One of the more interesting and minor controversies of the awards season this year was India’s decision to submit the little seen or heard about “The Good Road,” instead of “The Lunchbox,” the feature debut by Ritesh Batra that spent a good chunk of 2013 on the festival circuit where it earned continual good notices. And not only was the film getting good reviews, it was widely perceived as being particularly accessible too, with the potential of reaching a wider audience than your usual arthouse fare. Awards consideration aside, the movie is still coming, and the first trailer and clip from “The Lunchbox” has arrived.
Starring Irrfan Khan, the relatively simple story chronicles the foodie romance that blooms between a lonely office worker and an unloved housewife, after a switch up of lunchboxes has her meals being delivered to him, instead of her husband. And soon, the pair start trading notes through the daily lunchtime delivery. Yeah, it’s cutesy and the trailer overplays the sweetness a little bit too, but it’s also a melancholy film, and an emotionally honest one, with our review from TIFF saying “to call it at a rom-com trivializes what is a far more textured picture.”
“The Lunchbox” opens on February 28th. Check out the trailer below and a clip as well, with Irrfan Khan’s character receiving his first note.
