The Lunchbox backdrop
DRAMA . 2013 . 1h 44m . Hindi . 7.4/10

The Lunchbox_

"Can you fall in love with someone you have never met?"

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.

Starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Box Office $17.2M
7.4/10
Rating
$17.2M
Box Office
1h 44m
Runtime
2013
Year
MASSIVE HIT
+407% ROI
Profitability
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Lunchbox poster
Can you fall in love with someone you have never met?

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.

WHERE TO WATCH

MUBI M MUBI 21 countries
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Disney+ D Disney+ 2 countries
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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Box office
The Lunchbox earned $17.2M worldwide on a $3.4M budget — a 407% return on investment.
Cast
Irrfan Khan stars as Saajan Fernandes in The Lunchbox.
Irrfan Khan →
Year context
The Lunchbox was released 13 years ago in 2013.
The Lunchbox is a Drama, Romance film with a runtime of 1h 44m.

CAST (20)

Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan
Saajan Fernandes
Nimrat Kaur
Nimrat Kaur
Ila
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Shaikh
Lillete Dubey
Lillete Dubey
Ila's Mother
Nasirr Khan
Nasirr Khan
Ila's Father
Bharati Achrekar
Bharati Achrekar
Mrs. Khrishnan
NV
Nakul Vaid
Rajeev
YP
Yashvi Punneet Nagar
Yashvi
Denzil Smith
Denzil Smith
Mr. Shroff
SB
Shruti Bapna
Meherunissa
LR
Lokesh Rai
Dukes Owner
VD
Vidhya Dhar
Old Man in Train
SK
Sadashiv Kondaji Pokarkar
Dabbawallah at Ila's House
AR
Aarti Rathod
Saajan's Neighbor
KB
Krishna Bai
Toothless Woman
RR
Raj Rishi More
Ila's Brother
SK
Santosh Kumar Chaurasiya
Autorickshaw Driver
SS
Swapnil Shirirao
Dukes Waiter
AK
Avijit Khanwilkar
Young Man in Train
AS
Aakash Sinha
Autorickshaw 2

BOX OFFICE

$3.4M
Budget
$17.2M
Revenue
+407%
ROI
MASSIVE HIT
Verdict

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
104 min (1h 44m)
Language
Hindi
Rating
7.4/10 (783 votes)
Popularity
1
Budget
$3,400,000
Box Office
$17,240,000
Profit
+$13,840,000

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Lunchbox about?
A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.
How long is The Lunchbox?
The Lunchbox has a runtime of 104 minutes (1h 44m).
Who stars in The Lunchbox?
The cast of The Lunchbox includes Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Lillete Dubey, Nasirr Khan.
How much did The Lunchbox make at the box office?
The Lunchbox earned $17,240,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $3,400,000.
What is the rating of The Lunchbox?
The Lunchbox has a rating of 7.4 out of 10 based on 783 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (2)

Drama Romance
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