“The Lunchbox” revolves around something we are all familiar with from our childhood — a literal lunchbox — and creates a complex and powerful message behind this simple object. Refreshingly subtle and profound, this Indian romance film, directed by Ritesh Batra, provides an entertaining contrast to predictable movies by not following the plot that a typical audience might be used to.

Irrfan Khan, who also starred in “Life of Pi” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” plays the main male character, Sajan Fernandez. Nimrat Kaur takes on the role of Ila, a wife stuck in a failing marriage that she is desperately trying to save. These two characters cross paths when Ila’s lunchboxes are mistakenly delivered to Sajan instead of her husband.

Still in a state of grief over his late wife, Sajan has found that little in his life brings him any excitement or joy. He goes through the mundane routine of his life without any exuberance or even a smile. Ila also has found that she rarely laughs or smiles anymore.

In an attempt to salvage her love-less marriage, Ila decides that the way back into her husband’s heart is through food. With the help of “auntie,” an elderly woman who lives upstairs from her, Ila sweats all morning in the kitchen to prepare her husband a lunch feast. The only problem is that her lunches are going to Sajan. Even after realizing this mistake, Ila cannot bring herself to tell the deliveryman to fix it because of her newfound relationship with the receiver of her lunchboxes. Initially writing a note to Sajan thanking him for finishing all her food (as it is a sign that her cooking was delicious), Ila discovers that this mistake was a blessed one. Passing notes to each other in the lunchbox, Sajan and Ila quickly find that the best part of their days is reading each other’s letters.

Batra does an excellent job building and escalating their relationship through these lunchbox exchanges, despite the fact that Ila and Sajan have never met before. We see that each character has deep sources of dissatisfaction with their current state of life, which are remedied by being able to express them through these lunchbox letters. The fact that this love story may not be as sexually charged or passionate as many other love stories like “The Notebook” or “Endless Love” makes their relationship even more meaningful and profound. In each other, Ila and Sajan find consolation in the midst of the hardships in their lives. The attraction isn’t of the love at first sight flavor, but is instead a result of their trust, understanding and acknowledgement of each other’s hardships.

While the audience knows about the significant age difference between Ila and Sajan from the very beginning, the characters themselves do not know to what extent this difference is. Both in very different phases of life, their relationship not only explores themes of love but also of the different stages of life. Sajan experiences a renewal in his outlook as his relationship with Ila grows. The transformation of Sajan is furthered by his newly assigned trainee. With a stubborn and eternally optimistic attitude, the new trainee Shaikh helps Sajan learn to care for someone other than himself. Played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui who has acted in many Bollywood films, Shaikh pushes Sajan to open up through his great persistence. Having many more years of life experience, Sajannot not only provides Ila with companionship, but also with valuable advice. In return, Ila provides Sajan with the ability to dream and hope for a better future.

Any viewer can appreciate the nuances of their relationship and the overall film. The emotions conveyed are more subtle than many American-produced movies, and because of this, the film may seem less exciting or boring. The drama in the film does not come with elaborate and passionate scenes, but instead from the agony of thought that each character experiences. I was initially dissatisfied with the ending of the film as it did not follow the path that I was expecting and hoping it would follow. However, after thinking about it more, the unpredictable and maybe less desirable ending follows suit with the theme of the movie of subtlety and contemplation. “The Lunchbox” is a refreshing and thought-provoking take on the traditional love stories and encourages viewers to contemplate the nature of love and relationships in general.