PremiumPiku turns 9 - Moments from Deepika Padukone-Amitabh Bachchan starrer that are so magical that they haven't faded even now
Piku, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Irrfan Khan, turns 9 today. We revisit the moments that made the movie iconic.
Last Updated: 07.43 PM, May 08, 2024
The stories that unfold on the celluloid, on that 70 mm screen, on your phone, television, or laptop always find their roots in the real world. Some are born directly out of it, while others borrow the blueprint to create a fantasy land. Then there are those that speak to us in a way not many can, and we are thankful for their existence.
Films that are very real reflections of your life will always find the audience they deserve. We cry with those stories, laugh with them, and surrender ourselves completely to them. One such movie that managed to leave us spellbound turns 9 today and remains as magical as it was during the first viewing. Piku, starring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, the stellar Deepika Padukone, and the immortal artist Irrfan Khan, will always have a special place in our hearts.
Directed by Shoojit Sircar and written by Juhi Chaturvedi, Piku is a rare gem of a movie. It takes years and the eyes of someone who has lived life to make stories like these that break the fourth wall in a very karmic way to become ours. Over the last 9 years, Piku has become a part of the lives of many cinema lovers, not just as a character but as people we know and could easily have a conversation with (about constipation, of course). So when a movie touches the cultural fabric of an industry in a way that only a few can, there have to be moments that do so.
Piku is full of those moments—happiness, anger, guilt, regret, and even dismay with life. It’s not the story of a hero or an ideal heroine; it's a story of humans, grey humans with chinks in their armour and mistakes swept under their couch. So we thought of listing down the three moments that, according to us, make Piku a story beyond the screen and not just a movie.
Magical Moments From Piku
The Fight Over a Knife
The scene in which Piku finds a knife in Rana’s car and Bhaskor refuses to move forward unless Rana throws it away is popular. Shoojit Sircar revealed that it was all improvised, which has made it the talk of the town. But what actually makes the scene work is its unpredictability. It’s the stubbornness of a father, the anger of a confused stranger, and the cluelessness of a woman who now must be the judge between the two men.
The scene is not rehearsed or structured; it is wild, like the fights you witness on your way to work. Like the ones you have with people where, after a point, you both don't know what you were fighting about but have said all the illogical things. The scene is a masterclass in itself. Not many filmmakers can recreate the real world on camera so finely. Sircar is blessed!
On The Banaras Ghats
For me, Piku will always exist in the silences that speak the loudest. A woman has found a silent spot in the lap of the holy Ganga after an adventurous ride with a toilet seat on top of their car. She now wants a moment to recharge, to think of life without the pressure of being at the service of others, even if it's her father. She has stolen that moment and does not want anybody to waste it. So when Rana comes and starts talking, all she asks is, “Can we just keep quiet and sit here for a while?” Even Rana obliges, and a beautiful scene is created, defined not by dialogue but by silence.
Accepting Bhaskor’s Passing Away
The endgame of this story is Bhaskor Da managing to have the best dump of his life before he sets out for his heavenly abode. He announces to the entire family that he has had the best dump and that he is now relieved. The metaphor here is strong. Piku has decided not to sell the ancestral home; she is independent and can take care of herself. Bhaskor knows all of this and is relieved. But the moment comes when he breathes his last. Piku’s journey of acceptance is not loud or dramatic. It's in the silent tears that roll down her cheeks. It's in the name play where she wants the ‘o’ in Bhaskor corrected. She knows he made her a strong woman for this day and phase.
Piku will always be the comfort film for all of us. It is now streaming on Sony LIV, and you can watch it with your OTTplay Premium subscription. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more content like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.