The leitmotif of this film is crap. And I don’t mean it in a
disparaging way at all. Shoojit Sircar has a way of working around things that
induce cringe whenever we mention them. And it works well, just like it did
when he made Vicky Donor. “Piku” played by Deepika Padukone is a story of a
daughter who is forced to - as well as willing to - take care of her ageing
father, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who has the perennial problem of
constipation. His mind is as constipated as his bowels and the kind of shit he
thinks and the subsequent troubles they bring to the ones around him makes up
the story of the film. Almost every scene talks of poop and everything from the
color to viscosity to amount is discussed in a quirky, funny way.
The titular character is a nearing-thirty woman, who juggles a professional life with a personal (single and desperate to mingle) life that is way busier than she would like. A demanding father, who is paranoid and selfish to the extent, that he wouldn’t want his daughter to get married, is not something one looks forward to. But Piku plays her part knowing that her father is completely dependent on her, especially since she has lost her mother. The irritability that comes to Piku and the issues it creates with the other people in her life keeps the movie going.
Along comes Irrfan Khan who plays Rana Chaudhury, as the driver of the cab, Piku hires for a road trip from Delhi to Kolkata. This is when the monotony in Piku and her father’s lives changes for the better. The slow but sure impact that Irrfan has on Piku and her father is delightfully done. Irrfan himself is a harried son and brother to the two females in his life, whom he cares for a lot, but can’t put up with at the same time.
The acting is terrific. Deepika holds her own when pitted against the likes of big B and Irrfan who do complete justice to their roles. Bachchan Sr. is spot on as the cranky father who is unsure of how long he will live, but sure that he won’t let go of his daughter. The romantic angle that Irrfan brings in is subtle and his eyes speak a lot more than his words. The supporting cast is solid with Moushumi Chatterjee staging a wonderful comeback to cinema. I don’t remember the last film she worked in, but here she is superb. Jisshu Sengupta as Piku’s business partner and Raghubir Yadav as the family doctor have small but very likeable roles.
The other high point in the film is about the thing that eventually turns to shit. Yes food! A variety of Bengali cuisine is shot in a very delectable manner. Another FOOD FOR THOUGHT here is the psyche of the man who is at the fag-end of his life, but still not able to LET GO of neither his excreta nor his fears. A beautiful moment in the film is when Irrfan tells Amitabh about a 99 year old Japanese man who rode a cycle.
The only grudge I had with the film is the accent used in the film. Big B has some wonderful lines in the film but the Bengali touch appeared unnecessary. Also there is a liberal sprinkling of English and Bengali in this film – without subtitles. The music is hummable and the duration of the film, is just about right.
Overall a nice and different film which gets 3 stars from me!
The titular character is a nearing-thirty woman, who juggles a professional life with a personal (single and desperate to mingle) life that is way busier than she would like. A demanding father, who is paranoid and selfish to the extent, that he wouldn’t want his daughter to get married, is not something one looks forward to. But Piku plays her part knowing that her father is completely dependent on her, especially since she has lost her mother. The irritability that comes to Piku and the issues it creates with the other people in her life keeps the movie going.
Along comes Irrfan Khan who plays Rana Chaudhury, as the driver of the cab, Piku hires for a road trip from Delhi to Kolkata. This is when the monotony in Piku and her father’s lives changes for the better. The slow but sure impact that Irrfan has on Piku and her father is delightfully done. Irrfan himself is a harried son and brother to the two females in his life, whom he cares for a lot, but can’t put up with at the same time.
The acting is terrific. Deepika holds her own when pitted against the likes of big B and Irrfan who do complete justice to their roles. Bachchan Sr. is spot on as the cranky father who is unsure of how long he will live, but sure that he won’t let go of his daughter. The romantic angle that Irrfan brings in is subtle and his eyes speak a lot more than his words. The supporting cast is solid with Moushumi Chatterjee staging a wonderful comeback to cinema. I don’t remember the last film she worked in, but here she is superb. Jisshu Sengupta as Piku’s business partner and Raghubir Yadav as the family doctor have small but very likeable roles.
The other high point in the film is about the thing that eventually turns to shit. Yes food! A variety of Bengali cuisine is shot in a very delectable manner. Another FOOD FOR THOUGHT here is the psyche of the man who is at the fag-end of his life, but still not able to LET GO of neither his excreta nor his fears. A beautiful moment in the film is when Irrfan tells Amitabh about a 99 year old Japanese man who rode a cycle.
The only grudge I had with the film is the accent used in the film. Big B has some wonderful lines in the film but the Bengali touch appeared unnecessary. Also there is a liberal sprinkling of English and Bengali in this film – without subtitles. The music is hummable and the duration of the film, is just about right.
Overall a nice and different film which gets 3 stars from me!
