The Lunchbox Turns Eight: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Recalls The Pleasure of Working With Irrfan Khan

On September 20, Ritesh Batra’s globally celebrated The Lunchbox completed eight years since its release. Nawazuddin Siddiqui who played Shaikh, Irrfan Khan’s friend and colleague, has only words of praise for the film, its director and his co-star.

“I had the privilege of  doing two films with Ritesh Batra. Halanki The Lunchbox ko zyaada praise mili (The Lunchbox got more praise). But I’m equally proud of my second film with Ritesh, Photograph. The Lunchbox went on to become one of the most celebrated Indian films. Major international stars tweeted about it and it grew into a cult film,” recalls Nawaz.

He is all praise for Batra’s directorial skills. “He is very clear in his head about what he wants. At the same time he gives enough space to actors to do their own thing. Some directors don’t like input from actors , although they may pretend to be very liberal on the sets. But Ritesh is a true democrat on the sets. I am thankful to him for giving me a lighthearted role as Irrfan Bhai’s friend in The Lunchbox. I was becoming a bit wary of playing dark sinister characters.”

As for the infamous rivalry with Irrfan, Nawaz sets the record straight. “Aisa kuchh nahin thha. Sab bakwaas baatein (all nonsense). Irrfan Bhai and I were both deeply committed to our characters. Unki soch meri soch se qaafi milti thhi (we thought alike). Working with him in The Lunchbox was a pleasure and a learning experience. Sadly, death snatched him away from us. I didn’t get a chance to work with him again.”