The Lunchbox (2013) - full transcript

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bozxphd.Enjoy the movie

It's raining today.

Don't play in the yard.

There will be plenty of mud.

If you slip, you shall hurt yourself.

- Play inside.
- Okay.

And don't walk under the trees.

A tree fell yesterday

a bridge collapsed,
it was on the news.

But it stopped raining.

It can resume.



Here it is.

Wait!

A minute!

Have you put all the spices?

No Auntie, I forgot one.

I knew it from the first whistle.

Take this.

Thank you, Auntie.

Just a pinch, no more.

Okay.

This new recipe will work for you.

Are you sure?

You doubt it,

but you'll see.



Yum... perfect!

A mouthful, and he will
build you a Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is a tomb.

I know!

Retrieves them.

Fernandes.

I present you Shaikh.
Shaikh, Mr Fernandes.

He was chief accountant
in a small Saudi company.

He will take your notes to your departure
in one month.

He has very good references.

Delighted.

Mr. Shroff filled you with praise.

I did come early to meet you.

Good luck.

Mr. Shroff said for 35 years
you're here.

Your colleagues will miss you.

What does it do?

This is the beginning of your golden age,
how do you feel?

Beautifully.

Awesome!

Can we start training?

Of course.

But it's lunchtime.

Return at 4.45.

Well, anytime.

Thank you!

Today
the recipe for one of my favorite dishes:

"Paneer pyaza do."

Auntie!

- Are you sleeping?
- What happened?

The lunchbox is back.

And?

It is empty.

Really?

Completely!

It all sauced!

What did I tell you?
And this is just the beginning!

Stop the tape, Rajeev is back.

Okay.

You're home early, all well?

Did you like your lunch?

It was good.

Well... nothing else?

As everyday.

The lunchbox was empty,
then I thought...

Cauliflower was very good.

It was very good.

I just got back.

I was expecting your call.

It was so boring?

I left early too.

Any problem, sir?

I am retiring in a month.

I would like to stop delivery service.

Okay, I will take note.

I will pay you at the end of the month.

No problem.

And... who cooked today?

We did, why?

It was good!

- What?
- It was very good.

Continue like this.

What happened to him?

Cauliflower did the trick.

Let's do it again tomorrow.

Pass this.

What is this?

Mr. Fernandes, our ball fell inside
the balcony Please can we have it?

Please Sir!

- Do I look like your servant?
- No.

We will not play here.
We'll play on the other side.

If you play in front of this door again
I will chase you down the street.

Please!

We'll play on the other side.

I'm here, Auntie.

You called me just now?

Yes.

I was changing diapers of Tonton.

What did Rajeev say?

Nothing.

What?

The lunchbox was delivered to someone else.

I don't think Rajeev received it.

Someone else liked it and ate the meal.

No no, impossible.
Delivery guys don't make mistakes.

What happened?

Hello, how are you?

Good morning.

When I returned,
you were not there.

- You were late.
- I came to 16 h 45 accurate.

I was there, you were late.

No problem.

These are the claims?

It is the claims service here.

When do we start my training?

Let's go.

Now?

After lunch.

- I'll be back after then?
- Yes, come.

- Are you sure?
- Yes.

You will be right there?

Thank you.

Thank you for emptying
the lunchbox yesterday.

I cooked it for my husband.

Seeing the empty box,

I thought he would tell me
something about it.

I thought, for few hours

that to seduce the heart,
stomach must be satisfied first.

In return for those hours

today I'm sending you paneer.

Favorite dish of my husband.
Ila.

Auntie, isn't it weird to write this?

Ila, you should thank him.

And what if Rajeev gets it?

That's even better.

He ate someone else's food and
he didn't even notice.

He would know today.

Should I write anything else?

No, keep it short!

Auntie, are you asleep?

What?

The lunchbox is back.

Empty, but With a reply to the letter.

- A reply?
- Yes.

Read it to me.

This is not Rajeev's handwriting.

And what does it say?

"Dear Ila. Food
was very salty today."

And what else?

"Dear Ila. Food
was very salty today."

What? No "thank you", nothing else?

"Dear Ila. Food
was very salty today."

What kind of moron eats food for free
and then complains about it?

Hold on a minute.

Here, put these in.

No, all this doesn't seem right to me.

I will talk to the driver
about this wrong delivery.

No, he should've thanked you.

No no, I really don't like it.

Why? He's not anyone you know,
why do you care?

Good morning. How are you?

Good.

You were not at your desk,
so I came here.

You were reading in the canteen,
I didn't want to bother you.

Your meal exhales a delicious aroma.

I tasted the food
just by smelling it!

Your wife...

has magic in her hands.

My wife is dead.

Dear Ila,
the salt was fine today.

The chilly was a bit on a higher side.

But I had two bananas after lunch, they
help to extinguish the fire in my mouth.

And I think it also will be
good for the motions.

So many people in the city

eat only a banana or two for lunch.

It's cheap and it fills you.

Hello.

My husband came home late last night.

He did not say a word.

This morning, he went to work,
and my daughter to school.

And I cooked with Auntie Deshpande.

Auntie Deshpande is our upstairs neighbor.

Her husband is in a
coma for the past 15 years.

One day he woke up
and began to stare at the fan.

From that day he doesn't
see anything else.

He only looks up to the fan
and falls asleep at night.

Upon awakening, he goes back staring at it.

He says nothing.

For 15 years.

Even doctors have lost all hope.

It's an old model Orient fan.

It never stops.

Auntie thinks, it keeps him alive.

One day, there was
a power outage.

The fan stopped
and his pulse slowed.

Fortunately, the electricity came back.

Since Auntie installed a generator.

Her husband continues
to stare at the fan.

And mine stuck with his phone.

As if nothing else exists.

This might be true,
there is really nothing else.

What do we live for?

Dear Ila,
Your husband sounds like a busy man.

Life is very busy these days.

There are too many people,

and everyone wants
what the other has.

Years ago, you could find a place
to sit in the train every now and then,

but these days, it's difficult.

If Mr. Deshpande wakes up now,

he will see the difference and probably
go back to his ceiling fan.

When my wife died,
she got a horizontal burial cot.

I tried to buy a burial cot for
myself the other day,

and what they offered
me was a vertical one.

I've spent my whole life
standing in trains and buses,

now I'll even have to
stand when I'm dead! .

Why don't you
have another child?

Sometimes having a child
can help a marriage.

Rajeev?

What do you say?

It's pretty.

You forgot?

Rajeev, I wore it
on our honeymoon.

Today I thought to try it,
if it needed alterations.

But it suits me very well,

- Right?
- Yes.

It is a little wide.

Yes...

On our honeymoon, we didn't know
Yashvi will born.

We didn't know for a while.

Two months!

We didn't have much
at the time.

When she was born,
luck smiled on us.

Everything is so expensive today,
luck isn't enough.

Why do you send me
cauliflower every day?

Have you bought a stock?

Rajeev.

And what if Yashvi had a
little brother or sister?

You had one.

And...

Don't send me cauliflower everyday,
it gives me gas.

Cars, buses, airplanes:

All trapped in Mumbai we are.

This road is jam
since this morning.

You see that tower?

A woman jumped from there this morning
with her little girl.

She jumped with her daughter?

What was her name?

I don't know. I don't know.

Surely some domestic problems.

You know someone
who lives there?

Did she survive?

Hello.

This morning
my husband went to the office...

Hello, sir. How are you?

I'm busy.

And my training?

It's lunchtime.
Check back later.

I was told to expect nothing
from you.

I'm Aslam Shaikh.
I'm an orphan.

I gave myself that name.

All I know I taught myself.

And I will also learn this myself.
I'm done. Thank you very much.

Listen.

Come here.

Go to my desk.

There are claims files
of Ahmedabad sector.

Calculate the amounts

and send it to accounts department.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

I'll be right back.

No, don't come back, go to work.

Yes sir, thank you very much.

This morning my husband went to the office
and Yashvi school.

I listened to the news on the radio.

At the death of my brother,
everyone said:

He should've been brave.

He failed his exams, so what?

He should've been brave.

What this woman might've thought?

Maybe she removed her jewelry at night...

Bracelets, earrings,

wedding necklace...

What her daughter might've asked?

Mom?

It must have been difficult
reaching to the roof.

It takes a lot of courage to jump?

Dear Ila, please don't
say it like that.

Things are never as bad as they seem.

One day I was on the train
on my way to work,

And then suddenly I felt something.

Someone touching me...

down there...

Are you laughing?

Yes, Auntie.

I thought of a joke.

Tell!

I forgot.

- You forgot?
- Yes.

Soak five almonds every night.

And eat them in the morning.

It strengthens memory.

Noted.

How are you?

- Are you going to the station?
- Yes.

I get off at Central Station
Bombay.

I live in Dongri.

And you?

At Bandra.

If you don't mind
can I ask you a question?

Yes.

At the office, people said that...

you kicked a cat while walking.

The cat went under a bus, and you kept
walking. Didn't even look back.

Is that true?

It wasn't a cat.
It was actualy a blind man.

He was asking me directions,

so I pushed him under a bus.

So... you better be careful.

Thank you.

Give me a cigarette.

I'll pay later.

That was a joke, right?

Have you always lived in Bandra?

Yes, always.

I moved constantly.

At first, I was at Muhammad Ali Road.

Then I went to Dubai,
then in Saudi.

I was traveled between Saudi and
here many times in between.

But after meeting Meherunissa,
I stayed.

I cut vegetables here

and I cook when I get home.

Where did you learn to do that?

I used to work in a hotel in saudi.

In a hotel?

Kitchen, room service,
accounting...

All in one.

It's boring there.

No entertainment,
work... prayer, prayer... work...

Here I have free time.

I cook for Meherunissa,
we eat when she gets home.

- And then we sometimes go for a walk.
- Very well.

I love her more than anything.

What do you do in evening?

I watch TV sometimes.

Why don't you come with me?

- Where?
- My house.

I will make you a "Pasanda".

- A what?
- "Pasanda".

- What is it?
- A dish made with lamb.

You cut it like that.

- From the lamb?
- Yes.

My specialty.

I will come.

- Now.
- Right now?

Yes, please!

No, I have work, another time.

Next time, promise?

I will be waiting.

Next time.

- See you soon.
- Goodbye.

Hello.
My husband came home late yesterday.

He returned to work
after a call.

Yashvi went to sleep as well.

After my marriage, I brought some things
from home without letting mother know.

I found an old diary.

It contains recipes
by my grandmother.

I found one.

It's the right season.

I think you'll like it.

Excellent!

How are you?

Can I sit?

Please.

Thank you.

Want a taste?

Are you sure?

Yes.

What happened?

Where do you get this meal?

From a restaurant near my home.

Why?

It is delicious.

Book a meal for me.

They will close down soon.

With food so delicious?

There is no value for talent
in this country.

You are right, sir.

It must be magic in hands.

Everyone can cook,
but there must be magic.

Dear Ila,
your grandmother's recipe was very good.

Even better than my favorite dish,
eggplant.

Yesterday, I also
found something.

Old emissions my wife recorded.

You probably were
not yet born at the time.

My wife loved them.

I wanted to watch,
who knows why.

I have watched for hours.

Episode after episode.

After spending the night.

I understood what I was looking for.

Every Sunday while she watched,

I stood outside,
fix my bike or smoke.

I threw him a glance
from time to time.

And I saw his reflection on the screen,

still laughing at the jokes...

she knew by heart.

If only I had continued
to look at the time...

I forwarded all payment orders.

An apple and a banana for you.

Go ahead.

No, sir.

I insist.

Okay.

What is that?

A leaf.

Can I have some water, please?

Then, right?

I love it.

Thank you.

Today, we no longer send
letters. As emails.

More letters?

This is the era of emails.

Hello.

My mother loves old serials.

Small , I watched for hours.

I wanted to tell you something.

Each cigarette smoke,
it is 5 min of life and less.

My father has lung cancer.

When he suffers too,
he said he would have to smoke more

for not to deal with this pain.

Don't blame me.

Yes, Auntie?

You have my carrots?

They are there.

Here!

They cost only 10 rupees.

What have you taken other?

As usual.

What other food can you cook
based eggplant?

Can fry them, stuff them,
bake...

It follows a new treatment.

It helps,
but he sleeps all day.

Mom? Where's the TV?

There are currently more good emissions
nowadays.

You need money?

It comes out.

This treatment is very expensive.

It's OK, I got it.

But how?
Where do you find the money?

If my son was there,
I would not have to beg.

I'll talk to Rajeev.

It's no go.

I ask 5000.

It is the family of the bride.

What was the air
to ask all this money?

You can pay little by little.

No.

I have money.

I got it.

Well, okay.

But don't tell your father.

The 5000 should be sufficient

for this month.

Next month else be found.

You wanna see it?

I wake up?

It's late, we must go back.

Okay.

Dear Ila,

You will not believe
what happened to me yesterday.

The evening, on my way to the station
with Shaikh,

my colleague,

the urge took me
look at the paintings of an artist.

They are all identical.

But if you look closer,

we note that each
is slightly different.

Here a car and more
there a man who dreams in a bus.

Or a dog crossing the street.

What caught the attention of the painter.

And on one of them,

I saw.

At least I think that's me.

Then I offered a "rickshaw."

houses of my childhood friends

all disappeared.

My old school too.

But some things have remained.

Old post,

and the hospital where I was born

and where my parents are dead,
and my wife.

I think we forget things
if there is nobody to tell them.

Pardon, sir?

- What?
- You told me?

No.

What do you play?

In Blind Man's Bluff.

- You know what I was playing at your age?
- What?

Let's remove it first.

I do?

I got it.

We played at home.

That was the baby.

I was the father.

And your uncle was the mother, wife.

Hello.

I want to tell you something.

I think my husband is having an affair.

At first I thought confront.

But I have not had the courage.

Where would I go?

There is one place...

My daughter has learned in Bhutan,
everyone is happy.

They don't have GNP
but Gross National Happiness.

Would not it be wonderful
to have it here?

Madame.

If I came to Bhutan with you?

You seem distracted.

- I made a mistake?
- No.

Tell me, Shaikh...

Yes?

- Have you ever been to Bhutan?
- Bhutan?

I thought... rather than Nasik,
I could move there.

I have been in Saudi Arabia.
Bhutan, that's fine too.

It has advantages:
1 rupee is 5 there.

It's worth going there.

My mother said... she always says:

"The wrong train
can take you to the right station."

Your mother?

You told me that you were an orphan.

This is true,

but when I say:
"My mother always says ..."

people take me seriously.
It feels good.

That is correct.

You're listening to Radio Bhutan...

How could we go together
Bhutan?

I don't even know your name.

How are you?

A banana and an apple.

Try this.

You are radiant today.

Whether he comes?

You lost 10 years.

Your mother said that the wrong train
can take you to the right station...

- My mother is always right.
- So?

I love it.

Variety.

Variety, sir.

Auntie!

What does he?

Would you have the cassette of this film,
"Saajan"?

So, why?

The songs were good, right?

Not bad.

We can hear it?

Now?

Yes.

You can put it?

I put it.

Hello,

Yesterday Auntie put the cassette
Film "Saajan". Funny coincidence.

She tapes of all Indian movies,

but no CD or MP3.

It keeps the industry alive
alone!

I crossed
few lines of this letter...

It's weird
to continue to write, right?

Can write everything in a letter,
it's easy.

But what I erased,
I must tell you in the face.

It is time we meet.

Do you know the coffee Kooler
in Matunga?

It seems they are
a very good "kheema pao",

my favorite dish.

What say you of an appointment
tomorrow at 13 am?

Mr. Saajan...

What?

The boss wants to see you.

- Yes, I will go after lunch.
- This is urgent.

I'm coming.

Can I enter?

I just had a meeting
with accounting.

I've never been
so embarrassed in my life.

Do you know what they said?

It is as if our service
claims did not exist.

All payment orders are wrong!

Shaikh initials are everywhere.

The idea that I would leave
replace you!

Should you review all of this.

Spend the night if necessary,
but correct me that.

In your case, Shaikh,
out of my sight.

It's my fault, sir.

It is I who payment orders.

He has initialed
because we work together.

It's my fault.

Fernandes,
you don't have to defend it.

I am not defending anyone, sir.

35 years of service,

and you have never done
the slightest mistake.

It's not my type defend anyone.

Anyway,

I take care of the accounting.

Okay, sir.

One last thing.

Why these files
they have the smell of vegetables?

Onions, potatoes, even garlic!

Really?

Feel!

I don't know.

Pardon, sir.

Thank you. You saved me.

Don't cut ever
those pesky vegetables on folders.

Forgiveness.

I put a plastic bag, next time.

Okay, no vegetables. Nothing. Forgiveness.

This is not the accounts
a shabby little restaurant!

These public accounts!

If you don't do that, go!

From?

No.

You teach me everything.

I'm sorry,
but you teach me everything.

Your mother told you
to make fake degrees

to get a job?

It must have been mistaken...

What kind of person are you?

And if you come home for lunch?

I prepared a "Pasanda".

Amazing! Mr. Shaikh.

Amazing...

A "Pasanda" he said.

You come from, is not it?

- Take... in.
- No.

This is very good.

This is my recipe.

My father warned me:

"Don't marry this guy,
it will chain you to the stove."

His father is a very dangerous man.

He did not smile
since the World Cup 1984.

Or maybe just a little.

Still grinning.

What does your wife?

Shh.

I'm sorry, she did not know.

Okay.

My wife is dead.

But I have a girlfriend.

You?

Yes.

How is it called?

Ila.

I knew it! Meals, notes...

When were you married?

Marriage... it sometimes seems
it's been 35 years.

Or 25 or 10, but I sometimes
feel like it was yesterday.

You back for seconds.

This is my recipe.

You don't eat anything at all.

I wanted to ask you something.

Go ahead.

About our marriage...

In fact, his father refused.

He said: "He is an orphan, small,
he skinned."

Meherunissa then fled.

But she wants the blessing
his father.

I will not tell anyone.

No, that's not it.

He agreed.

We're getting married.

There will be a whole army on his side:
Brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts...

everyone will be there.

But there will be no one on my side.

I am alone.

I wanted to know if you would...

to be my witness.

Me?

Yes. And if Ms. Ila could come too.

Course.

We will come.

His father wants to offer me a scooter.

A gift for my promotion.

But I'm not leaving.

I thought refuse
early departure retirement.

I ask the boss
you become my assistant.

So your promotion...

This is very good news, Sir!

But not a word to my father,
otherwise no scooter.

I'll tell Meherunissa.

Sir, you want to sit?

Me?

Yes, take my place.

No.

Please. I go down to the next.

- Fernandes.
- Yes?

You wanted to talk to me?

No.

My secretary told me...

It was about payment orders.

What is it?

This is resolved.

- Are you sure?
- Yes.

Okay. See you later.

Want to Buy?

Dear Ila,

I got the lunchbox today
but it was empty.

It was deserved.

Yesterday you me long
waited at the restaurant...

But before that, in the morning,

I forgot something
in the bathroom.

I went back...

and the room had the same smell

that my grandfather left there

after his shower.

It was like he had been there.

But that was not the case.

That was me.

Me and the smell of an old man.

I don't know when I became old.

It was perhaps this morning.
Or before.

And maybe if I'd forgotten
something earlier,

I would then noticed.

Sir, you want to sit?

No.

Life rocked me languidly,

forward, back...

And before I knew it...

Nobody buys
a lottery ticket expired, Ila.

I came to the restaurant.

And you were there,

fiddling with your purse,

to drink all that water...

I wanted to come
tell you all this in the face,

but I only look at you.

You were lovely.

You are young.

You still have dreams.

You have greeted me some time.

And I want to thank you.

The two ladies behind
come forward, please.

Smile, please.

One, two, three.

Now a photo with everyone!

The family of the bride to the right.
The spouse left.

The spouse left.

You leave, sir?

- This is the new scooter?
- I will drop you somewhere?

If you stay,
I will go to my father.

Taxi!

It's weird, it is very dry...

Goodbye, Shaikh.

You know,

when I took the train for the 1st time
with you, 1st class.

That day, I had no ticket.

I was anxious throughout the journey.

I prayed that the controller
does not come.

What would you think of me?

The next day, I got to
a 1st class pass.

You make a good husband, Shaikh.

Thank you.

A moment.

Come see me at Nasik, on occasion.

I'm coming, Mom.

80 rupees.

Rajeev comes.

It is in a meeting.

It will go directly to the crematorium.

I have one of these hungers.

A desire to "parathas".

I have not eaten this morning.

I prepared his breakfast it.

Mom...

I always apprehended

what would happen to me after his death.

- Don't worry.
- But now...

I'm hungry, that's all.

It was loved at first

when you were born.

But for years, it disgusted me.

Every morning, I prepared something to eat.

Drugs. Bath.

Breakfast. Drugs.

Bath.

When your brother is dead,

this old ambulance came.

Do you remember?

These old Matador models.

Which came today?

What color?

White with blue light.

Yes.

Sir.

The lunchbox comes
to the wrong address.

It is impossible.

- We never make mistakes.
- Yes, I understand.

But my meals are poorly delivered.

- It is delivered to the right address.
- I tell you no.

People came to Harvard.

Listen to what I tell you.

Try to understand.

This lunchbox is not
delivered to my husband.

It comes also
it is someone else who receives it.

People Harvard
came to study our system.

They say that there is no error.

But it's not going to the right place.

You think I'm a liar?

The King of England in person
came to observe our system.

But this meal goes somewhere
someone eats it.

He goes to the right place.

I want the address!

Office Saajan Fernandes?

Two rows away.

Is the office Saajan Fernandes?

I remember you.

Saajan Fernandes?

He is gone.

He left the company.

Where can I find it?

He went to Nasik.

Then you go to Nasik?

Yes.

You move?

Yes.

This is final?

Yes.

I'm retired there for years.

I return to Mumbai from time to time
to see my son.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Ila.

Good evening, Mr. Fernandes.

We thought you were gone.

Yes, but I came back.

Why?

Well, you can play here.

But don't break windows,
understood?

Hold.

Thank you, Mr. Fernandes.

I've been calling you all the time.

Where were you?

I had to adjust something.

I got worried.

I have more layers to Tonton.

I asked the guard to search.

I washed the fan today.

While he was running!

You're probably Nasik.

You had to get up this morning
make a tea.

And maybe a walk then.

This morning I woke up,
and I sold all my jewelry.

My bracelets, my earrings,
my wedding necklace.

It is not much.

But they told me:
1 rupee is worth 5 in Bhutan.

So we should
get away for some time.

And more...

we'll see.

Return Yashvi,
luggage will be ready.

We take the train this afternoon.

I may send you this letter

and your new factor you bring.

Or maybe I should keep it,

and read in a few years...

I read somewhere that sometimes,

the wrong train
can lead you to the right station.

We'll see...

Hope it helped bozxphd.