Review of Lunchbox starring Irrfan

This is my first movie review and a series of awesome movies from a few talented and courageous directors like Tigmanshu Dhulia, Anurag Kashyap and Ram Gopal Varma absolutely forced me to take up movie review writing.

Coming back to the movie in question Lunchbox, watched it a couple of days back in Lucknow. I could guess the plot from stuff on the movie that one can find on social media. But my guess work was not altogether correct second half of the movie has its surprises. The character of Saajan Fernandes has many layers and his innate goodness shines through in moments that would have had even the most virtuous fall. I think this was the high point of the movie for me at least. But this is most subtly portrayed in the movie and the credit for this goes to not only Irrfan but the screenplay writer too. The Lunchbox offers a release from the drab and uninteresting lives of the two main characters but the force of habit and limitations of a middle class life are too strong as shackles to break. Watch the movie to see how it turns out between the two main characters. Any words used to describe the talent of Irrfan are words wasted because it appears as if Irrfan was created by God only to act. He has successfully put life in otherwise dead movies by his very presence. In this he resembles Marlon Brando and Rajesh Khanna who could carry the weight of dead movies on their soldiers. What happens when such an actor is supported by good direction and a very engaging story – sheer magic happens.  Nimrat Kaur plays the part like a veteran of many movies though this is her first movie. Much credit must go to the makeup man who changes Irrfan’s makeup subtly with each new turn in the plot. Direction is near flawless though I personally never liked open endings. As a middle class and middle aged person myself I can relate very much to this masterpiece by Ritesh Batra. Bravo!

Hope inspired by such movies, Bollywood takes a new road lately travelled by Tigmanshu Dhulia, Anurag Kashyap and which was created perhaps by Ram Gopal Varma.