The Lunchbox: A Powerful Tale of Women Emancipation That Is Far From The

The Lunchbox: A Powerful Tale of Women Emancipation that is Far from the
Madding Crowd
Abstract
Launched in the year 2013, The Lunchbox went on to become one of those rare films
that appealed to the critics as well as the masses, eventually grossing over a 100 crores at the box
office. In such a scenario the question that arises is- How does a film like The Lunchbox which
depicts the mundane life of an ordinary, middle class homemaker strike a chord with the
audience? Perhaps, the answer lies within the question itself. It is relatable to thousands of
women in India who lead similar lives and are thereby able to resonate with the movie's
protagonist. The paper explores how The Lunchbox defines women emancipation in the world of
ordinary women, sets them on a path of self-discovery, instills courage in them to take a leap
towards emancipation and most importantly drives home the message that liberation is not only
for the privileged - it is a right that every single woman deserves to enjoy.
Keywords: The Lunchbox, movies, women emancipation, middle class society
Introduction
For almost a decade now, Bollywood has produced a remarkable number of movies
revolving around women empowerment and their liberation, both socially and economically.
However, these mainstream movies can easily be segregated into two categories. The first one
includes movies like Ki & Ka, Veere Di Wedding and Pink which are set against the backdrop of
urban, educated, upper middle class or elite society. Women in these films are usually already
empowered and the only thing that makes them feel less privileged is the fact that they are being
judged unfairly by the society. The second category of movies includes Dangal where women
from humble backgrounds are empowered because of some extraordinary skill or talent that they
possess.
The Luncbox revolves around the lives of two ordinary people in the city of Mumbai. One
is Saajan Fernandes, a widower and an accountant who is on the verge of retirement. The other
lead character is Ila, a lonely housewife in a middle class household who is trying to revive her
stagnated married life. These two lives intersect when one day Ila, who packs lunch for her
husband and delivers it through Mumbai’s dabbawallas, accidently deliver it to Saajan. From
then on everyday Ila’s lunch gets delivered to Saajan and the two start to exchange letters
through the dabbas.
The Character Arc of Ila

The bond that Ila and Saajan forge happens quite organically. Initially Ila tries to amend
the error by complaining to the dabbawala. But the dabbawala refuses to accept the error in
delivery. Eventually when she receives a note from Saajan commenting on the food, she replies
and the two start communicating through notes and letters. One of the reasons why Ila goes on to
strike a friendship with Saajan is because of her extremely lonely life. She discovers that her
husband is having an extra marital affair. Her husband’s indifference towards Ila also comes
across in the fact that he fails to realize that the lunch he has been eating is not made by Ila.
Moreover, she has no friends except one woman who stays one floor above her apartment. This
neighbor is never seen physically in the movie. They only communicate through the kitchen
window. On the other hand Saajan leads an isolated life and is almost a misanthrope. He has no
friends and has been staying alone since his wife’s death.
In those letters to Saajan, Ila reveals that she wishes to go to Bhutan with her daughter
because Bhutan has the highest happiness index and also the cost of living is very low. Through
the letters Ila’s desires and feelings are revealed. The audience comes to know that Ila leads a
melancholic life and wishes to break from her mundane life. Ila is so secluded that these
conversations with Saajan are a vent to her feelings, hopes and desires.
Ila’s character reaches a turning point when her father passes away. Ila rushes to her
family to console her mother and is stunned by her mother’s reaction. Her mother instead of
grieving for her husband grieves about all the years that she slogged without love, taking care of
her ailing husband. It is a very moving scene when Ila’s mother asks for a ladoo, saying that she
hasn’t had sweets in ages. Her mother’s state becomes a moment of epiphany for Ila and she
realizes that if she continues the way she is living now, she would probably end up like her
mother- hopeless and sad. Ila panics at this revelation and it gives her courage to take a chance in
her life. She writes a letter to Saajan saying that she has decided to collect some savings that she
has and leave for Bhutan with her daughter. The final scene of the movie shows Ila waiting for
her daughter to return from school so that they can leave for Bhutan. The movie has an open
ended conclusion. The audience doesn’t know if Saajan would be able to find Ila or whether Ila
makes it to Bhutan or not.
What makes Ila’s character special is the fact that it is extremely relatable to scores of
Indian women. The neglected, lonely woman, doing mundane household chores without love or
passion is the archetypal middle class homemaker. It further resonates with women because Ila is
not a person with some extraordinary skill nor is she highly educated. Unlike Sashi of English
Vinglish or Geeta Phogat of Dangal, Ila isn’t gifted with some talent. She is an ordinary woman
seeking happiness and contentment in her life. But she is unable to do that being stuck in a
loveless marriage and no social circle. Even when she plans to live in Bhutan she hopes that she
would be able to find some ordinary job to sustain herself and her daughter.
Ila’s decision to leave her husband is admirable because she does so knowing that her life
ahead would be difficult because of her economic condition. Ila’s mother’s state is a very
realistic depiction of how a lot of Indian women lead melancholic lives.
Ila’s tale is inspiring because of the courage she shows in breaking free from her routine
life and taking a step towards her own happiness. It reflects that a woman need not be
extraordinarily talented in order to lead a life of dignity. Ila chooses her dignity over her
materialistically comfortable life. She is aware that by leaving her husband she might not be
living a life of comfort but she chooses to protect her self-respect over material happiness.
Conclusion
Movies are a reflection of the society and culture it emerges from. Similarly, movies
shape and naturalize a culture in a society because of the mass appeal it possesses. A mainstream
movie does this even strongly because of the sheer number of people it reaches to. The Lunchbox
is a refreshing movie as it is represents the reality of a vast number of women in India. Its appeal
however, lies in the way the character Ila is portrayed. The arc of her character instills a sense of
hope in the audience who can relate themselves to Ila.
Works Cited
The Luncbox. Dir. Ritesh Batra. Perf. Nimrat Kaur and Irrfan Khan. UTV Motion Pictures, 2013.
Film.
Andrew, Dudley. “Cinema and Culture.” Humanities 6.4 (1985): 24-25.

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The Character Arc of Ila

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