Published By: Nirtika Pandita

Director RiteshBatra films that can't be missed at any point

His mind and perception of a story is beyond imagination

An Indian film director and screenwriter, RiteshBatra, has not only made stellar films in Bollywood but has his charm spread over to Hollywood as well. Batra began his journey into filmmaking by writing and directing short films. One of his Arab language short films, called Café Regular, Cairo, screened at over 40 international film festivals and won over 12 awards. However, Batra is widely known for his 2013 film Lunchbox, the research for which he began by making a documentary on the lunchbox delivery system in Mumbai and also Photograph.

An offbeat narrator, RiteshBatra is a recipient of numerous international accolades such as the Rail d’Or (Grand Golden Rail) for Lunchbox, the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best First Feature Film, and a BAFTA Award. Here is a list of a few of his films that you must watch.

The Lunchbox

This 2013 epistolary romance film written, edited, and directed by RiteshBatra, starring Irrfan Khan, NimratKaur, and NawazuddinSiddiqui in lead roles, brings to life the real Mumbai and its hustle. The story of the film revolves around Ila, played by Kaur, a young wife yearning for her husband's attention. In search of her ways to grab his attention, she showers her love through her cooking, by cooking relishing dishes for lunch and sending them through the channel of long-running Dabba services in Mumbai. But due to a mix-up, Ila’s prepared lunchbox reaches SaajanFernandes, played by Khan, who is a widower and is about to retire from his job as an accountant. This is where the story picks up, showing the emotional tussle and nuances of the city.

The Sense of an Ending

This 2017 mystery drama is based on the 2011 novel of the same name by author Julian Barnes and stars Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Billy Howle, and Emily Mortimer. The film is narrated through an elderly divorcé Anthony 'Tony' Webster. The film is an unfurling of a story told through Webster's memories and those of his friends. The film is an exploration of showing the selectivity of memory and recollections of numerous past events.

Our Souls at Night

This 2017 American romantic drama is based on the novel of the same name by author Kent Haruf. The film stars Robert Redford opposite Jane Fonda in the lead roles and the two have nailed it. The film set in a small city revolves around Louis Waters and Addie Moore, have lost their respective spouses and have been neighbours for decades but don't know each other much. However, one night Addie visits Louis, suggesting they spend the night together. Here is where the story picks up, showing the loneliness of the elderly in the U.S.