Win two free tickets to see ‘The Lunchbox film’

April 17 2014

Do you want to see ‘The Lunchbox’ for free and enjoy a 20 per discount on a brilliant Indian meal, then read on…

www.asianculturevulture.com has teamed up with the good folks at Watermans Brentford, London to offer you TWO free tickets to the screening of the Indian feel-good hit of the spring, “The Lunchbox” (Dabba) on there until April 30.

You must be free to use the 2 free tickets for Thursday, April 24 at 6.30pm.

Not only that – there’s 20 per cent discount for two off the food bill only on the night, if you eat at the Guru Tandoori restaurant at Watermans.

“The Lunchbox” is sure to whet your appetite for Indian food as some dishes spark unlikely romantic yearnings between two people who would never meet but for a lunchbox that gets wrongly delivered.

American-trained debutant director Ritesh Batra brings a canny eye to proceedings and the film will delight those who were similarly seduced by “Chocolat” or “The Go-Between”.

It’s a great family film which all ages can enjoy.

“The Lunchbox” impressed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival 2013, and the film is coming to Watermans from (April 18- April 30 show times, vary) for an extended release.

It is the story of a lonely housewife, Ila Vaid (played by Nimrat Kaur) and curmudgeonly insurance claims clerk, Saajan Fernandes( an ever versatile, Irrfan Khan) on the verge of retirement. She’s trying to get her hubby to be interested in her, so she makes him tasty lunches, and he’s looking towards a bleak future of retirement whilst training his incumbent the affable and wide-eyed Aslam Shaikh (Nawazzudin Siddiqui).

Watermans caught up with the two leads, Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur at the Cannes Film Festival 2013, where the film received the “Critics Week Viewers’ Choice Award”.

“There are certain stories, which you’d like as an actor, and I connected with this emotionally,” said Khan, revealing that initially he was “bothered” at having to play an older character.

“I have been playing older characters, most of the time, either in ‘The Life of Pi’, ‘The Namesake’ or ‘In Treatment’ (US TV Series), so sometimes it gets on to your nerves because you don’t want to play a similar kind of age all the time.”

The 47-year old confided that he always enjoys playing ‘love stories’ and was attracted by the “unique emotional appeal” in the story, so much so, that he became an Executive producer for the film, and fought without success to get the film considered as India’s entry to the 2014 Academy Award (The Film Federation of India, selected another film, which failed to get nominated).

Meanwhile his co-star, Nimrat Kaur, who plays Ila, said that as soon as she read the script she wanted to be a part of it: “I was mesmerised by it”. This is her second feature film (the first was ‘Peddlers) and her background is in theatre productions. Incidentally another theatre stalwart in the film is Lillete Dubey (whose company, Primetime theatre, are a regular feature at Watermans).

Critics have been charmed by this film and it has been lauded with superlatives: “Delightful… handled with wit, charm and poignancy,” says David Parkinson of “Empire”, while Jay Weissberg from “Variety” calls it “A feel-good movie that touches the heart”. “A Charming, Moving Cinematic Takeout Treat,” proclaims, Kevin Jagernauth of “Indiewire“, and the last word goes to Aniruddha Guha of “Time Out Mumbai“, “exceptional… a rare gem that arrives only once in a few years”.

The film also received the Indian ‘Filmfare critics award for Best Movie’ in 2014.

To win either click the like button on our FB page, follow on Twitter or Retweet, or if you’re already with us 🙂 comment on this posting in FB. You must be 18 and resident in the UK.

You must do this by 5pm, Tuesday April 22. Your entry will go into a special draw and you will be informed if you have won by 5pm on Wednesday, April 23. Good luck!

www.watermans.org.uk

More on “The Lunchbox” on www.asianculturevulture.com
*Preview/trailer
Review
Cannes 2013
Irrfan Khan, A Romantic at Heart
Nimrat Kaur: “Mum, it’s not a hobby, Mum.”