Independent Indian cinema continues to crossover and blaze a trail across the world, ably led by The Lunchbox, written and directed by debutante Ritesh Batra.

Described as a defining film in the history of Indian cinema and the most successful international crossover, The Lunchbox, wins yet another award of Best First Feature of 2014 by Toronto Film Critics Association. It is the first Indian film to receive the prestigious award.

The prestigious award, which was announced on December 14, will be presented at a gala dinner in Toronto on Jan. 6, 2015.

Ritesh Batra says, “I am honoured to receive the prestigious Toronto Film Critics Association award. It’s very special as The Lunchbox is the first Indian film to win this award. The warm reception and awards the film has received worldwide is heartwarming. With each award, I feel more loved.”

Alongside, the highly feted writer-director, who recently served on the International Jury of Mumbai Film Festival 2014, was part of the International Jury at Marrakech International Film Festival, which was held from December 5-13 in Morocco.

The film starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in lead roles became the first Indian film to be declared the highest

grossing foreign language film of the year in the US, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. The film has grossed upwards 25 million USD, 160 crores worldwide.

The charming story of the globally released, The Lunchbox, has clearly touched an emotional chord in filmgoers across the world. As a French producer said, “There are only two films from India that I really know, Slumdog Millionaire and now The Lunchbox”.

The Lunchbox has been showcased in various film festivals including The Cannes Film Festival, The Telluride Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival, The London Film Festival, etc. winning various awards like Viewers Choice Award at the International Critics’ Week, Best Film at The London Film Festival and The Filmfare awards, to name a few.