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'''''The Lunchbox''''' is a 2013 Indian [[wiktionary:epistolary|epistolary]] romantic film written and directed by [[Ritesh Batra]], and produced by [[Guneet Monga]], [[Anurag Kashyap]], and Arun Rangachari. The film was jointly produced by various studios including [[DAR motion pictures]], [[UTV Motion Pictures]], [[Dharma Productions]], [[Sikhya Entertainment]], [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]] (India), ROH Films (Germany), ASAP Films (France), and the Cine Mosaic (United States).<ref name=variety-review/> It stars [[Irrfan Khan]], [[Nimrat Kaur]] and [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] in lead roles. The film was screened at [[2013 Cannes Film Festival#International Critics' Week|International Critics' Week]] at the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]], and later won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ritesh Batra's Lunchbox wins Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at Cannes Film Festival 2013|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dabba-wins-critics-week-viewers-choice-award-at-cannes/1/272734.html |date=24 May 2013 |publisher=India Today |accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref> It was shown at the [[2013 Toronto International Film Festival]].<ref name="TIFF2013">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/23/toronto-film-festival-lineup |title=Toronto film festival 2013: the full line-up |accessdate=24 July 2013|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=23 July 2013}}</ref> The film was released in India on 20 September 2013.<ref name=toiaug/>
'''''The Lunchbox''''' is a 2013 Indian [[wiktionary:epistolary|epistolary]] [[Romance film|romantic drama]] written and directed by [[Ritesh Batra]], and produced by [[Guneet Monga]], [[Anurag Kashyap]], and Arun Rangachari. The film was jointly produced by various studios including [[DAR motion pictures]], [[UTV Motion Pictures]], [[Dharma Productions]], [[Sikhya Entertainment]], [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]] (India), ROH Films (Germany), ASAP Films (France), and the Cine Mosaic (United States).<ref name=variety-review/> It stars [[Irrfan Khan]], [[Nimrat Kaur]] and [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] in lead roles. The film was screened at [[2013 Cannes Film Festival#International Critics' Week|International Critics' Week]] at the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]], and later won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ritesh Batra's Lunchbox wins Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at Cannes Film Festival 2013|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dabba-wins-critics-week-viewers-choice-award-at-cannes/1/272734.html |date=24 May 2013 |publisher=India Today |accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref> It was shown at the [[2013 Toronto International Film Festival]].<ref name="TIFF2013">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/23/toronto-film-festival-lineup |title=Toronto film festival 2013: the full line-up |accessdate=24 July 2013|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=23 July 2013}}</ref> The film was released in India on 20 September 2013.<ref name=toiaug/>


The film was a box-office success.<ref name=boibudgetwwg/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lunchbox.htm|title=The Lunchbox (2014)|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref> It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing [[Hindi film]], until it was surpassed by ''[[Hindi Medium]]'' (2017).<ref name="firstpost"/> ''The Lunchbox'' was nominated for the Best Film Not in the English Language category of the [[British Academy Film Awards]] 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Film In 2015|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2015/film|publisher=BAFTA|accessdate=9 January 2015|ref=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2015/film}}</ref>
The film was a box-office success.<ref name=boibudgetwwg/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lunchbox.htm|title=The Lunchbox (2014)|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref> It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing [[Hindi film]], until it was surpassed by ''[[Hindi Medium]]'' (2017).<ref name="firstpost"/> ''The Lunchbox'' was nominated for the Best Film Not in the English Language category of the [[British Academy Film Awards]] 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Film In 2015|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2015/film|publisher=BAFTA|accessdate=9 January 2015|ref=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2015/film}}</ref>
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=== Development ===
=== Development ===
Ritesh Batra, who had made short films, ''The Morning Ritual'', ''Gareeb Nawaz ki Taxi'' and ''Cafe Regular'', ''Cairo'', started researching for a documentary on the famous Lunchbox delivery system of Mumbai, [[dabbawala]], known for their efficiency, however after spending a week with them in 2007, he got to know of many interesting personal stories they would overhear while waiting outside an apartment. This idea gave birth to the idea of the film, and instead of making the documentary he began writing a film script.<ref name=toiaug>{{cite news| title = Indian audience to get a taste of Batra's Lunchbox | url =http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-14/news-interviews/41409570_1_ritesh-batra-nimrat-kaur-the-lunchbox|date=14 August 2013| accessdate = 16 September 2013| publisher = [[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref name=zee>{{cite news |title='Lunchbox' is a very personal film: Ritesh Batra|publisher=Zee News |date=5 May 2013|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/bollywood/lunchbox-is-a-very-personal-film-ritesh-batra_133696.html |accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref> In time the film became a joint production between Sikhya Entertainment, [[DAR motion pictures]], [[National Film Development Corporation of India]] (NFDC), India, ROH Films, Germany, ASAP Films, France and the Cine Mosaic, US of Lydia Dean Pilcher who previously produced films like, ''[[The Talented Mr. Ripley (film)|The Talented Mr Ripley]]'' (1999) and ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'' (2007), and Germany's Match Factory became its international sales agent.<ref name=variety-review/><ref name=hol23/>
Ritesh Batra, who had made short films, ''The Morning Ritual'', ''Gareeb Nawaz ki Taxi'' and ''Cafe Regular'', ''Cairo'', started researching for a documentary on the famous lunchbox delivery system of Mumbai, [[dabbawala]], known for their efficiency, however after spending a week with them in 2007, he got to know of many interesting personal stories they would overhear while waiting outside an apartment. This idea gave birth to the idea of the film, and instead of making the documentary he began writing a film script.<ref name=toiaug>{{cite news| title = Indian audience to get a taste of Batra's Lunchbox | url =http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-14/news-interviews/41409570_1_ritesh-batra-nimrat-kaur-the-lunchbox|date=14 August 2013| accessdate = 16 September 2013| publisher = [[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref name=zee>{{cite news |title='Lunchbox' is a very personal film: Ritesh Batra|publisher=Zee News |date=5 May 2013|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/bollywood/lunchbox-is-a-very-personal-film-ritesh-batra_133696.html |accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref> In time the film became a joint production between Sikhya Entertainment, [[DAR motion pictures]], [[National Film Development Corporation of India]] (NFDC), India, ROH Films, Germany, ASAP Films, France and the Cine Mosaic, US of Lydia Dean Pilcher who previously produced films like, ''[[The Talented Mr. Ripley (film)|The Talented Mr Ripley]]'' (1999) and ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'' (2007), and Germany's Match Factory became its international sales agent.<ref name=variety-review/><ref name=hol23/>


=== Writing ===
=== Writing ===
Batra completed the first draft of the screenplay in 2011.<ref name=zee/> He was assisted by Rutvik Oza.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeecineawards.com/nominations/|title=ZEE Cine Awards nominations|accessdate=1 May 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402181606/http://www.zeecineawards.com/nominations/|archivedate=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It went on to win an Honorable Jury Mention at the 2012 Cinemart at the [[Rotterdam International Film Festival]]. Thereafter the project was part of the Talent Project Market of [[Berlin International Film Festival]] and was mentored at the screenwriter's lab (Torino Film Lab) at the [[Torino Film Festival]].<ref name=hol23>{{cite news |title=Cannes: 'The Lunchbox' Director Ritesh Batra|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-lunchbox-director-ritesh-batra-524943 |date=23 May 2013 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=27 May 2013 |first=Nyay |last=Bhushan}}</ref> The character of Ila played by Nimrat Kaur, six months prior to the shooting, and the character played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui was further developed and improvised during shooting.<ref name=zee/>
Batra completed the first draft of the screenplay in 2011.<ref name=zee/> He was assisted by Rutvik Oza.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeecineawards.com/nominations/|title=ZEE Cine Awards nominations|accessdate=1 May 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402181606/http://www.zeecineawards.com/nominations/|archivedate=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It went on to win an Honorable Jury Mention at the 2012 Cinemart at the [[Rotterdam International Film Festival]]. Thereafter the project was part of the Talent Project Market of [[Berlin International Film Festival]] and was mentored at the screenwriter's lab (Torino Film Lab) at the [[Torino Film Festival]].<ref name=hol23>{{cite news |title=Cannes: 'The Lunchbox' Director Ritesh Batra|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-lunchbox-director-ritesh-batra-524943 |date=23 May 2013 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=27 May 2013 |first=Nyay |last=Bhushan}}</ref> The character of Ila played by Nimrat Kaur, was developed 6 months prior to the shooting, and the character played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui was further developed and improvised during shooting.<ref name=zee/>


=== Casting ===
=== Casting ===
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=== Filming ===
=== Filming ===
The film was shot in 2012 in Mumbai<ref name=zee/> at a budget of [[₹]]220&nbsp;million. Prior to the filming, the cast rehearsed for six months. It was shot using the [[Arri Alexa]] digital film camera.<ref name=hol23/> Many of the scenes were logistically broken down to make way for last minute location changes. According to Ritesh Batra, scenes on the train involved the use of only one compartment, and even included actual local commuters when needed.<ref name="travelleisure">{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/qanda-with-ritesh-batra-director-of-the-film-the-lunchbox|title=Q&A With Ritesh Batra: Director of the Film 'The Lunchbox'|author=Aarti Virani|publisher=[[Travel + Leisure]]|accessdate=August 6, 2015}}</ref>
The film was shot in 2012 in Mumbai<ref name=zee/> at a budget of [[₹]]220&nbsp;million. Prior to the filming, the cast rehearsed for 6 months. It was shot using the [[Arri Alexa]] digital film camera.<ref name=hol23/> Many of the scenes were logistically broken down to make way for last-minute location changes. According to Ritesh Batra, scenes on the train involved the use of only 1 compartment, and even included actual local commuters when needed.<ref name="travelleisure">{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/qanda-with-ritesh-batra-director-of-the-film-the-lunchbox|title=Q&A With Ritesh Batra: Director of the Film 'The Lunchbox'|author=Aarti Virani|publisher=[[Travel + Leisure]]|accessdate=August 6, 2015}}</ref>


Principal photography lasted 29 days, with a majority of the film's scenes done in three weeks. Afterwards, footage taken in a documentary manner were shot. Mumbai's famous [[dabbawala]]s were provided actual lunchboxes to deliver, and followed by a four-member film crew, which filmed the process in documentary style.<ref name=hol23/><ref name="quora">{{cite web|url=http://www.quora.com/What-was-the-process-of-shooting-The-Lunchbox|title=What was the process of shooting The Lunchbox?|author=Ritesh Batra|publisher=[[Quora]]|date=January 23, 2014|accessdate=August 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name="eagle">{{cite web|url=http://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2014/01/qa-ritesh-batra-director-of-the-lunchbox|title=Q&A: Ritesh Batra, director of "The Lunchbox"|author=Helen Hu|publisher=The Eagle|date=January 27, 2014|accessdate=August 6, 2015}}</ref>
Principal photography lasted 29 days, with a majority of the film's scenes done in 3 weeks. Afterwards, footage taken in a documentary manner were shot. Mumbai's famous [[dabbawala]]s were provided actual lunch-boxes to deliver, and followed by a 4-member film crew, which filmed the process in documentary style.<ref name=hol23/><ref name="quora">{{cite web|url=http://www.quora.com/What-was-the-process-of-shooting-The-Lunchbox|title=What was the process of shooting The Lunchbox?|author=Ritesh Batra|publisher=[[Quora]]|date=January 23, 2014|accessdate=August 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name="eagle">{{cite web|url=http://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2014/01/qa-ritesh-batra-director-of-the-lunchbox|title=Q&A: Ritesh Batra, director of "The Lunchbox"|author=Helen Hu|publisher=The Eagle|date=January 27, 2014|accessdate=August 6, 2015}}</ref>


==Release and reception==
==Release & Reception==


===Screenings and film festivals===
===Screenings & Film Festivals===
The film was screened on 19 May 2013 as a part of the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival#International Critics' Week|International Critics' Week]] at the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]], where it received a standing ovation and positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Lunchbox gets standing ovation at Cannes TNN |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-22/news-interviews/39444424_1_lunchbox-ritesh-batra-cannes|work=The Times of India|date=22 May 2013 |accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Cannes 2013: A delicious Lunchbox and a Shootout gone awry|author=Saibal Chatterjee|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/cannes-2013-a-delicious-lunchbox-and-a-shootout-gone-awry-369555 |publisher=NDTV Movies |date=21 May 2013 |accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ritesh Batra's Lunchbox wins critics week viewers choice award at Cannes|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/1838678/report-ritesh-batra-s-lunchbox-wins-critics-week-viewers-choice-award-at-cannes|website=DNA India |date=23 May 2013 |accessdate=26 May 2013}}</ref> It won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.<ref>{{cite news |title='Lunchbox' wins critics week viewers choice award at Cannes |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-05-23/news/39475679_1_wins-critics-ritesh-batra-cannes-film-festival |work=The Economic Times|date=23 May 2013 |accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "a notable debut from tyro helmer-scripter Ritesh Batra", for creating a film with "crossover appeal of ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]''", and also praised acting of Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cannes Film Review: 'The Lunchbox' |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-the-lunchbox-1200483926/ |date=19 May 2013 |publisher=Variety |accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref>
The film was screened on 19 May 2013 as a part of the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival#International Critics' Week|International Critics' Week]] at the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]], where it received a standing ovation and highly positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Lunchbox gets standing ovation at Cannes TNN |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-22/news-interviews/39444424_1_lunchbox-ritesh-batra-cannes|work=The Times of India|date=22 May 2013 |accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Cannes 2013: A delicious Lunchbox and a Shootout gone awry|author=Saibal Chatterjee|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/cannes-2013-a-delicious-lunchbox-and-a-shootout-gone-awry-369555 |publisher=NDTV Movies |date=21 May 2013 |accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ritesh Batra's Lunchbox wins critics week viewers choice award at Cannes|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/1838678/report-ritesh-batra-s-lunchbox-wins-critics-week-viewers-choice-award-at-cannes|website=DNA India |date=23 May 2013 |accessdate=26 May 2013}}</ref> It won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.<ref>{{cite news |title='Lunchbox' wins critics week viewers choice award at Cannes |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-05-23/news/39475679_1_wins-critics-ritesh-batra-cannes-film-festival |work=The Economic Times|date=23 May 2013 |accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "a notable debut from tyro helmer-scripter Ritesh Batra", for creating a film with "crossover appeal of ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]'' (2001)", and also praised acting of Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cannes Film Review: 'The Lunchbox' |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-the-lunchbox-1200483926/ |date=19 May 2013 |publisher=Variety |accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref>


Thereafter, [[Sony Pictures Classics]] picked up all North American rights for distribution.<ref name=variety-review>{{cite news |title= Ritesh Batra's feature debut appeared in Cannes Critics' Week |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/sony-pictures-classics-picks-up-lunchbox-exclusive-1200487504/|date=24 May 2013 |publisher=Variety|accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref>
Thereafter, [[Sony Pictures Classics]] picked up all North American rights for distribution.<ref name=variety-review>{{cite news |title= Ritesh Batra's feature debut appeared in Cannes Critics' Week |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/sony-pictures-classics-picks-up-lunchbox-exclusive-1200487504/|date=24 May 2013 |publisher=Variety|accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref>
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In India, this film was released in more than 400 screens on 20 September 2013.<ref name="hindustantimes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Low-budget-Lunchbox-fares-well-at-box-office/Article1-1125884.aspx |title=Low budget Lunchbox fares well at box office |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=23 September 2013 |accessdate=1 March 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924160228/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Low-budget-Lunchbox-fares-well-at-box-office/Article1-1125884.aspx|archivedate=24 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| title = Eating Oscar for Lunch? |journal= Tehelka| url = http://www.tehelka.com/eating-oscar-for-lunch/|date=21 September 2013 |issue =38|volume =10| accessdate = 25 September 2013}}</ref>
In India, this film was released in more than 400 screens on 20 September 2013.<ref name="hindustantimes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Low-budget-Lunchbox-fares-well-at-box-office/Article1-1125884.aspx |title=Low budget Lunchbox fares well at box office |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=23 September 2013 |accessdate=1 March 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924160228/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Low-budget-Lunchbox-fares-well-at-box-office/Article1-1125884.aspx|archivedate=24 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| title = Eating Oscar for Lunch? |journal= Tehelka| url = http://www.tehelka.com/eating-oscar-for-lunch/|date=21 September 2013 |issue =38|volume =10| accessdate = 25 September 2013}}</ref>


===Box office===
===Box-Office===
''The Lunchbox'' grossed ₹71&nbsp;million in its first weekend of release in India,<ref name="hindustantimes.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office/top5-hindi-movies/id/1002/date/2013-09-23 |title=Midweek: 'Phata Poster Nikola Hero' has ordinary weekend! |publisher=Bollywood Hungama|date= |accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> and ₹110&nbsp;million in its first week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6105&nCat=|title=Warning Dull Phat Poster Nikhla Hero Low First Week|publisher=Box Office India|date=28 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006072417/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6105&nCat=|archivedate=6 October 2013}}</ref> The film continued to gross significant amounts over the next few weeks, earning over ₹200&nbsp;million in the first three weeks and another estimated ₹40–50&nbsp;[[lakh]]s on its fourth weekend.<ref name="boxofficeindia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6153&nCat=|title=The Lunchbox Does Well At The Box Office|publisher=Box Office India|date=15 October 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018183818/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6153&nCat=|archivedate=18 October 2013}}</ref>
''The Lunchbox'' grossed ₹71&nbsp;million in its first weekend of release in India,<ref name="hindustantimes.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office/top5-hindi-movies/id/1002/date/2013-09-23 |title=Midweek: 'Phata Poster Nikola Hero' has ordinary weekend! |publisher=Bollywood Hungama|date= |accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> and ₹110&nbsp;million in its first week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6105&nCat=|title=Warning Dull Phat Poster Nikhla Hero Low First Week|publisher=Box Office India|date=28 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006072417/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6105&nCat=|archivedate=6 October 2013}}</ref> The film continued to gross significant amounts over the next few weeks, earning over ₹200&nbsp;million in the first 3 weeks and another estimated ₹40–50&nbsp;[[lakh]]s on its fourth weekend.<ref name="boxofficeindia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6153&nCat=|title=The Lunchbox Does Well At The Box Office|publisher=Box Office India|date=15 October 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018183818/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=6153&nCat=|archivedate=18 October 2013}}</ref>


In the United States, ''The Lunchbox'' grossed $4.23&nbsp;million, and was 2014's third highest grossing foreign film behind ''[[Cantinflas (film)|Cantinflas]]'' and ''[[PK (film)|P.K.]]''.<ref name="boxofficemojo.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lunchbox.htm |title=The Lunchbox (2014)|website=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=12 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="2014foreignbox">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=foreign.htm|title=Foreign Language Movies at the Box Office - Box Office Mojo|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=August 7, 2015}}</ref> By 28 May 2014, the film's worldwide collection was {{INR|link=yes}}84.92 [[crore]].<ref name=gross>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in/story/the-lunchbox-rakes-in-big-moolah-overseas/1/362388.html |title=The Lunchbox rakes in big moolah overseas |publisher=India Today}}</ref> In its lifetime run, the film's worldwide gross was {{INR}}100.85 crore<ref name=boibudgetwwg>{{cite news|title=The Lunchbox|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/the_lunchbox|work=[[Box Office India]]|accessdate=12 October 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802012346/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/the_lunchbox|archivedate=2 August 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> (US$17.24 million).<ref name="exchange">{{cite web|title=Yearly Average Rates (58.5 INR per USD)|url=https://www.ofx.com/en-gb/forex-news/historical-exchange-rates/yearly-average-rates/|website=[[OFX (company)|OFX]]|year=2013}}</ref> Most of its gross was from overseas, becoming 2013's third [[List of highest-grossing Indian films in overseas markets|highest-grossing Indian film overseas]], after ''[[Dhoom 3]]'' and ''[[Chennai Express]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Overseas Grossers|url=https://www.boxofficeindia.com/overseas-total-gross.php?year=2013|website=[[Box Office India]]|year=2013}}</ref> It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing [[Hindi film]], up until it was surpassed by ''[[Hindi Medium]]'' (2017).<ref name="firstpost">{{cite news|title=Hindi Medium records higher box office opening than Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan in China; Irrfan's highest grosser worldwide|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/hindi-medium-records-higher-box-office-opening-than-dangal-bajrangi-bhaijaan-in-china-irrfans-highest-grosser-worldwide-4420391.html|accessdate=6 April 2018|work=[[Firstpost]]}}</ref>
In the United States, ''The Lunchbox'' grossed $4.23&nbsp;million, and was 2014's third highest grossing foreign film behind ''[[Cantinflas (film)|Cantinflas]]'' and ''[[PK (film)|P.K.]]''.<ref name="boxofficemojo.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lunchbox.htm |title=The Lunchbox (2014)|website=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=12 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="2014foreignbox">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=foreign.htm|title=Foreign Language Movies at the Box Office - Box Office Mojo|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=August 7, 2015}}</ref> By 28 May 2014, the film's worldwide collection was {{INR|link=yes}}84.92 [[crore]].<ref name=gross>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in/story/the-lunchbox-rakes-in-big-moolah-overseas/1/362388.html |title=The Lunchbox rakes in big moolah overseas |publisher=India Today}}</ref> In its lifetime run, the film's worldwide gross was {{INR}}100.85 crore<ref name=boibudgetwwg>{{cite news|title=The Lunchbox|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/the_lunchbox|work=[[Box Office India]]|accessdate=12 October 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802012346/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/the_lunchbox|archivedate=2 August 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> (US$17.24 million).<ref name="exchange">{{cite web|title=Yearly Average Rates (58.5 INR per USD)|url=https://www.ofx.com/en-gb/forex-news/historical-exchange-rates/yearly-average-rates/|website=[[OFX (company)|OFX]]|year=2013}}</ref> Most of its gross was from overseas, becoming 2013's third [[List of highest-grossing Indian films in overseas markets|highest-grossing Indian film overseas]], after ''[[Dhoom 3]]'' and ''[[Chennai Express]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Overseas Grossers|url=https://www.boxofficeindia.com/overseas-total-gross.php?year=2013|website=[[Box Office India]]|year=2013}}</ref> It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing [[Hindi film]], up until it was surpassed by ''[[Hindi Medium]]'' (2017).<ref name="firstpost">{{cite news|title=Hindi Medium records higher box office opening than Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan in China; Irrfan's highest grosser worldwide|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/hindi-medium-records-higher-box-office-opening-than-dangal-bajrangi-bhaijaan-in-china-irrfans-highest-grosser-worldwide-4420391.html|accessdate=6 April 2018|work=[[Firstpost]]}}</ref>


===Critical reception===
===Critical Reception===
⚫
Lunchbox received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. The review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes|''Rotten Tomatoes'']] gave the film a score of 97% based on reviews from 115 critics, with an average rating of 8.08/10. The site's consensus is: "Warm, affectionate, and sweet but not cloying, ''The Lunchbox'' is a clever crowd-pleaser from first-time director Ritesh Batra".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lunchbox/|title=The Lunchbox|website=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=8 July 2014}}</ref>
Lunchbox received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and audiences alike.
⚫
The review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gave the film a score of 97% based on reviews from 115 critics, with an average rating of 8.08/10. The site's consensus is: "Warm, affectionate, and sweet but not cloying, ''The Lunchbox'' is a clever crowd-pleaser from first-time director Ritesh Batra".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lunchbox/|title=The Lunchbox|website=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=8 July 2014}}</ref>


Critic [[Rajeev Masand]] of [[CNN-IBN]] gave a rating of 5/5 to the film stating, "The greatest love stories are the ones that make you root for the protagonists to come together, despite their destinies. This film illustrates how love transforms the unlikeliest of people."<ref>{{cite web |title='The Lunchbox' review: It'll leave you with a craving to seek your own little happiness|first1=Rajeev|last1=Masand|website=CNN-IBN |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/the-lunchbox-review-itll-leave-you-with-a-craving-to-seek-your-own-little-happiness/423546-47-84.html |date=20 September 2013}}</ref> [[Pratim D. Gupta]] of ''[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]'' gave two thumbs up to ''The Lunchbox'' calling it "as much a moving and muted love story as it is an evocative portrayal of loneliness."<ref>{{cite news|last=Gupta|first=Pratim D.|title=The Lunchbox|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130921/jsp/t2/story_17373582.jsp#.UnHoJBbMAUU|work=The Telegraph|accessdate=24 September 2013|location=Calcutta, India|date=24 September 2013}}</ref> [[Taran Adarsh]] of [[Bollywood Hungama]] gave the movie a 4/5 stating, "A well-told old-fashioned romance, ''The Lunchbox'' gracefully unknots the trials, tribulations, fears and hopes of everyday people sans the glamour that the city of Mumbai has become synonymous with."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lunchbox|first1=Taran|last1=Adarsh|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/588497 |date=20 September 2013|work=BollyHungama}}</ref> [[Karan Anshuman]] of the MumbaiMirror also went with a perfect score of 5/5 saying the film was, "one of the best films to come out of India in a long time."<ref>{{cite web |title=Film Review: The Lunchbox|first1=Karan|last1=Anshuman |url=http://www.mumbaimirror.com/entertainment/bollywood/Film-review-The-Lunchbox/articleshow/22808402.cms |date=20 September 2013|work=Mumbai Mirror }}</ref>
Critic [[Rajeev Masand]] of ''[[CNN-IBN]]'' gave a rating of 5/5 to the film stating, "The greatest love stories are the ones that make you root for the protagonists to come together, despite their destinies. This film illustrates how love transforms the unlikeliest of people."<ref>{{cite web |title='The Lunchbox' review: It'll leave you with a craving to seek your own little happiness|first1=Rajeev|last1=Masand|website=CNN-IBN |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/the-lunchbox-review-itll-leave-you-with-a-craving-to-seek-your-own-little-happiness/423546-47-84.html |date=20 September 2013}}</ref> [[Pratim D. Gupta]] of ''[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]'' gave 2 thumbs ups to ''The Lunchbox'' calling it "as much a moving and muted love story as it is an evocative portrayal of loneliness."<ref>{{cite news|last=Gupta|first=Pratim D.|title=The Lunchbox|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130921/jsp/t2/story_17373582.jsp#.UnHoJBbMAUU|work=The Telegraph|accessdate=24 September 2013|location=Calcutta, India|date=24 September 2013}}</ref> [[Taran Adarsh]] of [[Bollywood Hungama|''Bollywood Hungama'']] gave the movie a 4/5 stating, "A well-told old-fashioned romance, ''The Lunchbox'' gracefully unknots the trials, tribulations, fears and hopes of everyday people sans the glamour that the city of Mumbai has become synonymous with."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lunchbox|first1=Taran|last1=Adarsh|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/588497 |date=20 September 2013|work=BollyHungama}}</ref> [[Karan Anshuman]] of ''MumbaiMirror'' also went with a perfect score of 5/5 saying the film was, "one of the best films to come out of India in a long time."<ref>{{cite web |title=Film Review: The Lunchbox|first1=Karan|last1=Anshuman |url=http://www.mumbaimirror.com/entertainment/bollywood/Film-review-The-Lunchbox/articleshow/22808402.cms |date=20 September 2013|work=Mumbai Mirror }}</ref>


[[Raja Sen]] of Rediff.com praised the film further, giving another perfect score of 5/5 and offered particular compliments to the director Ritesh Batra, stating "Batra, who has also written ''The Lunchbox'', has allowed his smashing actors tremendous room to improvise, all the while himself sketching in nuanced details about the city, its food-ferriers, and the many disparities Mumbai is crammed with."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sen|first1=Raja|title=Review: The Lunchbox is the best Indian film in years|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-the-lunchbox-is-the-best-indian-film-in-years/20130920.htm|website=rediff movies|date=20 September 2013}}</ref> Filmmaker/critic [[Khalid Mohammed]] of the Deccan Chronicle said "What stays in the mind at the end of 'The Lunchbox' is pretty much what stays in mind at the end of a memorable set by jazzmen&nbsp;– not their lapses but the heights they scale."<ref>{{cite web|title='The Lunchbox' Review: Here's sumptuous food for thought|first1=Khalid|last1=Mohammed|website=Deccan Chronicle |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130920/entertainment-movie-reviews/article/lunchbox-review-here%E2%80%99s-sumptuous-food-thought |date=20 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921091248/http://deccanchronicle.com/130920/entertainment-movie-reviews/article/lunchbox-review-here%E2%80%99s-sumptuous-food-thought|archivedate=21 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Aditya Grover of YouthTimes gave it 4/5 stars and said, "The Lunchbox is delicious and delightful! If you're in the mood to witness genuinely moving cinema, you're in for a treat. The delectable taste of this lunchbox remains in your mouth much after you've left the theatre. Go for it!"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grover|first1=Aditya|title=Movie Review: 'The Lunchbox' is delicious and delightful!|url=http://youthtimes.in/the-lunchbox-review/|website=Youth Times}}</ref>
[[Raja Sen]] of ''Rediff.com'' praised the film further, giving another perfect score of 5/5 and offered particular compliments to the director Ritesh Batra, stating "Batra, who has also written ''The Lunchbox'', has allowed his smashing actors tremendous room to improvise, all the while himself sketching in nuanced details about the city, its food-ferriers, and the many disparities Mumbai is crammed with."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sen|first1=Raja|title=Review: The Lunchbox is the best Indian film in years|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-the-lunchbox-is-the-best-indian-film-in-years/20130920.htm|website=rediff movies|date=20 September 2013}}</ref> Filmmaker-critic [[Khalid Mohammed]] of the ''Deccan Chronicle'' said "What stays in the mind at the end of ''The Lunchbox'' is pretty much what stays in mind at the end of a memorable set by jazz-men&nbsp;– not their lapses but the heights they scale."<ref>{{cite web|title='The Lunchbox' Review: Here's sumptuous food for thought|first1=Khalid|last1=Mohammed|website=Deccan Chronicle |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130920/entertainment-movie-reviews/article/lunchbox-review-here%E2%80%99s-sumptuous-food-thought |date=20 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921091248/http://deccanchronicle.com/130920/entertainment-movie-reviews/article/lunchbox-review-here%E2%80%99s-sumptuous-food-thought|archivedate=21 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Aditya Grover of ''YouthTimes'' gave it 4/5 stars and said, "''The Lunchbox'' is delicious and delightful! If you're in the mood to witness genuinely moving cinema, you're in for a treat. The delectable taste of this lunchbox remains in your mouth much after you've left the theatre. Go for it!"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grover|first1=Aditya|title=Movie Review: 'The Lunchbox' is delicious and delightful!|url=http://youthtimes.in/the-lunchbox-review/|website=Youth Times}}</ref> Suparna Sharma of [[The Asian Age|''The Asian Age'']] gave it 4 out of 5 stars and said: "''The Lunchbox'' is a gently pulsating sweet-sad story of loneliness and love, of wilting spirits finding water again. There are 3 women in 3 marriages in this film, of which two are ailing. The third one is over, almost, only the last rites haven't been performed. There are 2 men in the film – one who has lived a full life and is getting ready to quietly slip off the face of the earth; the other is eager to begin… What's both shocking and soothing is what the film shows us — that it takes very little for a soul to come back to life. Mostly, just a hint of hope will do." <ref>{{cite web |title=Cooked to perfection|first1=Suparna|last1=Sharma|website=The Asian Age|url=http://www.asianage.com/movie-reviews/cooked-perfection-843}}</ref>
Suparna Sharma of [[The Asian Age]] gave it 4 out of 5 stars and said: "The Lunchbox is a gently pulsating sweet-sad story of loneliness and love, of wilting spirits finding water again. There are three women in three marriages in this film, of which two are ailing. The third one is over, almost, only the last rites haven't been performed. There are two men in the film – one who has lived a full life and is getting ready to quietly slip off the face of the earth; the other is eager to begin… What's both shocking and soothing is what the film shows us — that it takes very little for a soul to come back to life. Mostly, just a hint of hope will do." <ref>{{cite web |title=Cooked to perfection|first1=Suparna|last1=Sharma|website=The Asian Age|url=http://www.asianage.com/movie-reviews/cooked-perfection-843}}</ref>


Trisha Gupta in the ''Sunday Guardian'' wrote "The Lunchbox is a lovely little film. But it does tick all the boxes that might appeal to festival audiences: quaint Asian urbanism (Mumbai trains, dabba delivery), Indian home-cooking, romance. It provides local colour, without being demandingly untranslatable."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/artbeat/unpacking-the-lunchbox-layers-of-language-and-time |title=Unpacking The Lunchbox: Layers of language and time |publisher=Sunday-guardian.com |date= |first1=Trisha|last1=Gupta|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> In a less positive review for the [[Chicago Reader]], J.R. Jones criticized the film's premise as a gimmick and its purported use of "irritating comic foil" in reference to Nawazuddin Siddiqui's and Bharati Achrekar's characters as Shaikh and Mrs. Deshpande, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-lunchbox/Film?oid=12392478 |title=The Lunchbox|first1=J.R.|last1=Jones|publisher=Chicago Reader |accessdate=13 June 2015}}</ref>
Trisha Gupta in the ''Sunday Guardian'' wrote "''The Lunchbox'' is a lovely little film. But it does tick all the boxes that might appeal to festival audiences: quaint Asian urbanism (Mumbai trains, dabba-delivery), Indian home-cooking, romance. It provides local colour, without being demandingly untranslatable."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/artbeat/unpacking-the-lunchbox-layers-of-language-and-time |title=Unpacking The Lunchbox: Layers of language and time |publisher=Sunday-guardian.com |date= |first1=Trisha|last1=Gupta|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> In a less positive review for the [[Chicago Reader|''Chicago Reader'']], J.R. Jones criticized the film's premise as a gimmick and its purported use of "irritating comic foil" in reference to Nawazuddin Siddiqui's and Bharati Achrekar's characters as Shaikh and Mrs. Deshpande, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-lunchbox/Film?oid=12392478 |title=The Lunchbox|first1=J.R.|last1=Jones|publisher=Chicago Reader |accessdate=13 June 2015}}</ref>


===Oscar selection controversy===
===Oscar Selection Controversy===
''The Lunchbox ''was considered by many people throughout the year to be a lock as India's selection for the [[86th Academy Awards]] [[List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Film Category]], with many critics enthusiastically praising it and voting for it to be the representative film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Critics Want The Lunchbox For Oscars |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/the-lunchbox-critics-choice-for-the-oscars/20130916.htm|first1=Subhash K|last1=Jha|website=rediff movies|date=3 September 2013}}</ref> Director [[Karan Johar]] also put his support behind the film saying "All kinds of audience can connect with it and yet within the parameters of love story it is completely unusual. You feel all the love in the world for the protagonists and the unusual aspect of it is they haven't met."<ref>{{cite web |title=Hope The Lunchbox wins an Oscar: Karan Johar|first1=Parmita|last1=Uniyal|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Hope-The-Lunchbox-wins-an-Oscar-Karan-Johar/Article1-1123347.aspx|website=HIndustan Times|date=10 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918033407/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Hope-The-Lunchbox-wins-an-Oscar-Karan-Johar/Article1-1123347.aspx|archivedate=18 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
''The Lunchbox ''was considered by many people throughout the year to be a lock as India's selection for the [[86th Academy Awards]] [[List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Film Category]], with many critics enthusiastically praising it and voting for it to be the representative film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Critics Want The Lunchbox For Oscars |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/the-lunchbox-critics-choice-for-the-oscars/20130916.htm|first1=Subhash K|last1=Jha|website=rediff movies|date=3 September 2013}}</ref> Director [[Karan Johar]] also put his support behind the film saying "All kinds of audience can connect with it and yet within the parameters of a love story, it is completely unusual. You feel all the love in the world for the protagonists and the unusual aspect of it is they haven't met."<ref>{{cite web |title=Hope The Lunchbox wins an Oscar: Karan Johar|first1=Parmita|last1=Uniyal|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Hope-The-Lunchbox-wins-an-Oscar-Karan-Johar/Article1-1123347.aspx|website=HIndustan Times|date=10 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918033407/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Hope-The-Lunchbox-wins-an-Oscar-Karan-Johar/Article1-1123347.aspx|archivedate=18 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>


However, the selection committee of the [[Film Federation of India]] (FFI) deliberated on 17 September 2013 and decided to send the [[Gujarati cinema|Gujarati film]] ''[[The Good Road]]'' instead.<ref>{{cite web |title=India nominates The Good Road for Oscars in Best Foreign Film Category |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2013/09/india-nominates-the-good-road-for-oscars-in-best-foreign-film-category/|website=Bihar Prabha |date=20 September 2013}}</ref> This decision sparked outrage from many supporters of ''The Lunchbox'', including its cast and crew. The film's producer [[Anurag Kashyap]] quickly took to [[Twitter]] and expressed his disgust, saying "I don't know who the Federation is, but it goes to show the complete lack of understanding to make films that can travel across borders."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Lunchbox out of Oscar race, KJo, Anurag Kashyap upset|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/karan-johar-anurag-kashyap-upset-the-lunchbox-out-of-oscar-race-as-the-good-road-selected/1/311031.html|website=India Today|accessdate=5 June 2016|date=21 September 2013}}</ref> He later deleted both his Twitter and [[Facebook]] accounts, saying, "this is a moment of defeat for me, and for independent cinema, because, for once, our chances were great."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://old.tehelka.com/the-community-of-independent-filmmakers-in-india-is-essentially-crabs-in-a-basket/ |title=The Community Of Independent Filmmakers In India Is Essentially Crabs In A Basket |last=Kashyap |first=Anurag |authorlink=Anurag Kashyap |date=26 September 2013 |website=Tehelka |accessdate=30 August 2018}}</ref> Karan Johar also said he felt very disappointed that such a wonderful chance at Oscar glory with ''The Lunchbox'' was spoiled.<ref>{{cite web |title=Karan Johar Tweet |url=https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/381371716934459393|date=20 September 2013|quote=Really shocked and dissapointed [sic]....#LUNCHBOX had every factor working in its favour...we may have just lost our golden chance....SAD!!!}}</ref> [[Guneet Monga]], ''The Lunchbox''{{'s}} other producer, said she was flabbergasted as to how the Federation could select a movie that didn't even have an American distributor, and also listed the number of global festivals and appreciation her film received, concluding that it sadly and supposedly "wasn't enough for the FFI".<ref>{{cite web |title=Gunnet Monga Tweet #1 | url=https://twitter.com/guneetm/status/381378921477853185 | date=20 September 2013|quote=Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, Sony was not enough for us the judge... I wish FFI success with their decision...!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Guneet Monga Tweet #2 | url=https://twitter.com/guneetm/status/381369570973323264 | date=20 September 2013|quote=@ankash1009 how do they even nominate a film without an american distributor... !!!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= The Lunchbox Film review| url=http://www.cinemanewstoday.com/the-lunchbox-film-review/|author=cinebuzz| date=23 September 2013 | publisher =Cinema News Today}}</ref>
However, the selection committee of the [[Film Federation of India]] (FFI) deliberated on 17 September 2013 and decided to send the [[Gujarati cinema|Gujarati film]], ''[[The Good Road]]'' instead.<ref>{{cite web |title=India nominates The Good Road for Oscars in Best Foreign Film Category |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2013/09/india-nominates-the-good-road-for-oscars-in-best-foreign-film-category/|website=Bihar Prabha |date=20 September 2013}}</ref> This decision sparked outrage from many supporters of ''The Lunchbox'', including its cast and crew. The film's producer [[Anurag Kashyap]] quickly took to [[Twitter]] and expressed his disgust, saying "I don't know who the Federation is, but it goes to show the complete lack of understanding to make films that can travel across borders."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Lunchbox out of Oscar race, KJo, Anurag Kashyap upset|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/karan-johar-anurag-kashyap-upset-the-lunchbox-out-of-oscar-race-as-the-good-road-selected/1/311031.html|website=India Today|accessdate=5 June 2016|date=21 September 2013}}</ref> He later deleted both his Twitter and [[Facebook]] accounts, saying, "this is a moment of defeat for me, and for independent cinema, because, for once, our chances were great."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://old.tehelka.com/the-community-of-independent-filmmakers-in-india-is-essentially-crabs-in-a-basket/ |title=The Community Of Independent Filmmakers In India Is Essentially Crabs In A Basket |last=Kashyap |first=Anurag |authorlink=Anurag Kashyap |date=26 September 2013 |website=Tehelka |accessdate=30 August 2018}}</ref> Karan Johar also said he felt very disappointed that such a wonderful chance at Oscar glory with ''The Lunchbox'' was spoiled.<ref>{{cite web |title=Karan Johar Tweet |url=https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/381371716934459393|date=20 September 2013|quote=Really shocked and dissapointed [sic]....#LUNCHBOX had every factor working in its favour...we may have just lost our golden chance....SAD!!!}}</ref> [[Guneet Monga]], ''The Lunchbox''{{'s}} other producer, said she was flabbergasted as to how the Federation could select a movie that didn't even have an American distributor, and also listed the number of global festivals and appreciation her film received, concluding that it sadly and supposedly "wasn't enough for the FFI".<ref>{{cite web |title=Gunnet Monga Tweet #1 | url=https://twitter.com/guneetm/status/381378921477853185 | date=20 September 2013|quote=Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, Sony was not enough for us the judge... I wish FFI success with their decision...!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Guneet Monga Tweet #2 | url=https://twitter.com/guneetm/status/381369570973323264 | date=20 September 2013|quote=@ankash1009 how do they even nominate a film without an american distributor... !!!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= The Lunchbox Film review| url=http://www.cinemanewstoday.com/the-lunchbox-film-review/|author=cinebuzz| date=23 September 2013 | publisher =Cinema News Today}}</ref>


In an interview with [[Siddharth Sivakumar]] of ''[[Tinpahar]]'', [[Goutam Ghose]], the chairman of the committee revealed:
In an interview with [[Siddharth Sivakumar]] of ''[[Tinpahar]]'', [[Goutam Ghose]], the chairman of the committee revealed:


{{Quote|Personally I liked ''The Lunch Box'' very much. But eventually the eighteen member jury supported ''The Good Road''. Now I can say that some people from Bombay felt that the basic premise of ''The Lunch Box'' was wrong. Because the Dubbawalas never do such mistakes. Films are after all works of fiction, with the right to cinematic liberty! Although ''Lunch Box'' was my personal favourite, but as a chairman one should not impose his or her choice on others. And as you know this became suddenly a big controversy. And I think the media was again to some extent responsible for this decision. Because every day during the deliberation or the screenings, the media projected ''Lunch Box'' as the chosen one. It's my assumption, that the members probably thought, "My God! If the media has already taken the decision then why we are here?" It was a Chomskian '[[Manufacturing Consent|manufacturing consent]]' – ''Lunch Box'', ''Lunch Box'', ''Lunch Box'' every day!! So the members, who are all very important people from the industry, had an opposite impulse. I don't know, but maybe that's the way it happened.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tinpahar.com/article/416 |title=The Goutam Ghosh Interview|first1=Siddharth|last1=Sivakumar|publisher=Tinpahar |accessdate=28 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224420/http://tinpahar.com/article/416|archivedate=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}
{{Quote|Personally I liked ''The Lunchbox'' very much. But eventually the 18-member jury supported ''The Good Road''. Now I can say that some people from Bombay felt that the basic premise of ''The Lunchbox'' was wrong. Because the Dabbawalas never do such mistakes. Films are after all works of fiction, with the right to cinematic liberty! Although ''The Lunchbox'' was my personal favourite, but as a chairman one should not impose his or her choice on others. And as you know this became suddenly a big controversy. And I think the media was again to some extent responsible for this decision. Because every day during the deliberation or the screenings, the media projected ''The Lunchbox'' as the chosen one. It's my assumption, that the members probably thought, "My God! If the media has already taken the decision then why we are here?" It was a Chomskian '[[Manufacturing Consent|manufacturing consent]]' – ''The Lunchbox'', ''The Lunchbox'', ''The Lunchbox'' everyday!! So the members, who are all very important people from the industry, had an opposite impulse. I don't know, but maybe that's the way it happened.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tinpahar.com/article/416 |title=The Goutam Ghosh Interview|first1=Siddharth|last1=Sivakumar|publisher=Tinpahar |accessdate=28 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224420/http://tinpahar.com/article/416|archivedate=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>|author=|title=|source=}}


==Accolades==
==Accolades==

Revision as of 13:38, 7 September 2020

For other uses, see Lunch box (disambiguation).

The Lunchbox
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRitesh Batra
Written byRitesh Batra
Produced by
Starring
Irrfan Khan
Nimrat Kaur
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
CinematographyMichael Simmonds
Edited byJohn F. Lyons
Music byMax Richter
Production
companies
Distributed byUTV Motion Pictures (India)
Sony Pictures Classics (North America) [1]
Release dates
  • 19 May 2013 (2013-05-19) (Cannes Film Festival)
  • 20 September 2013 (2013-09-20) (India)
Running time
105 minutes[2]
CountriesIndia
United States
Germany
France
Language
Hindi
Budget₹22 crore (US$2.6 million)[3]
Box office₹100.85 crore[3] (US$17.24 million)[4]

The Lunchbox is a 2013 Indian epistolary romantic drama written and directed by Ritesh Batra, and produced by Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap, and Arun Rangachari. The film was jointly produced by various studios including DAR motion pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, NFDC (India), ROH Films (Germany), ASAP Films (France), and the Cine Mosaic (United States).[5] It stars Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in lead roles. The film was screened at International Critics' Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and later won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.[6] It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[7] The film was released in India on 20 September 2013.[8]

The film was a box-office success.[3][9] It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing Hindi film, until it was surpassed by Hindi Medium (2017).[10] The Lunchbox was nominated for the Best Film Not in the English Language category of the British Academy Film Awards 2015.[11]

Plot

Ila (Nimrat Kaur) is a young wife seeking her husband's (Nakul Vaid) attention and looking for ways to put romance back into her marriage, one of which is to cook delicious lunches for him. She sends the lunchbox through the famous Mumbai "dabbawalas," a complicated system that picks up and delivers lunches from restaurants or homes to people at work. Due to a mix-up, the lunchbox Ila prepares for her husband gets delivered, instead, to Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan), a widower who is about to retire from his job as an accountant.

Ila eventually realizes the mistake and with the advice of her neighbour auntie (Bharti Achrekar – voice only) living in the apartment above her, writes a letter to Saajan about the mix up and places it in the lunchbox (along with her husband's favorite meal) the next day. An exchange of the messages sent back and forth with the lunches ignites a friendship between the two, as they share memories and events of their own individual lives.

At work, Saajan is tasked with training his replacement, Shaikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), an orphan whose incompetence initially annoys Saajan, who is already socially distant since his wife's death. Saajan and Shaikh gradually get to know each other better and strike a close friendship as well. At one point, Saajan saves Shaikh's job by covering for his blatant mistakes on pay orders and he also becomes his best man at his wedding with Mehrunissa (Shruti Bapna).

At home, Ila finds out that her husband is having an affair and she begins to give up hope on her marriage. In one of the lunchbox letters, she suggests moving to Bhutan where the cost of living is much less than in India. Saajan writes back suggesting that the two move there together. Ila then offers to meet in person at a popular food joint, but at the appointed time Saajan doesn't turn up. Upon receiving an empty lunchbox the next day, Saajan writes back to the dejected Ila and apologizes, saying that he did arrive and saw her from a distance but couldn't approach her. He explains how young and beautiful she looked, while surmising that he is too old for her and advising her to move on.

Some time later, Ila's father, battling with lung cancer, dies in her mother's care. After her mother (Lilette Dubey) confesses how unhappy her marriage was, Ila decides to search for Saajan, but then learns from Shaikh that he has already retired and headed to Nasik. She writes a last farewell message to Saajan announcing that she has decided to leave her husband and move to Bhutan with her young daughter.

Meanwhile, Saajan changes his mind en route to Nasik, returning to Mumbai and going in search of Ila – who is last seen at home waiting for her daughter to return from school – as he gets help from the same dabbawala who regularly picked up and delivered the eponymous lunchbox.

Cast

  • Irrfan Khan as Saajan Fernandes
  • Nimrat Kaur as Ila
  • Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Shaikh
  • Bharati Achrekar as Mrs. Deshpande, Ila's neighbour (voice only)
  • Nakul Vaid as Rajiv, Ila's husband
  • Yashvi Puneet Nagar as Yashvi
  • Denzil Smith as Mr. Shroff, Saajan's office boss
  • Lillete Dubey as Ila's mother
  • Shruti Bapna as Mehrunissa, Shaikh's wife
  • Nasir Khan as Ila's father
  • Lokesh Rai as Duke's owner
  • Sadashiv Kondaji Pokarkar as Dabbawala at Ila's house
  • Aarti Rathod as Saajan's neighbour
  • Rishi Raj More as Ila's brother
  • Krishna Bai as toothless woman in local train
  • Santosh Kumar Chaurasia as autorickshaw driver
  • Swapnil Shrirao as Duke's waiter
  • Baburao Sankpal as Dabbawala at Saajan's office
  • Mahesh Mahadev Salavkar as office peon
  • Abhijit Khanvilkar as young man in local train

Production

Development

Ritesh Batra, who had made short films, The Morning Ritual, Gareeb Nawaz ki Taxi and Cafe Regular, Cairo, started researching for a documentary on the famous lunchbox delivery system of Mumbai, dabbawala, known for their efficiency, however after spending a week with them in 2007, he got to know of many interesting personal stories they would overhear while waiting outside an apartment. This idea gave birth to the idea of the film, and instead of making the documentary he began writing a film script.[8][12] In time the film became a joint production between Sikhya Entertainment, DAR motion pictures, National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), India, ROH Films, Germany, ASAP Films, France and the Cine Mosaic, US of Lydia Dean Pilcher who previously produced films like, The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) and The Namesake (2007), and Germany's Match Factory became its international sales agent.[5][13]

Writing

Batra completed the first draft of the screenplay in 2011.[12] He was assisted by Rutvik Oza.[14] It went on to win an Honorable Jury Mention at the 2012 Cinemart at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Thereafter the project was part of the Talent Project Market of Berlin International Film Festival and was mentored at the screenwriter's lab (Torino Film Lab) at the Torino Film Festival.[13] The character of Ila played by Nimrat Kaur, was developed 6 months prior to the shooting, and the character played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui was further developed and improvised during shooting.[12]

Casting

Irrfan Khan liked the script of the film and the concept of his character, not speaking much but talking through notes. After seeing Batra's short film and a couple of meetings he agreed to act in the film. Batra wanted to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, another principal character of the film, for a long time. For the female lead, auditions were conducted, wherein Nimrat Kaur was selected. Kaur had extensive experience at the Mumbai theatre and worked in films like Peddlers.[12][13] Some of the dabbawalas who the director befriended while researching for the film, also were cast in minor roles.[8]

Filming

The film was shot in 2012 in Mumbai[12] at a budget of ₹220 million. Prior to the filming, the cast rehearsed for 6 months. It was shot using the Arri Alexa digital film camera.[13] Many of the scenes were logistically broken down to make way for last-minute location changes. According to Ritesh Batra, scenes on the train involved the use of only 1 compartment, and even included actual local commuters when needed.[15]

Principal photography lasted 29 days, with a majority of the film's scenes done in 3 weeks. Afterwards, footage taken in a documentary manner were shot. Mumbai's famous dabbawalas were provided actual lunch-boxes to deliver, and followed by a 4-member film crew, which filmed the process in documentary style.[13][16][17]

Release & Reception

Screenings & Film Festivals

The film was screened on 19 May 2013 as a part of the International Critics' Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and highly positive reviews.[18][19][20] It won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.[21] Variety called it "a notable debut from tyro helmer-scripter Ritesh Batra", for creating a film with "crossover appeal of Monsoon Wedding (2001)", and also praised acting of Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur.[22]

Thereafter, Sony Pictures Classics picked up all North American rights for distribution.[5]

In India, this film was released in more than 400 screens on 20 September 2013.[23][24]

Box-Office

The Lunchbox grossed ₹71 million in its first weekend of release in India,[23][25] and ₹110 million in its first week.[26] The film continued to gross significant amounts over the next few weeks, earning over ₹200 million in the first 3 weeks and another estimated ₹40–50 lakhs on its fourth weekend.[27]

In the United States, The Lunchbox grossed $4.23 million, and was 2014's third highest grossing foreign film behind Cantinflas and P.K..[28][29] By 28 May 2014, the film's worldwide collection was ₹84.92 crore.[30] In its lifetime run, the film's worldwide gross was ₹100.85 crore[3] (US$17.24 million).[4] Most of its gross was from overseas, becoming 2013's third highest-grossing Indian film overseas, after Dhoom 3 and Chennai Express.[31] It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing Hindi film, up until it was surpassed by Hindi Medium (2017).[10]

Critical Reception

Lunchbox received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 97% based on reviews from 115 critics, with an average rating of 8.08/10. The site's consensus is: "Warm, affectionate, and sweet but not cloying, The Lunchbox is a clever crowd-pleaser from first-time director Ritesh Batra".[32]

Critic Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave a rating of 5/5 to the film stating, "The greatest love stories are the ones that make you root for the protagonists to come together, despite their destinies. This film illustrates how love transforms the unlikeliest of people."[33] Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph gave 2 thumbs ups to The Lunchbox calling it "as much a moving and muted love story as it is an evocative portrayal of loneliness."[34] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the movie a 4/5 stating, "A well-told old-fashioned romance, The Lunchbox gracefully unknots the trials, tribulations, fears and hopes of everyday people sans the glamour that the city of Mumbai has become synonymous with."[35] Karan Anshuman of MumbaiMirror also went with a perfect score of 5/5 saying the film was, "one of the best films to come out of India in a long time."[36]

Raja Sen of Rediff.com praised the film further, giving another perfect score of 5/5 and offered particular compliments to the director Ritesh Batra, stating "Batra, who has also written The Lunchbox, has allowed his smashing actors tremendous room to improvise, all the while himself sketching in nuanced details about the city, its food-ferriers, and the many disparities Mumbai is crammed with."[37] Filmmaker-critic Khalid Mohammed of the Deccan Chronicle said "What stays in the mind at the end of The Lunchbox is pretty much what stays in mind at the end of a memorable set by jazz-men – not their lapses but the heights they scale."[38] Aditya Grover of YouthTimes gave it 4/5 stars and said, "The Lunchbox is delicious and delightful! If you're in the mood to witness genuinely moving cinema, you're in for a treat. The delectable taste of this lunchbox remains in your mouth much after you've left the theatre. Go for it!"[39] Suparna Sharma of The Asian Age gave it 4 out of 5 stars and said: "The Lunchbox is a gently pulsating sweet-sad story of loneliness and love, of wilting spirits finding water again. There are 3 women in 3 marriages in this film, of which two are ailing. The third one is over, almost, only the last rites haven't been performed. There are 2 men in the film – one who has lived a full life and is getting ready to quietly slip off the face of the earth; the other is eager to begin… What's both shocking and soothing is what the film shows us — that it takes very little for a soul to come back to life. Mostly, just a hint of hope will do." [40]

Trisha Gupta in the Sunday Guardian wrote "The Lunchbox is a lovely little film. But it does tick all the boxes that might appeal to festival audiences: quaint Asian urbanism (Mumbai trains, dabba-delivery), Indian home-cooking, romance. It provides local colour, without being demandingly untranslatable."[41] In a less positive review for the Chicago Reader, J.R. Jones criticized the film's premise as a gimmick and its purported use of "irritating comic foil" in reference to Nawazuddin Siddiqui's and Bharati Achrekar's characters as Shaikh and Mrs. Deshpande, respectively.[42]

Oscar Selection Controversy

The Lunchbox was considered by many people throughout the year to be a lock as India's selection for the 86th Academy Awards Best Foreign Film Category, with many critics enthusiastically praising it and voting for it to be the representative film.[43] Director Karan Johar also put his support behind the film saying "All kinds of audience can connect with it and yet within the parameters of a love story, it is completely unusual. You feel all the love in the world for the protagonists and the unusual aspect of it is they haven't met."[44]

However, the selection committee of the Film Federation of India (FFI) deliberated on 17 September 2013 and decided to send the Gujarati film, The Good Road instead.[45] This decision sparked outrage from many supporters of The Lunchbox, including its cast and crew. The film's producer Anurag Kashyap quickly took to Twitter and expressed his disgust, saying "I don't know who the Federation is, but it goes to show the complete lack of understanding to make films that can travel across borders."[46] He later deleted both his Twitter and Facebook accounts, saying, "this is a moment of defeat for me, and for independent cinema, because, for once, our chances were great."[47] Karan Johar also said he felt very disappointed that such a wonderful chance at Oscar glory with The Lunchbox was spoiled.[48] Guneet Monga, The Lunchbox's other producer, said she was flabbergasted as to how the Federation could select a movie that didn't even have an American distributor, and also listed the number of global festivals and appreciation her film received, concluding that it sadly and supposedly "wasn't enough for the FFI".[49][50][51]

In an interview with Siddharth Sivakumar of Tinpahar, Goutam Ghose, the chairman of the committee revealed:

Personally I liked The Lunchbox very much. But eventually the 18-member jury supported The Good Road. Now I can say that some people from Bombay felt that the basic premise of The Lunchbox was wrong. Because the Dabbawalas never do such mistakes. Films are after all works of fiction, with the right to cinematic liberty! Although The Lunchbox was my personal favourite, but as a chairman one should not impose his or her choice on others. And as you know this became suddenly a big controversy. And I think the media was again to some extent responsible for this decision. Because every day during the deliberation or the screenings, the media projected The Lunchbox as the chosen one. It's my assumption, that the members probably thought, "My God! If the media has already taken the decision then why we are here?" It was a Chomskian 'manufacturing consent' – The Lunchbox, The Lunchbox, The Lunchbox everyday!! So the members, who are all very important people from the industry, had an opposite impulse. I don't know, but maybe that's the way it happened.[52]

Accolades

Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) Result
Star Guild Awards[53][54] Best Film Anurag Kashyap, Arun Rangachari and Guneet Monga Nominated
Best Director Ritesh Batra Nominated
Best Actor Irrfan Khan Nominated
Best Actress Nimrat Kaur Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nawazuddin Siddiqui Won
Best Screenplay Ritesh Batra Nominated
Best Story Ritesh Batra Nominated
Yash Chopra Award for the Most Promising Debut – Director Ritesh Batra Won
Best Female Debut Nimrat Kaur Nominated
Star Verdict Performer of the Year Irrfan Khan Won
Asia Pacific Screen Awards[55] Best Screenplay Ritesh Batra Won
Jury Grand Prize Ritesh Batra Won
Asia-Pacific Film Festival[56][57] Best Film Ritesh Batra Nominated
Best Director Ritesh Batra Nominated
Best Actor Irrfan Khan Nominated
Best Actress Nimrat Kaur Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui Won
Best Screenplay Ritesh Batra Won
Outstanding Achievement Award Irrfan Khan Won
8th Asian Film Awards[58] Best Film The Lunchbox Nominated
Best Actor Irrfan Khan Won
Best Screenwriter Ritesh Batra Won
Dubai International Film Festival[59] Best Film – Feature Anurag Kashyap, Arun Rangachari and Guneet Monga Nominated
Special Mention – Feature Ritesh Batra Won
Best Actor – Feature Irrfan Khan Won
Filmfare Awards[60][61] Best Film (Critics) Ritesh Batra Won
Best Debut Director Ritesh Batra Won
Best Supporting Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui Won
Best Story Ritesh Batra Nominated
Best Editing John F. Lyons Nominated
Best Sound Design Michael Kaczmarek Nominated
Ghent International Film Festival[62] Canvas Audience Award Ritesh Batra Nominated
Hong Kong Asian Film Festival[63] New Talent Award Ritesh Batra Nominated
International Critics' Week (Cannes Film Festival)[1] Grand Rail d'Or (Viewers' Choice Award) The Lunchbox Won
International Indian Film Academy Awards[64] Best Actress in a Leading Role Nimrat Kaur Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nawazuddin Siddiqui Nominated
Best Story Ritesh Batra Nominated
London Film Festival[65] Best Film Ritesh Batra Nominated
Oslo Films from the South Festival[66] Best Feature Ritesh Batra Nominated
Reykjavík International Film Festival[67] Church of Iceland Award Ritesh Batra Won
Screen Weekly Awards[68][69] Best Film Anurag Kashyap, Arun Rangachari and Guneet Monga Nominated
Most Promising Debut Director Ritesh Batra Won
Best Actor Irrfan Khan Nominated
Best Actress Nimrat Kaur Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui Nominated
Best Screenplay Ritesh Batra Nominated
Best Story Ritesh Batra Nominated
Zee Cine Awards[70][71] Best Debuting Director Ritesh Batra Won
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nawazuddin Siddiqui Nominated
Best Story Ritesh Batra Nominated
British Academy Film Awards[72] Best Foreign Language Film Ritesh Batra Nominated

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Cannes Critics' Week Winner 'The Lunchbox'". Indiewire. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  2. ^ "The Lunchbox (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d "The Lunchbox". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
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  48. ^ "Karan Johar Tweet". 20 September 2013. Really shocked and dissapointed [sic]....#LUNCHBOX had every factor working in its favour...we may have just lost our golden chance....SAD!!!
  49. ^ "Gunnet Monga Tweet #1". 20 September 2013. Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, Sony was not enough for us the judge... I wish FFI success with their decision...!
  50. ^ "Guneet Monga Tweet #2". 20 September 2013. @ankash1009 how do they even nominate a film without an american distributor... !!!
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