NEW DELHI: Already acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for North America, the Indian film The Lunchbox (Dabba) which made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival‘s Critics‘ Week section has also been sold to several non-traditional markets like Longride Inc. for Japan and Peterpan Pictures for South Korea.
Directed by Ritesh Batra and starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, The Lunchbox claimed the audience award in Critics Week.
International sales are handled by Germany‘s The Match Factory GmbH, which also licensed the film to Happiness Distribution for France.
The film has thus been sold in 20 territories across the globe. It was already pre-sold to five countries. Major international sales include Artificial Eye (UK) and Happiness (France).
Madman Entertainment has acquired it for Australia/New Zealand. The non-traditional markets include Taiwan where Joint Entertainment International Inc has acquired it, Hong Kong where it will be distributed by Edko Films Ltd, and Singapore where Lighthouse Pictures will release it.
The film has also been sold to Spain, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Baltic, Mexico, Central America, Brazil and Ex-Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
The film had been pre-sold to Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The film was produced by India‘s Sikhya Entertainment and Dār Motion Pictures with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Germany‘s Rohfilm GmbH, France‘s ASAP Films and the US‘s Cine Mosaic.
The story follows the connection between a widower nearing retirement and a frustrated housewife that is established when Mumbai‘s famously reliable system of lunchbox deliveries goes wrong.
