Indian film 'The Lunchbox' nominated for BAFTA

Indian film 'The Lunchbox' nominated for BAFTA
Saturday, January 10, 2015 15:25 IST
By Santa Banta News Network
After having been snubbed as India's official entry at the Oscars in 2013, Ritesh Batra's directorial feature movie "The Lunchbox" has made it to the nomination list of the BAFTA Awards 2015 in the 'Film Not in the English Language' category. The team is ecstatic.

The nominations for the awards, organised annually by British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), were announced in London Friday.

"The Lunchbox", starring Nimrat Kaur and Irrfan Khan, is competing with Polish-Danish drama film "Ida", Russian drama "Leviathan", Brazilian-British adventure drama thriller film "Trash", and Belgian drama "Two Days, One Night", according to the official BAFTA website.

The movie is a unique love story between a lovelorn wife and a lonely man. While it released in India in 2013, it hit the British screens only in 2014, making it eligible for the nominations this time.

Batra considers it "an incredible honour".

"I'm in London right now... we are honoured to be nominated alongside the finest films of the year. It's a great way to start the New Year," Batra told IANS over phone.

The film's lead actress Nimrat took to Twitter, and gushed: "A BAFTA Nomination for #TheLunchbox!! Big love and congrats to the whole team." Co-producer Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment shared: "Soo awesome! The Lunchbox nominated for BAFTA!!! Thank you @riteshbatra for creating soo much magic... love."

Congratulatory messages for the cast and crew also came in from industry members like Sujoy Ghosh, Hansal Mehta and Nikhil Advani.

The nomination turns out to be extra special for the team, especially as the Film Federation of India (FFI) had, in 2013, chosen Gujarati film "The Good Road" over "The Lunchbox" as India's entry for the best foreign film at the Academy Awards despite the buzz around it.

Mehta made a tongue-in-cheek comment, saying: "So obviously the Film Federation of India knows better than #BAFTA. Congratulations @riteshbatra, @NimratOfficial, @irrfan_k and @guneetm."


However, with the latest news surrounding a chance at the BAFTA, the team is rejoicing.

Jointly produced by multiple studios like DAR Motion Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, National Film Development Corporation (India), ROH Films (Germany), ASAP Films (France), and the Cine Mosaic (US), "The Lunchbox" has done its round of international film festivals, including those in Cannes, Zurich, London and Toronto.

With names like Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Guneet Monga and Danis Tanovic backing it, it went on to become one of the highest grossing foreign films at the US box office.

The story revolves around Ila, a young middle class Mumbai housewife, essayed by Nimrat, trying to win back her husband's affections through his stomach and how a rare misplaced delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient 'dabbawala' system of lunchboxes, from homes to offices, connects her to an old widower, played by Irrfan, through notes in the lunch box.
Singham Again Wins the Monday Test with estimated collection of 17-18 Crores on Day 4!

Audiences are rallying behind Singham Again, making it their top choice this week. Following an impressive weekend collection that set box office records, Singham Again shows

Tuesday, November 05, 2024
Audiences Celebrate Diwali with Singham Again as the Film Roars on Weekend!

Rohit Shetty's highly anticipated cop-drama Singham Again has made a thunderous impact at the box office. The film, led by Ajay Devgn, drew massive crowds and raked in impressive

Monday, November 04, 2024
Samantha Ruth Prabhu De-Stresses with Intense Workouts and Explores Rajasthan's Beauty!

Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently showcased her de-stressing ritual with some intense fitness training, proving once again that she's as strong as she is stunning. Taking to Instagram

Monday, November 04, 2024
Kriti Sanon and Rumoured Boyfriend Kabir Bahia Spotted at Mumbai Airport: Details Inside!

Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon, who has been basking in the positive reception of her maiden production Do Patti, was recently spotted at the Mumbai airport on Sunday alongside her

Monday, November 04, 2024
Poojan Chhabra on building a strong connection with co-star Bhuvan Arora on the sets of Amazon MX Player's Fisaddi!

Amazon MX Player, Amazon's free video streaming platform, recently released the bromance drama, Fisaddi. Set in Allahabad University, the series follows the story of two

Monday, November 04, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT