I wish I had screen time with Irrfan Khan, says The Lunchbox co-star Nimrat Kaur

The Lunchbox, one of the most popular offbeat films Bollywood has ever seen, will be soon completing 10 years. The late actor Irrfan Khan played iconic Saajan Fernandes to perfection and his co-star Nimrat Kaur said that she wishes she had some screen time with him.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Nimrat said Irrfan Khan is a national treasure and his light will only get brighter as time goes by. "Who doesn't remember Irrfan? He is a national treasure. He is an international treasure actually, and he is one for the ages. His light will only get brighter as time goes by."

She thinks it was unfortunate that Irrfan and her did not have scenes together. "I never really got to work with Irrfan Khan while shooting for The Lunchbox. We actually properly met at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival."

Speaking about her experience of working in the film, she said: "We knew that something big was going to happen with the film. I was absolutely like a headless chicken. It was the first time that I had been given a leading part in the film. Like, I in every way considered that to be my platform where people started to know my name. From the Cadbury girl, I became Nimrat Kaur from The Lunchbox."

The Lunchbox was screened at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and received a lot of adulation from the audience. "I remember we were sitting on the bus in Cannes and I asked him, ‘This is very overwhelming. How do you deal with so much coming at you?’ He said, ‘Enjoy it, soak it up, and make the most of it because this doesn’t happen very often.’ And we live, and suffer, and go through difficult times so that we can enjoy these moments. So make the most of it and soak it all up."

About the success of the film and her sudden fame, Nimrat said: "Somehow life prepares you for dealing with problems and you pick up the pieces and move along. But no one teaches you how to deal with a lot of adulation and success at the same time, or a lot of applause and attention."