Shoojit Sircar’s Piku is a simple elegant elegiac tale of a hypochondriac over-possessive father and his harassed embittered daughter. Who makes films about traditional relationships anymore? Who, except a filmmaker who isn’t afraid to let his characters discuss bowel movements as though it was the most exciting things to mull over in life. Mr. Bachchan’s eccentric Bangla gentleman’s patriarchal car-wreck of a character who won’t let his daughter breathe or breed could have easily become a caricature. With extraordinary fluency and vigour Mr. Bachchan turns his selfish patriarchal role into an occasion to explore the ‘route’ cause of the craggy journey parents take when they become over-dependent on their children.Deepika’s Piku is filled with an implosive anguish that blurts itself out unannounced when we least expect it. Even when she isn’t doing anything on screen, she makes you look at her. Deepika gets better with every role. Here she imbues her embittered standoffish character with a sense of pride and dignity that no domestic strain-not even a father who obsesses over his bowel movements– can snatch away .
But I’d say it’s Irrfan playing the father-daughter’s reluctant driver who has the toughest role. Into the story of domestic disharmony he brings a detached bemusement that somehow makes life seem tolerable even beautiful.
In Piku Shoojit Sircar brings back a quality in our mainstream cinema that seemed to have gone with the whim.Gentleness.
Looking at the perennial popularity of Piku, Shoojit sighs, “I never thought Piku will be so relevant now… people still talk about the film… there is one in every family like Bhashkor and a caregiver like Piku. Young women/men come up to me and narrate their own exact Piku stories:).That gives me joy.In every Bengali family it’s a common morning discussion: bowel , health, food, politics and Homeopathy is common(laughs).”
Talking about the im-Piku-abble casting Shoot says, “I think in terms of casting Mr Bachchan as Bhashkor we were very very sure,as he has been in Kolkata and knows Bengalis quite well , their little mannerisms and quirks, plus his own world knowledge ,etc .Irrfan’s casting was also done before we started writing. He knew his character beforehand… He would always ask me “Dada, love story hai na ?” And I would say I don’t know but kuch hai(laughs).I think Deepika is PIKU.I cannot think of anybody else other than Deepika as Piku , something magical happened between all of them, and of course Moushumi Di , Jishu Sengupta and Raghuvir Yadav. They were all part of the family.Their mutual co-ordination was tremendous.”
If Shoojit had to make Piku now, whom would he cast as Rana in place of Irrfan? “Very tough question. Irrfan’s sudden going is the biggest loss for our fraternity.He cannot be replaced. Irrfan was my original actor to play Sardar Udham , though played well by Vicky Kaushal.”
If only Piku didn’t end on that tragic note.
Shoojit defends his tearful farewell. “ I never thought it as a sad ending. I thought Bhashkor prepared his daughter well enough to face the reality and the world..And people ask me what happened to Piku and Rana.I tell them even I don’t know.Some relationships cannot be explained.”
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