Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Lunchbox

  • 2013
  • PG
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
70K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,400
313
Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur in The Lunchbox (2013)
A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an old man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.
Play trailer2:06
8 Videos
99+ Photos
HindiDramaRomance

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 ... Read allA 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.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.

  • Director
    • Ritesh Batra
  • Writers
    • Ritesh Batra
    • Vasan Bala
  • Stars
    • Irrfan Khan
    • Nimrat Kaur
    • Nawazuddin Siddiqui
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    70K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,400
    313
    • Director
      • Ritesh Batra
    • Writers
      • Ritesh Batra
      • Vasan Bala
    • Stars
      • Irrfan Khan
      • Nimrat Kaur
      • Nawazuddin Siddiqui
    • 300User reviews
    • 188Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 30 wins & 46 nominations total

    Videos8

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:06
    Theatrical Trailer
    All About Nimrat Kaur
    Clip 1:39
    All About Nimrat Kaur
    All About Nimrat Kaur
    Clip 1:39
    All About Nimrat Kaur
    Clip
    Clip 1:03
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 1:22
    Clip
    The Lunchbox: Wrong Address (US)
    Clip 1:03
    The Lunchbox: Wrong Address (US)
    The Lunchbox: Life Is Busy (US)
    Clip 0:55
    The Lunchbox: Life Is Busy (US)

    Photos115

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 111
    View Poster

    Top Cast41

    Irrfan Khan
    Irrfan Khan
    • Saajan Fernandes
    Nimrat Kaur
    Nimrat Kaur
    • Ila
    Nawazuddin Siddiqui
    Nawazuddin Siddiqui
    • Shaikh
    Lillete Dubey
    Lillete Dubey
    • Ila's Mother
    Nakul Vaid
    Nakul Vaid
    • Rajeev
    Bharti Achrekar
    Bharti Achrekar
    • Auntie
    Yashvi Puneet Nagar
    • Yashvi
    Denzil Smith
    Denzil Smith
    • Mr. Shroff
    Shruti Bapna
    Shruti Bapna
    • Mehrunnisa
    Nasir Khan
    Nasir Khan
    • Ila's Father
    Lokesh Raj
    • Duke's Owner
    Sadashiv Kondaji Pokarkar
    • Dabbawallah at Ila's House
    Aarti Rathod
    • Saajan's Neighbor
    Krishna Bai
    • Toothless Woman
    Raj Rishi More
    • Ila's Brother
    Santosh Kumar Chaurasiya
    • Autorickshaw Driver
    Avijit Khanwilkar
    • Young Man in Train
    Aakash Sinha
    • Autorickshaw 2
    • Director
      • Ritesh Batra
    • Writers
      • Ritesh Batra
      • Vasan Bala
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews300

    7.869.7K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Lunchbox' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
    Sign in to see this summary and all user reviews
    See opinions from fans, or write your own review.
    Sign in to IMDb
    This extra step helps us keep IMDb's reviews a space for genuine, human voices.

    Related interests

    Sharman Joshi, Aamir Khan, and Madhavan in 3 Idiots (2009)
    Hindi
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      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.
    • Goofs
      After his marriage, Shaikh tells Saajan that on their first train ride together he got into the first class compartment without a ticket. However, during their first ride the train seat seen is that of the second class.
    • Quotes
      • Saajan Fernandes: I think we forget things if there is nobody to tell them.
    • Connections
      Featured in 59th Idea Filmfare Awards (2014)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    • Release date
      • September 20, 2013 (India)
    • Countries of origin
      • India
      • France
      • Germany
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Official sites
      • Cine Mosaic
      • JioHotstar
    • Language
      • Hindi
    • Also known as
      • Chiếc Hộp Lạ Kì
    • Filming locations
      • Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
    • Production companies
      • Sikhya Entertainment
      • DAR Motion Pictures
      • National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,235,151
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $44,542
      • Mar 2, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,621,785
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 44m(104 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.