsewhere in her apartment block, she is left utterly alone. Saajan is the beneficiary of the majority of the screen time, Ila left only to shots of her preparing the food and reading the daily note. This one-sided attention unbalances Batra’s film slightly, lessening the otherwise authentic connection between the two.
Minor errors along the way can do little damage to a film so likeable though. Affectionate, romantic and beautifully paced, it leaves a warm heart and a hankering for good food.
Director: Ritesh Batra
Writer: Ritesh Batra (screenplay)
Stars: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Runtime: 104 min
Country: India, France, Germany, USA
Film Rating: 
