Guneet Monga Reveals Karan Johar's Pivotal Role in The Lunchbox's Success

In a recent interview, acclaimed producer Guneet Monga discussed her journey with the 2013 film The Lunchbox, which starred the late Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Nimrat Kaur. Monga revealed that Karan Johar, the renowned filmmaker, played a crucial role in the film's success.

When The Lunchbox was being made, Monga faced challenges in raising the Rs. 10 crore budget, a significant amount for an indie project at the time. However, she was able to secure 50% of the funding from a treaty between India and France, which she was the first to utilize for a co-production in 2011-12.

After the film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Monga reached out to Johar, who was also in attendance for the release of Bombay Talkies. Impressed by the film, Johar not only loved it but also gave it the game-changing tagline "Can you fall in love with somebody you have never met?". Johar then went a step further, investing Rs. 6.50 crore in the film's marketing and promotion, which helped it secure a 500-screen release in India.

Monga credits Johar's genuine marketing efforts through his production house, Dharma Productions, as a significant factor in The Lunchbox's success in the Indian market. The film, which had no songs and featured dialogues in English, was initially met with skepticism, but Monga believes the audience should not be judged too harshly.

The Lunchbox went on to become a critical and commercial success, establishing Monga as a force to be reckoned with in the Indian film industry.