Piku: Movie Review

Cast: Amitabh Bacchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, Moushmi Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta
Director: Shoojit Sirkar

Piku-directed by Shoojit Sirkar and penned down by Juhi Chaturvedi. They are the same duo who gave us another intense movie Vicky Donor.  I liked "Madras Cafe" too.

Piku is a story of Piku, a successful architect who is the primary caregiver for her hypochondriac father, Bhashkor Banerjee. Bhaskor has constipation problem and quite obsessed with color, consistency of his stool. They discuss about it on the dinner table as it is the most natural thing to do. Bhashkor is annoying and drives his daughter up the wall most of the time. They bicker all the time. He is selfish, insensitive, irritating, and brutally honest. Albeit this you love him. He is a staunch feminist and thinks women marring and settling down are of low IQ's. He embarrasses his daughter by discussing her virginity status and sex life with prospectus suitors. He selfishly tells her 'I gave birth to you, you look after me. Why look after in-laws? Now there there! 90% people can't digest this. Nobody has articulated this issue before. People expect girl to leave everything behind and adapt a new life in her in-law's place as her own while the boy doesn't get to change anything. When I raise this particular question, the only answer I get is Indian culture. They mean "patriarchal culture" I realize. I digress.

Here enters "Rana" who volunteers to drive Piku and her father from Delhi to Kolkata when elderly man demands to visit his ancestral house. Irfaan Khan, one of the best actors of our time is witty with his dry humor, subtle dialogue delivery, emoting in silence. His antics in the course of road trip is so humorous, it cackles you up. The rapport he develops with Piku is endearing.

The movie also tackles another sensitive issue, elderly care. What to do when your parents are fragile, completely dependent upon you, and their act is of 3 year olds. It delicately deals about the responsibility, sacrifice, and role reversal of offspring.

The gorgeous Deepika Padukone in titular role expresses everything through her kohl-lined doe eyes. She has come a long way in her career, and she has set her bar literally high this time. Piku is the new feminist, who abashedly admits about her sexual needs, confident enough to pursue casual relationships, uptight, snappy, and real.

Amitabh Bacchan sank his teeth into the character of Bhashkor Banerjee. Oh! this man has a brilliant comic timing. His Bhashkor Banerjee is nothing like mild-natured Bhaskar Banerjee of Anand. His squabble with his sister-in-law (Moushumi Chatterjee) is adorable.

This could be the first film which handled the topic "constipation" in a comical way. It has been a very long time since I've seen the bondage between father and daughter. The last one I remember is Kannada film "Lali" starring Vishnuvardhan and Mohini, a sensational one.

PS: Thank god I don't have a father like Bhashkor Banerjee because I don't think I could stand one. Well, maybe I can, after all it is all about loving your parents. Oophs! Sorry Karan.