I had no expectations. That is to say I had no idea what to expect from the movie. The praise it had received before hitting the theaters was glorious. There is a big danger in this kind of buzz as the audience tends to expect something spectacular from the movie. Well, I am a cynic. And PK was a big letdown. So I am not the one to form expectations based on how much buzz a movie creates before launch and refrained myself from having any expectations from the movie.
Piku is fabulous!
Shoojit Sircar has already proved that he can build suspense, intrigue and tension, with Madras Café. Piku is diametrically opposite to Madras Café and it is equally well made. At no time does the viewer get a chance to think of something else other than the movie. There are no high speed chases, no threats to life, and no bullets. And yet, the movie grabs your attention based on the dialogues and the situations. Situations so common that they are part of almost everyone’s life.
Piku (Deepika Padukone) is the single daughter of ailing – or may be not – Bhaskor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan), who is currently the center of her life. The tension between deteriorating health and the zest to hold on to life defines Bhaskor Banerjee. Concern for father and love on the one end and frustration from efforts to make things work defines Piku.
Anyone who cares for the elderly or lives in a house with grandparents will instantly connect with the story and the main characters of the movie. The director captures the smallest but significant quirks of the elderly and puts the viewer in their own household to give some déjà vu moments.
Is Piku’s father selfish in advising his daughter to not get married just because? Is the financially and emotionally independent Piku too opinionated to be liked? You decide.
Rana Choudhary (Irrfan Khan) is the odd man out in this Father-Daughter world, who makes his way into their hearts with patience and understanding of their unique dynamics. Not the one to judge, Rana has his own family to deal with.
Humor, melancholy, nostalgia, the movie takes you through a gamut of emotions in the 2 hours as the story addresses a range of social issues and personalities you will come across every day. You might just as well be living this movie!