7 captivating movies like The Lunchbox that tell story through food

We have curated an awesome list of movies if you loved watching Irrfan Khan starrer The Lunchbox. Have a look at the awesome list and start binge-watching them!

By Arpita Sarkar

Updated on Apr 15, 2024 | 11:15 PM IST | 423.8K

7 movies like The Lunchbox: English Vinglish, Daawat-e-Ishq and more

Image Credit: The Lunchbox - IMDb

Movies like The Lunchbox are rich in showcasing India's cultural diversity through food. Food and cinema share a unique bond, both having the ability to evoke emotions, memories, and cultural connections. Indian cinema often incorporates the art of cooking and the joy of food into its narrative. From lavish feasts to humble street food, Indian films have celebrated food's role as more than just sustenance—a symbol of love, tradition, and living.

This article is going to give an awesome set of movies like The Lunchbox if you have enjoyed watching this Irrfan Khan starrer. In the film, an unlikely mistake by a tiffin carrier service results in Ila's tiffin, which was made for her husband, being delivered to Saajan Fernandes. An unusual friendship soon develops between the two.

Take a look at 7 movies like The Lunchbox that celebrate cuisine and culinary traditions of India

1. Cheeni Kum

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Pradeep Shukla, Swini Khara, Jameel Khan, Phil Pritchard
Director: R.Balki
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Release year: 2007
Where to watch: ZEE5

Cheeni Kum is one of the popular movies like The Lunchbox. It is a romantic comedy film directed by R. Balki. The story revolves around a 64-year-old chef and confirmed bachelor, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who falls in love with a 34-year-old woman, portrayed by Tabu. The film explores their unconventional relationship's humorous and heartwarming aspects, challenging societal norms and age-related stereotypes. The title, Cheeni Kum, translates to less sugar, symbolizing their love story's unique and sweet flavor.

2. Ramji Londonwaley

Cast: R.Madhavan, Samita Bangargi Chaudhary, Satish Shah
Director: Sanjay Dayma
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Romance
Release year: 2005
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

In Ramji Londonwaley, we see Ramji Tiwari and his sister, Parvati, lose their parents at an early age. Ramji is an accomplished cook and is familiar with all aspects of vegetarian cooking. He arranges Parvati's marriage to the Mishra family, promising a large dowry, which he manages to get by promising to marry a rich man's daughter.

3. Stanley Ka Dabba

Cast: Amole Gupte, Partho Gupte, Divya Dutta
Director: Amole Gupte
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama
Release year: 2011
Where to watch: YouTube

Stanley Ka Dabba is one of the most acclaimed films that tells a beautiful story through food. In the film, a schoolboy named Stanley does not carry lunch, and this is noticed by a teacher who forces kids to share their food with him. He soon warns Stanley that he must get a lunch box if he wants to attend school.

4. English Vinglish

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, Sumeet Vyas, Adil Hussain, Priya Anand, Sulabha Deshpande, Suhita Thatte, Ashvin Matthew, Sujata Kumar, Mehdi Nebbou, Rajeev Ravindranathan, Damien Thompson, Priya Ad, Navika Kotia, Cory Hibbs, Ruth Aguilar, Maria Romano, Damian Thompson
Director: Gauri Shinde
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Release year: 2012
Where to watch: JioCinema, ZEE5, Amazon Prime Video

English Vinglish is the story of a woman with a great talent for cooking who does not know English. Her family and society at large make her feel insecure because of her lack of knowledge. The film is a light-hearted yet touching and transformative journey of Shashi. Circumstances make her determined to overcome these insecurities, master the language, and teach the world a lesson on how to become a confident woman.

The film, shot mostly in New York, captures the inherent struggle of many people all over the world with the English Language. Hilarious, touching, and sensitive, it marks the comeback of India's biggest female star.

5. Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

Cast: Kunal Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Vicky Kaushal, Vinod Nagpal, Rajesh Sharma, Rahul Bagga
Director: Sameer Sharma
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama
Release year: 2012
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

In Luv Shuv tey Chicken Khurana, we see that After duping a gangster in London, Omi flees to India. When he learns that his family's old restaurant is in trouble, he decides to rediscover a secret recipe that will change their fortunes.

6. Daawat-e-Ishq

Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Aditya Roy Kapur, Anupam Kher, Karan Wahi
Director: Habib Faisal
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
Movie Genre: Romance, Comedy
Release year: 2014
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Daawat-e-Ishq starred Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead roles. Directed by Habib Faisal, the film follows Gulrez struggling to find herself a suitable groom due to her prospects' huge dowry demands. After meeting a chef named Tariq, she and her father plan to frame him and his family in a dowry case.

7. Chef

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Sobhita Dhulipala, Milind Soman, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Padmapriya Janakiraman, Dinesh Prabhakar, Padmapriya, Ram Gopal Bajaj, Pawan Chopra, Jayan Cherthala, Srikanth K. Vijayan
Director: Raja Krishna Menon
IMDB Rating: 5.7/10
Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Release year: 2017
Where to watch: N/A

In Chef, Roshan Kalra gets fired from his job and moves to Kochi to spend some time with his son, who lives with his ex-wife, Radha Menon. He connects with his ex-wife, who gives him the bright idea of starting a new food truck business to pursue his passion for cooking.

The above-mentioned movies highlighting stories through food will refresh your mind and also motivate you in some way.

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