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The Lunchbox (Dabba)

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer for The Lunchbox
  • Clip: Ila's First Note

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Ritesh Batra

Producer:

Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga, Arun Rangachari

Writer:

Vasan Bala

Release Date:

Feb 28, 2014

Runtime:

1hr 44m

Synopsis

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.

Cast

  • Irrfan Khan
  • Nimrat Kaur
  • Nawazuddin Siddiqui
  • Lillete Dubey
  • Nakul Vaid
  • Bharti Achrekar
  • Yashvi Puneet Nagar
  • Denzil Smith
  • Shruti Bapna
  • Nasir Khan

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.1
115.9K
24.1K
44.5K
RATINGS 2.5K FANS
4.1
  • Jun 13, 2014

    There is a scene in The Lunchbox in which the protagonist peers at a display of apparently identical paintings only to realize that each painting is minutely different: the building and road is the same, but the people are always different. He even recognizes himself in one…

    2.3K Likes
    Rida
    Rida
    Nov 19, 2018

    sometimes your heart aches so softly you stop noticing it after a while

    1.4K Likes
    Brighid
    Brighid
    Feb 4, 2019

    The wrong train can take you to the right station. - Love it. - Love it. - And really love it.

    967 Likes
    sofyan
    sofyan
  •
    Apr 27, 2023

    In my head Saajan and Ila are happily together.

    888 Likes
    Vonny Simarmata
    Vonny Simarmata
    Jan 6, 2022

    how can such a heartwarming film bring so much heartache at its ending?

    680 Likes
    ANGELIKA
    ANGELIKA
    Jan 25, 2021

    I don't know when I became an old man only after you spend a lifetime trying numb the pain can you realize the quiet hurts more than anything you've experienced before

    588 Likes
    cleansing my soul of addiction🦋
    cleansing my soul of addiction🦋
  •
    Feb 20, 2025

    dear ila, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye, i wanted to come up to you and tell you all this in person but i just watched you wait, you look beautiful, you are young, you can dream and for sometime…

    552 Likes
    Niraj⚡
    Niraj⚡
    Nov 25, 2018

    Effortlessly makes you smile and slowly makes your heart ache. Such a lovely warm hug The Lunchbox is.

    449 Likes
    bell 🍂
    bell 🍂
    Jun 18, 2014

    This film was very different from what I was expecting, first of all because it's an Indian film and you know what to expect from an Indian film. Always full of bright colors, happy dance sequences (or even sad dance sequences) and of course, lot of singing. The Lunchbox is…

    392 Likes
    Caty Alexandre
    Caty Alexandre
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

94%
Community 808
❤️ LOVE
46%
👍 LIKE
48%
😐 MEH
4%
👎 DISLIKE
2%
Top Reviews
  • WWE President of Personality
    WWE President of Personality loved
    The Lunchbox

    Now I am sad, because I don’t have anyone to write letters to, or to go to Bhutan with, and they never saw each other

    3M
    N .
    N . loved
    The Lunchbox

    It’s overwhelmingly realistic, you may enjoy a fantasy but reality is stronger

    27D
    Meerkatter
    Meerkatter loved
    The Lunchbox

    This was a surprisingly delightful story Highly recommended

    2Y
  • Gerben Joustra
    Gerben Joustra loved
    The Lunchbox

    Very beautiful, not entirely clear if it will work

    1Y
    Asran4ever
    Asran4ever loved
    The Lunchbox

    Omg i loveeeddd it rip irrfan khan he was amazing

    2Y
    larr
    larr liked
    The Lunchbox

    very chill but will teach u life lessons

    4M
  • Reyham
    Reyham loved
    The Lunchbox

    Forgot how good this movie is

    1Y
    noko phukubye
    noko phukubye liked
    The Lunchbox

    Good

    5D
    Tee
    Tee loved
    The Lunchbox

    cute

    10M
View More Popular The Lunchbox Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

76
metacritic
Based on 28 Critics
8.1

USER SCORE (59)

Universal acclaim based on 59 Reviews
80
Apr 16, 2014

The Lunchbox is perfectly handled and beautifully acted; a quiet storm of banked emotions.

View full review
Metacritic review by Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
The Guardian
83
Mar 27, 2014

A crowd-pleasing import that would leave only the most steadfast curmudgeon unmoved.

View full review
Metacritic review by Marc Mohan
Marc Mohan
Portland Oregonian
80
Feb 27, 2014

Wonderfully fresh and affecting fable from India.

View full review
Metacritic review by Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG (Parental Guidance Suggested). It's generally considered a family-friendly movie.
How long is The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014)?
The movie is 1hr 44min long.
What's The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014) about?
A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.
Who's the cast of The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014)?
  • Irrfan Khan as Saajan Fernandes
  • Nimrat Kaur as Ila
  • Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Shaikh
  • Lillete Dubey as Ila's Mother
  • Nakul Vaid as Rajeev
  • Bharti Achrekar as Auntie
  • Yashvi Puneet Nagar as Yashvi
  • Denzil Smith as Mr. Shroff
  • Shruti Bapna as Mehrunnisa
  • Nasir Khan as Ila's Father
Who's the director behind The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014)?
Ritesh Batra directed The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014).
Who produced The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014)?
Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga and Arun Rangachari produced The Lunchbox (Dabba) (2014).