As far as debuts go, there are few that are as impressive as that of Ritesh Batra. With The Lunchbox he created one of the best films of 2013. In fact, it is definitely one of the best to come out of this decade. There are a few reasons why I feel this way about the film. First, the performances of Nimrat Kaur, Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. While the latter has a much smaller role in comparison, he leaves a mark on the viewer. Then comes the writing. Using a lunchbox, Batra is able to tell us so much about relationships, love etc. Even though the protagonists never meet each other, the connection between them is visible to us. It makes us care about these people.

When all these elements come together, the meal (pun intended) is bound to be satisfying. Though the characters shown here are much older than me, I could really connect with their feelings. When Nimrat Kaur yearns for some affection from her cheating husband or when Irrfan Khan is forced to contemplate the fact that he’s ageing, these are examples of how real and universal these emotions are. We have all wanted love and attention from a particular person or have looked in the mirror and been taken aback by how older we look. This isn’t a film that works only for the Indian audience but is something that people will relate to, regardless of where they are from. That may be the film’s real triumph.

Until next time, bye.