I heard about this film from MANY young (20s/30s) desi people. It was released in the Spring of 2015; it’s NOT a typical Bollywood film, though the stars hail from mainstream Indian cinema. Amitabh Bachchan (Bhashkor Banerjee) and Deepika Padukone (Piku) play Delhi-based Bengali father and daughter respectively. One of my favorite actors- Irrfan Khan (Rana) plays the driver who takes them from Delhi to Calcutta.
General Thoughts about the Film:
‘Piku’ is about relationships and responsibility. You feel for the characters & that kind of connect, is a huge bonus for any film.
…what is wrong with movies that are mostly dialogue and the interactions of close knit families? I found it realistic and I am not from India. Seemed kind of representative of one of the elements of the universal human experiences to me.
–Excerpts from IMDB reviews
If you’re a sensitive viewer who takes offense to toilet humor, this is film is NOT for you! In fact, there is NOT much to the story, aside from the road trip that this trio (along w/ a loyal manservant) go on. Piku is a very concerned, stressed-out young architect who lives w/ her 70 y.o. cranky and constipated father. She is a partner in a small architecture firm w/ her friend, Syed (Jishu Sengupta). Though Piku is nearing 30 and not yet married, her father isn’t concerned. Syed sets her up w/ a single guy he knows, BUT Piku has nothing in common w/ him.
Marriage without purpose is for the low IQ. -Bhaskor’s philosophy on marraige
Opinions re: Irrfan Khan’s performance
Irrfan is fabulous. He’s given some of the film’s best moments and the talented actor only elevates those moments with his superior act.
Irrfan Khan is known for his gifted talent of never disappointing his viewers. With this film, once again, he proves how worthy his presence is.
The MAIN reason I wanted to see this film (now streaming on Netflix) was Irrfan Khan. Though Rana now runs his family’s car rental business, he had planned for in a different life. He is a decent, hardworking man w/ family obligations of his own. Rana has a LOT of patience- he’ll need that on the road w/ Piku and her father!
