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300 Responses to “Piku, Gabbar Returns, the rest of the box office”
Here is an early review on the film. Seems the film is pretty much in Vicky Donor territory (in terms of the “feel good” vibe), I had enjoyed VD but I was something more substantial here. But this still seems to be worth watching in the theatre (how many Bollywood films deal with a father-daughter relationship)-
Talk of bowel movement dominates ‘Piku’, but Deepika Padukone’s drama doesn’t stink
By Manjusha Radhakrishnan Senior Reporter
May 7, 2015
“Piku, led by Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, is the movie equivalent of having a warm bowl of chicken soup on a nippy night. It may be comfort food that warms you all over, but you are certain that the broth won’t have unexpected twists or shock your system in any way.
Similar feelings envelope you when you watch director Shoojit Sircar’s Piku, a tale that chronicles the dependant relationship between a demanding 70-year-old father Bhashkor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) and his accommodating daughter, Piku (Padukone). The majority of their banter and interaction revolve around Bhashkor’s bowel movement, or the lack of it. But Sircar and the actors should take a bow for not reducing all that potty talk into something foul. It’s endearing, at first. But let’s face it. There are more riveting topics to discuss in this world. So I found myself agreeing vociferously with cab owner Rana Chaudhry (Irrfan Khan) who points out that the old man should take a break from tying emotions raging through his body to his bowel motions. It’s a valid point, especially since there was so much meat to be culled out from the budding friendship between Rana and Piku.
Both Khan and Padukone have done a tremendous job of making their characters lovable and real. They are quirky, but they don’t let those eccentricities overwhelm them. However, the film does appear constipated at some points. For instance the family road trip undertaken by Piku, her dad, the house help and a reluctant driver (Khan) from Delhi to Kolkota is ripe with opportunities, but the movie never explores that Piku-Rana tangent. That’s a shame because that would have elevated Piku to a superbly satisfying film.
Bachchan goes through the motions of playing Bhashkor with his usual alacrity. Barring his ill-fitting wig, the scene in which he introduces his daughter as an emotionally and sexually independent woman is hilarious. It’s his crafty bid to shoo away a potential suitor and it just makes you smile. He’s unapologetically selfish — a far cry from those sacrificing, indulgent dads that we have been accustomed to in some Bollywood romances.
Finally, there’s a Bollywood movie that doesn’t present an hyperbolic pitch-perfect image of a father and his daughter. Just like any regular — dysfunctional to an outsider — family, they fight, make-up and move on in life. Padukone and Bachchan are naturals as they display an over-familiarity that only family members who live together can display.
But that’s not to say that Piku is flawless. It’s no cliffhanger — the film puts a smile on your face primarily because of the collective prowess of its principal cast. In the second half, Piku almost becomes an ode to Kolkota and its old-world charm. It’s brightest moments, however, are the scenes featuring Khan and Padukone.
Watch Piku if you are in the mood to watch a movie that’s all heart. There are no larger-than-life heroes, dramatic transformations or neatly-tied endings. Still, Piku works its magic because it steers clear from the usual trappings”
As expected, looks a completely niche and multi-plexy film. Don’t see much business here unless the middle-aged and people north of 50 show up in the theater.
I am curious to see how Bachchan plays, probably, the most ‘unglamorized’ role of his post-KBC career. He will essentially be playing what Utpal Dutt played in Mukherjee’s films.
Utpal, however, remains the GOLD standard for me when it comes to portraying cantankerous oldies..
PIKU is receiving praise from every one, extremely positive tweets so far ….. even guys who hardly like any bollywood movie praising this one. Looks like Shoojit made really good entertainer.
There is a good jump in the evenings here. It might actually end up doing a Queen after all. And if BV is not great, I might rule out a big number here…First day looks like 5 crores now…
There have been many iconic Bollywood films set in Bengal like DEVDAS, CHOKHER BALI, PARINEETA, KAHAANI etc. And now getting deeper into the beautiful Bengali world is this week’s release PIKU, which is set in a typical Bengali household. Will this film prove to be as iconic as its ‘predecessors’, lets analyze.
The film starts off with a day in the life of the Delhi based Piku (Deepika Padukone), whose world revolves around her architectural office, her colleague Sayyed Afroze (Jishu Sengupta) and her father ever-so-doting father Bhaskhor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan). Life is absolutely monotonous for her. While her day starts off with her office and ends with her ever-worried-about-constipation father Bhaskhor. Despite all her efforts to brainwash him off the same, he refuses to budge. That’s why she compromises with the existing situation, which also means that she has to cancel a lunch date in order to attend to her ‘mentally constipated’ father’s constant SOS. Just when life is moving in a monotonous manner for the Banerjee family, a sudden decision to travel to Kolkata springs up. Because Bhaskhor rules out the possibility of travelling by air or train citing his constipated problems, the family decides to go on a road trip to Kolkata. One the other hand, due to lack of ‘availability’ of any driver, the owner of a rental taxi service Rana Chaudhary (Irrfan Khan) decides to drive the car himself. It is during this trip that Piku and her father realize a few bitter facts about life and about each other, courtesy, Rana, who doesn’t believe in mincing words when it comes to calling a spade a spade. It is during this journey that a romantic tension develops between Piku and Rana. But when they reach Kolkata, a tragedy strikes the Banerjee household, which, not only changes the entire course of Piku’s life, but also brings the entire Banerjee household to a standstill. What is this tragedy that strikes them, will Piku ever be able to find love and does Bhaskhor ultimately find a solution to his constipation is what forms the rest of the film.
Since the film comes from the stable of the ‘thinking man’s director’ Shoojit Sircar and the ‘thinking man’s writer’ Juhi Chaturvedi (best known for Vicky Donor), the film holds immense promise/ potential as the whole. One has to applaud the way in which Shoojit has handled the sweet and simple tale of PIKU. This film will definitely go down as one of the films in his repertoire that demands a superlative applause. After VICKY DONOR, MADRAS CAFE and now with PIKU, Shoojit proves his supremacy as a storyteller. Even though the film is good in overall perspective, the climax is sudden and does seem to be left incomplete.
As far as the acting is concerned, this being an author backed role, no prizes for guessing as to it is Deepika Padukone who leads the show from all the fronts. One has to applaud this girl for making all the right choices in her career as far as her film selections are concerned. To stand up to the stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan is no mean achievement and Deepika successfully does that and how! All in all, she is excellent, sincere and shows immense growth as an actor. Despite his ever-so-towering persona, Amitabh Bachchan, on the other hand, is as down-to-earth as down-to-earth can get! Even though you will not find ‘THE’ Amitabh Bachchan and his famous mannerisms and baritone, you will be really shocked and surprised to see him in a new light. His behavior and mannerisms as a Bengali old man are simply outstanding. As for Irrfan Khan, there is no denying the fact that he is truly brilliant in his part. Despite the ‘odd pairing’ with Deepika, his onscreen chemistry with her and her family in the film really crackles up all the scenes. His interactions with Amitabh Bachchan are totally hilarious. The film also sees the ‘return’ of the ever-charming Moushumi Chatterjee back on the silver screen. In no way, has she lost the magic of her ‘simplistic approach’ towards her roles. She is an absolute endearing delight to watch in the film. The other actors like Jishu Sengupta and Raghuveer Yadav help the film in moving forward.
Since it’s a simple film, the music of the film is also expected to be simple. And the film’s music director Anupam Roy delivers just that. Even though there are not any chartbusting tracks in the film, the music of the film helps as a major driving force in the film’s progress. While the film’s cinematography (Kamaljeet Negi) is beautiful, the film’s editing (Chandrashekhar Prajapati) is crisp. A special mention to the film’s costume designer (Veera Kapur) for keeping the costumes ‘in check’ with the ‘flow’ of the film.
On the whole, PIKU is a must watch this season as it brings back the memories of the legendary directors Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee and likes. This is a film that shall grow with word of mouth.
Piku and Kuch Kuch Locha Hai will clash this week with Piku likely to be leading the race. it would have been interesting Deepika Padukone v Sunny Leone clash if it was Piku and Ek Thi Leela (released a few weeks back) releasing together but Kuch Kuch Locha Hai does not have the music or awareness of that film.
Gabbar has held pretty well on weekdays so should be in the mix this weekend also and it will be probably be ahead of Piku in some circuits which are dominated by single screens.
Piku is similar to Finding Fanny and can take an opening in that level but that film crashed on Monday and Piku will have to avoid that all costs. Even if it was to sustain its just a one week window till the big big budget Bombay Velvet.
Priyanka has been signed on as the female lead for a new ABC show about FBI recruits. Interesting, but I wondered why she committed to such a low-profile show.
Review: In ‘Piku,’ Amitabh Bachchan Plays a Dad to Deepika Padukone
By RACHEL SALTZMAY 7, 2015
“Piku,” an offbeat Hindi comedy, would have you contemplate the intestines and mortality of one Bhashkor Banerji and the actor who plays him, Amitabh Bachchan. Bhashkor’s life and conversation may revolve around his constipation and fussy hypochondria, but there’s no mistaking the scene-stealing energy that Mr. Bachchan, India’s erstwhile Angry Young Man, musters for his new role of Cranky Old Man.
And so pity Bhashkor’s poor daughter, Piku (Deepika Padukone). She may be the very picture of a modern career girl, but she can’t escape the father who has turned her into an ill-tempered scold. His chiding, hectoring voice fills the home they share, and even follows her to the office, where he sends her much-too-public updates on his bowel movements. And Bhashkor, who derides the very idea of marriage, waylays Piku’s suitors to let them know that she is no virgin.
Come again? Bhashkor is not your typical Bollywood papa, and “Piku,” directed by Shoojit Sircar from a script by Juhi Chaturvedi, isn’t a typical Hindi movie. It lopes along, following no formula beyond the roughest outlines of a romantic comedy. In its middle section, it detours into road movie territory, with Rana (Irrfan Khan, brooding and wonderful), behind the wheel; the owner of a taxi company, Rana drives Piku and Bhashkor to Kolkata from Delhi. Even on the road, the film’s concerns remain domestic, more about getting along inside the cramped car than about the wide-open spaces.
This movie, as the title suggests, is set up to be Piku’s story: How will she make a life? But the filmmakers let Mr. Bachchan overwhelm the story. Ms. Padukone, an always likable performer, remains in his shadow, just as Piku remains in Bhashkor’s, liberated but without real agency. Ms. Padukone keeps Piku from being a one-note shrew. But she can’t quite make her a heroine.”
Piku review: Pretty meets potty in Deepika, Big B, Irrfan’s charming new film
by Deepanjana Pal May 8, 2015 08:41 IST
“From the Piku trailer, you might think you know what’s going to happen in the film. Piku will be a beautiful, quirky young woman who lives with her father, Bhaskor. They’ll adore each other, sing songs, possibly cut a birthday cake. Along the way, Piku will fall in love with someone (Irrfan), she’ll be torn between father and lover for a bit, there will be a few tears and then everyone will live happily ever after. Exactly none of this happens in Piku.
Writer Juhi Chaturvedi and director Shoojit Sircar have done what no one thought Bollywood had the gumption to do: they’ve made a film that’s entirely unpredictable. From character to plot, everything in Piku will take you by surprise. Everything other than Bachchan’s inconsistent Bengali-accent, that is. But it’s a minor flaw because Piku gets pretty much everything else right, and gloriously so.”
“Bhaskor is demanding, suspicious, whimsical, opinionated, sweet and a royal pain. In short, he’s pretty much your favourite old uncle/ granddad. Bachchan gets that combination of an annoying but adorable personality perfectly. The only thing that doesn’t ring true about his Bhaskor is the paunch that looks like a cushion’s been stuffed under the kurta. But who cares about paunches, when Bachchan is, with supreme deadpan composure, discussing excrement and leaving you rolling with laughter?
Given lines that crackle with wit, Bachchan delivers them with the kind of flair that you expect from an actor of his calibre. His comic timing is superb and his body language is just right. You realise how perfect his portrayal is because of the details — like when Bhaskor is listening closely, he has a fixed but open-mouthed, slack-jawed stare, as though he hasn’t even realised that his jaw is hanging loose. Yet his eyes, magnified through the thick lenses, are unblinking and intense.”….
…”Chaturvedi’s greatest talent is in her ability to tackle complex themes in the chatter that abounds in Piku. There’s the business of how difficult old age is, not just for the person ageing but those around them. Piku has to mother Bhaskor and find a balance between her needs and his, which isn’t easy. Chaturvedi also picks up a few ‘bold’ themes. The film’s undramatic way of dealing with Piku’s sexual needs and separating sex from romance is in sharp contrast to how awfully and ham-handedly Bollywood usually handles these topics (remember Hunterrr?).
More provocatively, Chaturvedi has Bhaskor standing as an obstacle to Piku’s love life, but in a thoroughly unexpected yet believable way. He is heartwarmingly supportive of her career and doesn’t begrudge her casual sex, but Bhaskor doesn’t want her to get married and scotches every possibility that he thinks could go in the direction of proper emotional commitment. He claims he’s anti-marriage for Piku because he doesn’t want her to sacrifice herself to man, yet that’s exactly what he wants her to do for me. The real reason Bhaskor wants Piku to stay single is that he doesn’t want to lose her to another man. It’s partly selfish and partly obsessive with an unsettling Oedipal whiff. Chaturvedi treats this very complex idea with magnificent subtlety and finesse, and without melodrama.”…
‘With Piku, Padukone establishes herself as both an excellent actor as well as a star. It just goes to show what kind of talent can be showcased when the writing is good. Padukone is riveting on screen, even when she’s being screechy and unpleasant, and Piku is often screechy and unpleasant.’ Didn’t I say so after ‘ Cocktail’, that we have a genuine star-actress in our midst!
Was waiting for Nandini Ramnath’s review (a critic I quite like). She to seems to have liked the film (like everyone else apparently), but I don’t think she is impressed by Bachchan here. Like the fact that she mentions Pushpak-
Film review: ‘Piku’ mines great humour from irritable characters and stubborn bowel movements
“….Constipation is not a screen-friendly subject and is played mostly for laughs, such as in Singeetam Srinivasa Rao’s 1987 silent movie Pushpak, which introduced audiences to the pleasures of the enema. In Sircar’s slice-of-life drama, the problem becomes a metaphor for inter-generational conflict, as the process of holding on and refusing to let go described in digestive terms. The 125-minute movie has the same collection of fundamentally decent, endearing and eccentric characters that made Vicky Donor such a winner. The family interactions and scrapes between Piku, Bhaskor, and her extended family (including Moushumi Chatterjee’s superb thrice-divorced aunt) are observed with warmth and indulgence, the humour is witty, conversational and purely situational, and the emphasis on naturalistic acting is jolted only when Bachchan widens his eyes and mangles his often hilarious pronouncements to suit his capital-letter Bengaliness.
Bhaskor is a character with which we are all familiar, but Bachchan plays him as a stereotype. His underlined irascibility contrasts with Padukone’s relaxed and convincing performance and Irrfan’s scene-stealing turn. Irrfan has the occasional tendency to stop trying once he has stepped into a frame, but in Piku, he is fully attentive to the possibilities of Rana’s character as both foil and emotional enema. Rana’s gently delivered home truths allow Piku to finally let go, and even Bhaskor shuts up once in a while when confronted with another other male rival for Piku’s affection.
It’s to the filmmakers’ credit that they are able to find laughs and sweetness in the digestive tract, but Piku doesn’t always smoothly navigate the emotional roadblocks it sets up for its heroine’s journey of self-realisation. The cinematography is functional to a fault, while the choppy editing doesn’t allow some of the better observed moments to breathe. Chaturvedi writes dialogue that wouldn’t be out of place in a screwball comedy, but the rush from one witticism to the next often doesn’t let some the insights into the general dysfunctionality that marks this movie’s sub-set sink in.
Some sequences bristle with the emotional tension that can result from a self-centred single parent stifling his daughter’s dreams, but they quickly dissolve into giggles. Sircar and Chaturvedi have made quite a long journey from semen to human waste. They have made a fuzzy film that links bowel movements and the very real problem of children having to deal with badly aging parents. Some of the harsher truths that emerge from Bhaskor’s staggeringly petulant behaviour, such as when he holds up the road trip over a trifle, cannot be flushed away quite so easily.”
Padukone is at her very best, the actress moving farther from her contemporaries with almost every successive film, and here she stuns with her casual body language and her inch-perfect intonation. She’s impatient and short-tempered, wearing her otherwise-adorable dimples dismissively, like a no-nonsense shield. She knows when to prescribe homeopathic pills, and goes into enough graphic detail on the phone to wreck her dates. This tightly wound Piku is a demanding part, and the film pushes her. She rises to the occasion, and her performance — which believably oscillates between a defiantly uppity woman to a girl half-proposing marriage with a mouthful of egg-roll and a giggle — is spectacular.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Sircar makes Padukone say ‘pachcha.’ Piku uses this Bangla word for arse — a cute splat of a word, with a tchah-sound built right in — while at a dining table full of eagerly nostalgic relatives and Padukone plays the moment magnificently, her eyes twinkling and grin well in place, dropping her guard to say an ‘uncouth’ word and, simultaneously, thrilled to be saying it. Bravo.
“We are never told Deepika Padukone’s actual name in Piku.
A Bengali nickname is an all-conquering wonder, a sticky and stubborn two-syllable sound that a person is straddled with when too-young-to-object, and one that follows us to our graves.
And so Deepika’s character — be it in office or living room or on a relative stranger’s phone-screen — is always simply Piku, and, despite the peculiarity or cuteness of the nickname, its usage has become matter-of-fact.
The fact that throughout the film, we never dwell on its etymological origin-story and aren’t concerned with what Piku means (or may perhaps be short for) illustrates honesty and a storytelling confidence rare to our cinema.
Shoojit Sircar’s Piku is a special, special film. “…..
“….It is a film with tremendous heart — one that made me guffaw and made me weep and is making sure I’m smiling wide just thinking about it now — but also a sharp film, with nuanced details showing off wit, progressive thought and insightful writing.
Take a bow, Juhi Chaturvedi, this is some of the best, most fearless writing I’ve seen in Hindi cinema in a while.”
“Bachchan, as Banerjee, is a delight, hamming it up in the way old Bengali men do, posturing for family and servants and wagging his finger reproachfully at those outside the clan — at one point he calls Irrfan “you non-Bengali Chaudhury.”
rrfan Khan is characteristically flawless. Despite a less author-backed role than father and daughter, he imbues his character with enough authenticity to steal many a scene and give the narrative its consistency.
It is largely for the benefit of Khan’s Rana Chaudhury that the Bengalis speak in Hindi and English through (most of) this film’s duration, and the character is fascinating.
An engineer with a dodgy backstory, he’s morally sound enough to berate a pearl-pilfering sister and feels the need to call out selfishness even in someone he likes.
Khan’s performance holds the film together, balancing the diametrically opposed — and fundamentally similar — father and daughter, sometimes by just a truly pointed look.
One scene, where he glances at Deepika to necessitate a change of seating arrangements in the car, is an absolute stand-out.
Padukone is at her very best, the actress moving farther from her contemporaries with almost every successive film, and here she stuns with her casual body language and her inch-perfect intonation.
She’s impatient and short-tempered, wearing her otherwise-adorable dimples dismissively, like a no-nonsense shield.
She knows when to prescribe homeopathic pills, and goes into enough graphic detail on the phone to wreck her dates.
This tightly wound Piku is a demanding part, and the film pushes her.
She rises to the occasion, and her performance — which believably oscillates between a defiantly uppity woman to a girl half-proposing marriage with a mouthful of egg-roll and a giggle — is spectacular.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Sircar makes Padukone say ‘pachcha.’
Piku uses this Bangla word for arse — a cute splat of a word, with a tchah-sound built right in — while at a dining table full of eagerly nostalgic relatives and Padukone plays the moment magnificently, her eyes twinkling and grin well in place, dropping her guard to say an ‘uncouth’ word and, simultaneously, thrilled to be saying it.”…
“…There is an awful lot to love and appreciate in Piku, and, like the best of films, it sets you thinking but doesn’t rush to point out quick-fix answers.
“Not satisfactorily,” like Bhaskorda reveals when asked how well a new bowel-coaxing remedy worked, “phir bhi kuchh naya karne ko mila.”
Sometimes the joy indeed lies in trying out something new, and Piku is just the tonic.”
The film also makes the best case for women empowerment since Queen. In the film, Piku is single, but has a casual sex life, and this fact is established very subtly. It is not a ‘character trait’. It’s just another normal thing that this normal girl does. And to top it all, even her father is liberal enough to not make a fuss over that. He expresses the occasional well-meaning concern, but he’s not the regressive honour killer that is so prevalent in both in and outside our cinema. When was the last time you saw a Bollywood film where the father suggests to his daughter that getting married soon is only for those with low IQ? Last I checked, Sonakshi Sinha wanted to be ‘blessed for marriage’ by seeing Ajay Devgn’s schlong. In this film, the Bechdel Test is effortlessly kicked in the nuts in a terrific ‘will they won’t they’ scene between Piku and Rana that warrants a huge applause for both Chaturvedi and Sircar.
Most importantly, Piku glides over all of these heavy-duty themes with breezy lightness and consistent, well-timed comedy. This is a road trip movie after all, and it’s got hysterical, rapid-fire montage of cuts of the back and forth between the trio of Piku, Bhaskkor and Rana. The teeny bit of melodrama is handled beautifully by shuffling laughs and tears together like a pack of cards, making Piku one of the more emotionally honest films to have come from the industry.
“…Sircar knows his setting well. The free-for-all chatter around the stomach, the kind of herbs that help stuff along the alimentary canal – the best moment of the film comes when Irrfan draws a sketch, with graphic accuracy, of the route food takes before it plops out—is spot on. The way the characters are bracketed, though, flattens the film. Of course, there are delightful laugh-out-loud moments too, the kind that lift ‘Piku’ off the screen. Some of those come from the interaction between ‘baap’ Bachchan and ‘beti’ Padukone, but soon they settle into a pattern where the irritability and annoyance and short-temper Bhashkor and Piku have to exhibit become rate limiting factors: how many squabbles about a constantly-calling-baba and a beti constantly-on-call can you infuse with difference? I got a little exhausted by the jabber: when they stop and fall silent, the point is made better.
Amitabh Bachchan’s delivery of his constipated Bengali bhadralok jumps between a couple of notes, his accent occasionally slipping. And because most of Deepika Padukone’s scenes are with him, she comes off same-same too, though you can see how she can use her coltish beauty to advantage when she is let alone. Even Moushumi Chatterjee, as the gadabout ‘mashi’, isn’t as much fun as she could have been. Raghubir Yadav, as the old-confidante-doctor is good, though, as is Sengupta.
The only one given enough wiggle-room is Irrfan, and he makes the most of it, shifting, manoeuvring skillfully, not letting himself be caught in one position. He is the outsider to Piku’s world, and how he enters and makes space for himself, lets the film breathe and come alive.
Shoojit Sircar’s exploration of human relationships through unusual pegs provides his films an instant hook. And focusing upon bowel movements is certainly novel. ‘Piku’ sparks in moments, and I threw my head back and guffawed in a few. But the rest of it stays only mildly amusing. I wanted more motion in these motions.” http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/movie-review-piku/#sthash.ZMXY7V0u.dpuf
It has an average rating of 7.9 from 17 reviewers so far. Easily the highest among Hindi films of the year, besting the 7.1 of Qissa, and 6.9 of NH10 and Margarita with a Straw.
Review: In ‘Piku,’ Amitabh Bachchan Plays a Dad to Deepika Padukone
By RACHEL SALTZMAY 7, 2015
“Piku,” an offbeat Hindi comedy, would have you contemplate the intestines and mortality of one Bhashkor Banerji and the actor who plays him, Amitabh Bachchan. Bhashkor’s life and conversation may revolve around his constipation and fussy hypochondria, but there’s no mistaking the scene-stealing energy that Mr. Bachchan, India’s erstwhile Angry Young Man, musters for his new role of Cranky Old Man.
And so pity Bhashkor’s poor daughter, Piku (Deepika Padukone). She may be the very picture of a modern career girl, but she can’t escape the father who has turned her into an ill-tempered scold. His chiding, hectoring voice fills the home they share, and even follows her to the office, where he sends her much-too-public updates on his bowel movements. And Bhashkor, who derides the very idea of marriage, waylays Piku’s suitors to let them know that she is no virgin.
Come again? Bhashkor is not your typical Bollywood papa, and “Piku,” directed by Shoojit Sircar from a script by Juhi Chaturvedi, isn’t a typical Hindi movie. It lopes along, following no formula beyond the roughest outlines of a romantic comedy. In its middle section, it detours into road movie territory, with Rana (Irrfan Khan, brooding and wonderful), behind the wheel; the owner of a taxi company, Rana drives Piku and Bhashkor to Kolkata from Delhi. Even on the road, the film’s concerns remain domestic, more about getting along inside the cramped car than about the wide-open spaces.
This movie, as the title suggests, is set up to be Piku’s story: How will she make a life? But the filmmakers let Mr. Bachchan overwhelm the story. Ms. Padukone, an always likable performer, remains in his shadow, just as Piku remains in Bhashkor’s, liberated but without real agency. Ms. Padukone keeps Piku from being a one-note shrew. But she can’t quite make her a heroine.
t’s amazing how a good script brings out the best in actors and that’s exactly the case with PIKU. Deepika Padukone is impressive and how! She just keeps getting better with each film. Amitabh Bachchan plays the annoying constipated father brilliantly. Moushumi Chatterjee is superb. But it’s Irrfan Khan who steals the show, hands down! He again shows how versatile he can be. Watch out for the scene in which he which he’s discussing his father’s death with Amitabh. This film again establishes the versatility of the actor.
PIKU is epic sh*t! You simply can’t afford to miss this one.
Piku Slow Start Kuch Kuch Locha Hai Poor Start
Friday 09 May 2015 13.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku had a slow opening of around 15-20% at multiplexes though some plexes in the big cities were better while Kuch Kuch Locha Hai had a poor opening of around 5-10%. Both films were also dull in single screens though Piku has a limited single screen release.
Piku should pick up late afternoon and evening shows as these type of films which are aimed mainly for the premium multiplexes usually do but the costs are high for a niche film and it will have grow big on Saturday and sustain extremely well to get near recovery.
Kuch Kuch Locha Hai is less than half the cost of Piku but the way it has opened at multiplexes it has no chance The single screens may be a bit better but single screens can only really help if they open to full houses or close to full houses as the trend is always down..
diametrically opposite but then we know the BOI history on a Bachchan film! Of course it’s also the usual game of the one who’s trying to be down on the film stressing on the lowest percentages while the one who’s strong on it reporting the highest ones.
“As expected PIKU, that has been in the news has opened to a strong start with morning shows featuring an occupancy rate of 40%. However KKLH has started on a slow note with a meager 20% occupancy rate, while Akshay Kumar’s GABBAR IS BACK that continues its run at the box office fares much better.
On the whole, PIKU is expected to dominate the weekend, while GABBAR IS BACK will hold strong. KKLH on the other hand will have to rely heavily on positive reviews and good word of mouth to compete with the other films.”
I am pleasantly surprised at the almost universally good treatment PIKU is getting from the critics.
Seems like all lead performers have done a great job. Deepika looks like will benifit a lot from this and if there is any doubt Utkal will make sure that it happens- based on the carpet bombing here and on FB with Deepika portions of reviews!😄
Utkal can’t contain his excitement😄😄
LOL! This film looks to be a success. Gabbar won’t be a problem for it this weekend with its key multiplex audience. However BV will be next week. Unless it doesn’t do well.
Sircar has done well across genres from Yahaan to Madras Cafe to Vicky Donor. Has been quite consistent. Like the first one the most. Madras Cafe was interesting throughout though rather uneven and the John casting was a poor decision, Vicky Donor was again well made though not really my kind of thing. He seems to have pulled it off with Piku once again.
Presenting the title track from one of Bollywood’s much awaited love stories of 2015 – ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’, starring Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan & Rajkummar Rao, in the soulful voice of Arijit singh
On a different note quite a stunning success for Cameron and one that confounds all expectations. Both Clegg and Milliband have resigned. Cameron couldn’t have had a better day. of course the SNP swept everything (sturgeon’s numbers are even more incredible) damaging Labor (it didn’t help that Milliband consistently polled behind the party) and many feel this might hasten the dismemberment of the UK with the Tories in power at the other end. Cameron meanwhile ran a class American negative campaign — ‘even if you don’t like me aren’t you more afraid of the other guy?’!
It’s an incredible victory. The whole campaign has been a damp squib because many felt it will be a coalition government. And the markets were uncertain.
But today has in many ways been a stunning day. 3 leaders have resigned and the Tories have won an unexpected majority. They deserve a second term in reality…it would have been a senseless move to have someone else in considering by in large the Tories have navigated the UK out of recession whereas the rest of Europe is still struggling. By default why rock an already delicate boat further? And the markets have responded quite well.
Tories thankfully are not as regressive as the conservatives in US who are a special brand of lunatics. Tony Blair single handedly did more damage to Labour than any one else.
In some ways this also isn’t a bad result because Cameron of course had ben under pressure from Ukip, specially on the immigration issue. This will give him space to remain more centrist. As Rajen points out the problem with the Right in the US is precisely that it’s gone loony!
Can’t say I’m jubilant about this. It is an incredible victory but more because of the lack of a strong, credible left than because of any public confidence in the Tories (and Cameron knows this, hence his pointedly negative campaign). IMO that isn’t good news for a democracy. The left vote is split far more than the right and FPTP voting makes things worse since it’s designed for two-party politics; I think there are several constitutes where the Lib Dems could have won if those who voted Green voted for them instead. But then again most people don’t want an alternative voting system so I don’t see what can be done.
IMO Clegg and Miliband quitting is good news because they are the least charismatic leaders possible and really dragged their parties down. Miliband failing to defend his eminently sensible mansion tax in the face of Myleene Klass’s idiocy was really the low moment for me. And of course, the most heartening news is that the odious Farage failed to be elected MP and announced his resignation as UKIP leader!
yes but people were very upset with the Lib Dems for not taking a stronger stand against the Tories on many issues. Their support was expected to collapse.
In director G Marthandan’s forthcoming film Acha Din, Mammootty may be playing the most interesting part he’s delivered in the recent years.
In the film, the veteran star reportedly essays a North Indian who has been living in Kerala for two decades because, well, he loves the South Indian state!
His character Durgadas is a sweeper who lives in Kochi with his wife Sheethal, played by debutante Mansi Sharma.
“Durgadas hails from Jharkhand and though he dresses in their style, he lives like a Malayali.
“We can’t reveal much about the storyline right now, but it’s an unusual story told in an interesting way,” says Marthandan, who has earlier directed Mammootty in Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus.
Acha Din is produced by Cyn Cyl Celluloid and will hit the screens during Ramzan.
But it’s with the character of Piku that writer Juhi Chaturvedi pushes the envelope farthest, giving us a fully flesh-and-blood modern woman. Unembarrassed to admit she has sexual needs, unafraid to pursue a casual relationship with a colleague, and never shy of snapping back at her patience-testing father, Piku is a refreshing character in the movies, and Padukone plays her without a hint of artifice. It’s a performance that never feels like a performance; she’s that good in the film.
Deepika is becoming typecast as the liberated female. This is nothing earth shaking for her. If she plays a sati savitri role, a regressive role, then that can be called different for her. A Phoolan devi, Jai Santoshi Maa etc. also will provide the much needed versatality.
Hated miliband ever since he stabbed & ‘overcame’ his bro
Actually don’t mind clegg—-like the guy
But the best duo are back for more
Cameron -Osborne ..
As for piku, are we expected to applaud just bcos deepika has put some clothes on for a change & gone easy on the makeup?
Oh c’mon 🙂
Piku Picks Up At Premium Multiplexes
Friday 08 May 2015 23.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku picked up in the evening at the premium multiplexes and the collections should come in at around 5 crore nett which is better than films like Finding Fanny released last year and Detective Byomkesh Bakshi released a month or so ago. The pick up in the evening is routine for these type of films as opening collections are low.
The film has done pretty well in Mumbai city and Pune though those are the only cities in Mumbai circuit which have collected, even Thane is weak barring a few multiplexes. Still Mumbai city and Pune city will take the film to a decent Mumbai circuit figure..
The opening day number is not too bad if you look at the content and type of film it is but the big burden for the film is the cost, it should be be a 20-25 crore film but is almost double and for recovery of such an amount the opening day has to be much more than 5 crore nett unless you can have an extraordinary run over 3-4 weeks.
The collections of Kuch Kuch Locha Hai were a disaster.
I’m also looking forward to 18-20 cr weekend but that’ll be quite disappointing considering the star power of Deepika. There should be a 25 cr weekend at least if the film has to recover its cast as this one is a costly affair.
This is around a 35 crore movie , so 60 crores means its a very good win. 5 crore is a good start. To put this into context, most major WOM movies last year, Queen, OMG all started around 2 to 3 crores…The movie is going to be a big winner IMO. BOI’s commentary is based due to the release of BV next week and they expect Piku to drop and end around 40 crores due to the drop. But my reports say that this will do a Queen and will go from strength to strength. This has the merits to withstand BV in the multiplexes and YRF will ensure it gets the screens.
The story of Sarabjit Singh’s death created a national ruckus and Dalbir’s struggle to free her brother captured the nation’s attention. Writer Rajesh Beri and Creative Rajesh Nair have been involved in this project with Mukta Arts right from the beginning.
Official first day collection for piku (bollywood hungama / taran adarsh) & koimoi : 5.5 Cr. Unbelievable trending ( can say one of the best after 3idiots and queen). expecting a min of 23 Cr to 25 cr week end. Mark my words, First week will be in the range of 37 to 42 Cr. Life time domestic should be minimum of 70+ Cr.
Gabbar Is Back Day Eight Business
Saturday 09 May 2015 12.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gabbar Is Back had a decent eighth day as it grossed around 2.75 crore nett. The fall is around 75% but the first day have a holiday in parts. The film will easily clear 10 crore nett for the weekend and maybe even go to 12 crore nett.
The collections are better than new release Piku in Gujarat/Saurashtra, Rajasthan and Bihar. Surprisingly a multiplex circuit like East Punjab is also doing well whenough normally it does not perform too well for this type of mass film. The collections are low in West Bengal and Mysore.
The film will cover it’s price for the all India distributor but profits will be limited as week three is likely to see a drop in business.
Akshay Kumar keeps chugging along, should get to 100 crs. he has done some good work over the last couple of years and deserves some love on this forum
many of us like Akshay here. it’s just that most of his films have been rotten in the past. He’s now doing some good work for sure. Of course I am never sympathetic to this whole ‘he deserves to be loved’ line of argument. Don’t think we need to moralize things so much when it comes to movie stars. Unless they’re doing something truly exceptional. Even his better films though good as entertainment are hardly up there when it comes to truly interesting cinema.
Akshay not doing Truly interesting cinema- Ha Ha.
😛
WAISE I agree with you… On ‘he deserves to be loved’
This forum was created to promote Abhishek and Aamir(because he could replace SRK dominance).
Then came Sallu and reenergised Akshay. Problem is that this was unexpected as well as undesirable. Result is all for there to see.
On Alshay Kumar-
Abhi to hui hai shuruaat
Aani hai puri Baraat
BOI gives Yash Raj figures for Khan Movies (eg dhoom etc) why diffrent figures for Bachchan or Kumar Movies? Yash Raj manipulates only for few actors like Bachchans not Khans?
Utkal- it just released on Fri. If you look at the actual post, they have these ‘precise’ estates for all movies.
More importantly, am waiting for your thoughts on PIKU.!if things workout, am planning to watch it today.
”I was reminded of a little-known episode from the 80s when Kamal was ‘sending shivers down the spines of Hindi stars’ like Jeetendra put it. Poornachandra Rao, a big time Telugu producer, started a film starring Kamal, and the tallest superstar (that one’s not difficult) for a Hindi film based on the Richard Dreyfuss starrer ‘Whose Life Is It Anyway’. Kamal played the role of an artiste paralysed neck downwards after an accident who wants to die. The tall superstar played a doctor. 75 per cent of the film was canned when the superstar watched the ‘rush’ print and was overwhelmed by Kamal’s performance. He asked for more footage for him to perform but ultimately offered to work free in Poornachandra Rao’s next film if he shelved this one. The request was acceded to but things were never the same between Kamal and the tall superstar. He has forgiven but definitely not forgotten.”
ROFLOL…yes I have heard this one..Don’t worry, there are many lunatics supporting such type of lunacy..
The other one that takes the cake is this ‘fact:’ The reason Kamal Haasan was supposed to have retreated from the Hindi film industry is because Amitabh Bachchan fans’ association club members threatened to throw acid on Haasan if he continued to ‘challenge’ Amitabh specifically and Hindi film actors ‘generally’!
Bachchan must now get used to this – from Indira Gandhi’s manipulation to push him into the industry to ‘chopping’ Mithun’s role in Agneepath and MANY of his co-stars’ roles to Rajiv Gandhi getting him the National Award for Agneepath influentially to wringing awards..
Not that I wanted to mention this but since this came up I feel it only appropriate to mention this.. many years ago he destroyed my chances too because even before I had shot for anything he saw my potential, realized I would be a serious threat and made sure I never got a job in the industry in any capacity.
BTW such kind make an appearance even on Rangan’s blog!! It is almost like finding a Fellini fan trying for meta in 50 shades of Grey!!
This is from his PIKU review..
Kogul Sandal
May 10, 2015
More manipulative Amit shit lapped up by unsuspecting S.Indian. Knowledgable Chennai crowd exists only in cricket I guess…
brangan
May 10, 2015
Kogul Sandal: Ah, a genuine troll sighting. Thank you for stopping by. Your kind is quite rare in these parts. Do give my best to your comrades in the rediff comments section 🙂
Am not sure how much of this will be reflected in BO figures but everyone who has seen the film seems to be gushing over it. Am talking about friends and acquaintances, not critics. I have rarely seen such enthusiastic endorsement of movie particularly from people in their tanneries and thirties.
And all three (Deepika,Irfaan and Ofcourse AB) seem to have given great performances.
I am somewhat nonplussed at the critical and real life appreciation the movie seems to be getting given how underwhelmed I was with trailers and in my mind had already chalked it up as another miss by AB.
The WOM is like-do not miss, best of the year, best of last few years etc!!
Actually I always thought it looked like a quirky Balki movie. the kind of film Balki wasn’t able to make this time around. But yes I do agree that since this is ultimately a limited audience movie big numbers, specially with competition next week from BV, are probably unlikely.
Saturday numbers is out, will be upward of 7+ means, weekend will be minimum 22+ Cr and week one will be around 40 Cr. With Yash Raj + PVR, will not loose much screens to BV. will touch min 65+ by end of second week.
Piku Has Huge Growth On Day Two
Friday 09 May 2015 23.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku has had huge growth on Saturday with collections looking to go to 7 crore nett. They could even be higher as growth can be 50% from Friday. The film grossed around 5 crore nett on day one and will be 12 crore nett plus in two days. This gives the film a chance for a 20 crore nett plus weekend which would be decent especially considering the start.
The film which mainly collected at premium multiplexes on Friday but all multiplexes showed good jumps on Saturday. The business outside the premium multiplexes is still low but there is a trend there.
The collections in Mumbai city, Pune, Delhi city, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Bangalore were good on Saturday and if other major cities give a good performance on Sunday it may have a chance of success though it will need tor run well after week one.
The collections of Kuch Kuch Locha Hai had very poor collections all over and will hardly gross 75 lakh nett on day one.
I’m surprised why Bachchan fans feel BOI is anti Bachchan? Here is a good jump for Piku and they are reporting it. I think these guys want BOI to change the tags of Bachchan’s disasters into blockbusters.
Toilet humour is something I absolutely do not enjoy, regardless of how well it is executed, so I’m not going to watch this film. Nevertheless, I’m pleasantly surprised by the rave reviews for Piku (and Deepika) and it will be interesting to see what Satyam, Rajen, Utkal etc have to say about it. And I’m glad someone has finally made a father-daughter bonding film after the countless mother-son stories in Bollywood!
The movie is good sort of dysfunctional family drama. Toilet humor except some dialogues are quirky and not disgusting. The movie is well made. The director and screenplay are the leads of the movie.
For those who don’t know, this is really high praise coming from Munna who is not known for being effusive.
Almost means, it is Oscar worthy😄
Only movie he has praised more is All the best going back a few years.
LOL! Munna’s concise understatement is needed to balance out Utkal’s impassioned hyperbole! 😀 (Jokes apart, Utkal’s reviews are always enjoyable; it’s just amusing to see his extremely enthusiastic piece side by side with Munna’s very measured comment)
ha! True! would have loved to read his Sholay review! ‘Better than most films, the screenwriters are the heroes, so much Asrani comedy was not needed. Could have edited a bit in the second half. Cutting both the hands was not needed. They could have left one for him to eat.’
Haha.. You may see some similarities with Nebraska and Little miss sunshine.
The movie has pushed some taboo envelopes subtly (things which can not be achieved in Deepika vogue choice video).
Just came back from Piku.
While trying to get myself a glass of water I noticed the expensive single malt ( Oban) that my nephew-in-law had bought when he came visiting, on the shelf. I normally do not drink when alone. But I thought I must pour myself small one. This called for a celebration certainly. So many of my cinematic heroes had come good of late.
First off the block was Vishal Bhardwaj was ‘Haider’ which I have seen thrice in the theater and once on the DVD and it still haunts me. Sridhar Raghavn surprised me with ‘ Badlapur’ which again calls for multiple viewing. Then Navdeep Singh came up with gut-wrenching NH-10, which I have seen twice in the theater. Anurag Kashyap gave a good account of himself in the unsettling ‘Ugly’. Hirani said what needed to be said with ‘PK’…and I had to see it twice to be sure. And yes he had lost none of his artistic integrity in a bid to entertain. Then just last week I saw ‘ OK Kanmani’…and lo! Mani Ratnam was back. And what a relief that was! But I saw it one more time in the theatre, just to be sure. And yes, Mani was as young, playful, cinematically eloquent and full of love for humanity as he was at his peak. And now there is Shoojit Sarkar and ‘Piku’.
Just like ‘ OK Kanmani’ there is not much happening. But each moment is so lovingly written, so well staged and so perfectly performed that you do not want to take your eyes (and ears) off the screen for a moment lest you miss something. Ah…the women in Bollywood! Where do you get all that talent from? Juhi Chaturvedi, take a bow! It is your writing which makes it all come off so well on screen. And Shoojit knows how to stage ‘funny’ on screen. I loved the humour in Vicky Donor. He manages to do with shit what he did with sperm in the earlier one. It’s the nice to see that Shoojit can get a big laugh by just the installation art of the chair-commode tied on top of the Innova. Shoojit also does quirky well. And here he has two masters of the quirk, Amitabh and Irrfan, to dance out his quirkography. I loved the tableau of Amitabh and irrfan sitting on a culvert on the highway, outside the Innova, Irrfan holding the knife in his hand. ‘ Why don’t you just throw it away?’ Deepika / Piku says. Irrfan/Rana looks at the knife for a while , looks at Piku, and throws it. There are many moments like this that Irrfan nails with his impeccable timing. Amitabh, after a long time, is a character that reminds you of no other Amitabh you have seen before. He is over the top. His accent keeps slipping. And he looks much older than the 70 he is supposed to be. But he too becomes the quirky Bhaskor Banerjee with his singular views on marriage being for women with low IQs and his announcing to the world that his daughter is not a virgin and his essentially selfish manipulation of his daughter for his own well-being. He makes us buy in to his character and we share his sheer delight as he bikes through the streets of Kolkata towards the end of the film.
And what of Deepika and her radiant presence? If I write how I felt about her in the film you might think I am in love with her.Come to think about it, maybe I am in love with her. Any way let me talk about Piku instead. What a character Juhi Chaturvedi has written. She is a totally heroic modern woman, her heroism manifested in her grace under pressure. She knows the essentially selfish and manipulative nature of her father, but she says, ‘We don’t judge our parents’. She is doing the best she can , blancing her work, her household duties, and if she needs the help of her part-time lovers to get by, she will take them on her stride. As Irrfan/Rana says in his inimitable deadpan style ‘ Aap to ..jaise aapke papa kehte the..unki tarah ho gayi..annie Besant, Rani Lakshmi Bai…mahan aurat.”
The relationship between Ran and Piku is written so well. And so is the detailing of Irrfan’s family, his sister, his mother, and his Saudi background. It adds so much texture to the tale. And yes, Shoojit is so good in bringing out the natural manly charms of noth-Indian men, with all their aggression and lack of fine culture, pitted against the at-times-pretentious but always pompous cultural snobbery of the Bengalis ( Amitabh introduces Irrfan as the non-Bengali Chaudhury.) He did it with the Ayushman Khurana character in Vicky Donor,and he does it with Irrfan / Rana here.
And yes, how can I forget? The music. I was bowled over by it. The songs were exquisite. And the words, even in Hindi, managed to retain the expressionistic freshness that we know Anupam’s Bengali lyrics for. The background score too was top-notch, with a very catchy Indian strings hook that propels the story at a pleasant, comfortable pace.
Ps: I have poured myself another small one of the single malt. Maybe I will write something on Ok Kanmani now.
“And what of Deepika and her radiant presence? If I write how I felt about her in the film you might think I am in love with her.Come to think about it, maybe I am in love with her. “Hmm..enjoy but be safe & don’t get carried away -plz don’t do anything illegal/indecent (& check with me 1st–ok?) cheers
“if she needs the help of her part-time lovers to get by, she will take them on her stride”– Well, I wasn’t going to, but may catch it soon (if playing nearby)
Btw watched 5 minutes of an obscure film called I’m Kalam– seems a simple cute film–(obviously won’t be able to finish it)
But came across this — enjoyed this folksy tune & rendition
Ps: I’m still into kids film unlike utkal uncles deepika mania
Here’s what I think of the film. Not a very good writer, but…
First of all the film is clearly inspired by the father/daughter pair of Mr Woodhouse/Emma of Jane Austen’s book Emma.
-both have a young daughter destined to look after an ailing, quite old, cranky father who is obsessed with illhealth real and imagined.
-both fathers thought there can be no place like home and own bed, as opposed to travelling around
-both thought that travel was wrought with danger to all mankind (Mr Woodhouse) and to himself (ABs character)
-both consider marriage a bad thing and the word is mot appreciated by both
-both don’t want their daughter to get married
-theres also this extolling over ancestral home, it could be Donwell abbey of Mr Knightley or Hartfield of Woodhouses.
The treatment is of course different.
As Ami says, I too don’t enjoy toilet humour, and in this film it runs the whole length of the film. Only difference is that its supposed to be part of the story rather than added in for humour. Still….
I started enjoying after the first 20 minutes or so. Till then every character is arguing and quarrelling. I began to feel so exhausted with everyone shouting. Amitabh Bachhan though equally angry and disturbed does it in a less irritating manner, but Deepika, I thought was too much. I must add though, that there must be people having that character.
While Emma deals with her father expertly because of practce over the years Piku seems to be getting undone over the years of dealing with a father who was rather selfish and difficult.
It was a bit difficult to accept that she cares for her father emotionally. As a duty yes, she did the right thing. It’s only with extra scenes that we get to see it was emotional as well, but not as a part of her behaviour.
AB was excellent. So was Irfaan. Deepika was very good most of the time, but I don’t think holding her head between her hands everytime she wants to show despair and frustration is good acting.
Of course most things get straightened out for the better especially in her acting as well when they start for Calcutta.
Shots of Calcutta are beautiful, so also Varanasi.
I would have enjoyed the film more if it didn’t have to go on right till the end about constipation.
Ah yes, I forgot to mention. Mr Woodhouse’s ailment was a ‘delicate stomach’ and he always insisted on eating apples that were baked twice.
His staple diet consisted of gruel made of arrowroot, and only his cook was able to get the right consistency, not too thick and not too thin.
He was so obsessed that he worried about everyone’s stomach. Invited people over but wouldn’t let them eat anything that was not healthy, and insisted on giving them a boiled egg.
Thanks for your review OG- the Austen connect is interesting (sad that none of the critics cottoned on to this). Would you say Irrfan is a leading man in the Austen mold as well?
No no. It isn’t based on the complete novel. Just the father/daughter angle of the book. They have taken that and made a whole film on it. At least that’s my opinion as I see more than just a passing similarity.
Some descriptions of the character of the father Mr Woodhouse in the book Emma..
Now these are but just a few examples. Takes time to search for these. There are a lot more. Couldn’t get down to getting Emma’s description as a devoted daughter looking after her father.
“The evil of the actual disparity in their ages (and Mr. Woodhouse had not married early) was much increased by his constitution and habits; for having been a valetudinarian all his life, without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years ……. ”
.”….from his habits of gentle selfishness and of being never able to suppose that other people could feel differently from himself,…”
“He was a nervous man, easily depressed; fond of every body that he was used to, and hating to part with them; hating change of every kind. Matrimony, as the origin of change, was always disagreeable;”
He talks of the unpredictablity of the film where you think father daughter relationship will change;
“You think the father will understand what his daughter is going through, that the daughter will see why her father is this way, that they’ll both learn life lessons and embrace tearfully.
And it doesn’t happen that way.
That’s just like in the book.
@Ami
>(sad that none of the critics cottoned on to this).
Well most are men (and machos) and Jane Austen is not something they’d read, I guess.
The writer of this film is Juhi Chaturvedi, a woman and I can well imagine that she read the book and got inspiration to write a story on this classic father daughter pair who are like none other.
Going to watch Piku tonight: tried to go yesterday but couldn’t get tickets, everything near me was either sold out or the only seats available were in the front two rows.. I completely underestimated the film, I must confess…
The Gujarat High Court, on Friday, nullified a case against Aamir Khan and four others of illegal commercial shooting of protected animal, Chinkara, during the filming of Lagaan in Kutch. Chief Justice VM Sahai discovered that no live Chinkara was used or was in possession of the petitioner and the footage seen in the film was actually computer-generated.
The complaint was filed by the Gujarat Forest Department.
While Aamir Khan is relieved from the case, he is all set to launch his manager as a director.
BEIJING: Actors Aamir Khan and Jackie Chan will share the same stage during the release of three films featuring themes of India-China friendship on May 14.
The films will be released on the sidelines of functions, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his three day visit to China starting May 14.
China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said that Khan and Chan are among the actors in the three films. Two other male Chinese actors, Huang Xiaoming and Wang Baoqiang, who played roles in the films, will also participate in a press conference on their release, it said.
One of the films to be released is Da Tang Xuan Zang (temporary English title: Monk Xuanzang), which describes the journey of the Chinese pilgrim who visited India to collect Buddhist texts in the 6th century. The spread of Buddhism from India to China is the most important reference point in the relationship between the Himalayan neighbors.
Another film to be released is Gong Fu Yu Jia (English title: Kung Fu Yoga), which discusses the similarities between the two cultural strains. The third film to be released is Da Nao Tian Zhu (temporary English title: Lost in India)
The Administration will also disclose plans for mutual importation of films between the two countries.
The decision for mutual collaboration in the film sector was taken last September when Chinese president Xi Jinping visited India. The two sides signed the Joint Declaration on Constructing Closer Partnership for Development, and reached common understanding in the two countries becoming ‘closer partners for development, cooperation partners in spearheading growth, and global partners for strategic coordination’.
Piku showed huge growth of 65% plus on Saturday which is extraordinary. It is very rare that this sort of growth happens. The first day business hardly gave the film a chance but day the phenomenal growth on day two has changed the scenario.The approx first two day business of Piku is as follows.
Friday – 5,00,00,000
Saturday – 8,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL – 13,50,00,000
The film is now looking at a good weekend which could be in the 23 crore nett range and that is very good after a 5 crore nett first day.
I said somewhere earlier , once BOI realizes this is a Queen kind of scenario, they will turn around.. Now watch this movie get to 100 crores..Sunday will be around 10.5 crores and Monday will be as good as Friday. If it can get to 4 crores next Friday, 100 crores is on. This is the Queen of this year..
And I just came back from the movie. Loved the movie…Big B is excellent and after a long time a movie uses his comic timing…When was the last time, one saw him in a comic role? Deepika is very very good but I thought Irfan was just outstanding…A very relatable tale and one that everyone can identify with…This will have legs the size of an elephant whether or not BV does well..Shoojit Sircar nails his 3rd film in a row. He is now a director whose next movie will be awaited…
This has legs to go up to 70 crore or so. Certainly it is one of Big B’s most amazing recent performance. Unlike earlier expectations, it is a feel good movie with the right dose of humour for multiplex audiences. WOM even internationally is stunning. But all will depend on BV. IF BV gets good reviews, PK will get sidelined.
the trending certainly looks very strong.. but one should also factor in BV next week. Admittedly this looks to be the sort of deal that might be less affected in certain ways but still competition is always a factor. 70-80 seems reasonable and would be huge. 100 would be awesome but that’s I think a loftier prediction with BV around. Would love to be wrong of course!
must say Deepika too is really in the zone. It’s one thing to get hits with obvious choices and quite another to do it with quirky ones or for that matter get much more than expected with a film like YJHD.
Official figures: Friday 5.32 Cr , Saturday 8.70 Cr and total is 14.02 Cr , so 25 Cr week end is on. Best trending after 3 idiots. 75 Cr is doable and chance for 100 cr is definitely on. Global business 250+ cr is possible (looking at the current Intl trends)
Gabbar is Back has collected a very well 4.25 crore nett on 2nd Saturday (9th day) at box office as per estimates. Film has thus recorded a jump of around 50%+ on day 9 which is fantastic. Thus, Gabbar is now heading for a decent second weekend numbers.
Gabbar total collection after 9 days is approx 66.6 crore nett. Film should register further jump on 2nd Sunday. Film second weekend collection is now heading for 12-12.5+ crore nett which means film has every chance now to collect around 20 crore nett business in second week.
Trending of Gabbar in week2 is only a shade lower than Piku’s week1. Both movies are enjoying extraordinary WOM.
Sunday figure for both the movie combined will be HUGE.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 8h 8 hours ago
Thrilled to see a gem like #Piku sprinting faster across the nation. Super-strong word of mouth is translating into super numbers at the BO.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 8h 8 hours ago
#Piku biz witnesses MASSIVE growth on Day 2. Fri 5.32 cr, Sat 8.70 cr. Total: ₹ 14.02 cr. India biz. Winning hearts. Winning BO.
the film even using Taran’s higher numbers is not likely to do more than 90. Even less than that is possible. Looking at the numbers, also Piku’s multiplex strength, plus the BV release (even if it doesn’t work it will have a good weekend, if it does obviously it will dominate more) don’t think Gabbar will add anything significant beyond this week. A Baby-like result must be considered absolutely subpar for Gabbar. It’s going to fall way behind Rowdy Rathore in absolute terms.
Unfortunately Akshay’s choices have greatly damaged him over the years. He just cannot get those high end numbers (or even anything remotely close in a variety of genres). With his comedy sequels he obviously does much better but these are like circuses with all kinds of stars and actors thrown in. Quite apart from the sequel element. There was a time when Askhay was doing really well but he wasted his opportunities when he was in the zone. Too late to recover now because in these masala genres people have a lot of choice. And the Baby kind of thing always has a ceiling anyway. Yes he’s still getting to certain totals on multiple films and that might be ok but he was in a much more commanding position once.
BV will be a problem only if Piku loses screens. I dont think it will. It is going on in 1600 screens, expect it to retain those. Multiplexes can easily accommodate 2 films…If it can be around the 4 cr figure next Friday, 100 crores is a guarantee…I think it will…I expect Monday (tomorrow) to be better than Friday..
Simply put.. Loved Piku. The story appears simple but the dialogues are not, they are very quirky, interesting and always unexpected with heavy doses of dry humor. The move is very well executed with all the 3 characters extraordinary performances. After a long time Bachchan got a great role and he nailed it to the T; Simply superb. Supporting him is the eccentric daughter Deepika in another fantastic role. You just can’t take eyes away from her any moment. She showed the role with right amount of frustration and feisty in nature. With both father-daughter having author backed roles, I understand why Shoojit needed an actor like Irrfan to stand firm for his character which appears lot simpler than the father-daughter. Even with such a simple character, Irrfan takes it to another level and delivers a quality performance.
Another victory for Shoojit Sircar, this movie will do well in multiplexes and long life on TV channels.
This was flawlessly cast, and not just in the obvious form of the (excellent) three principal actors but, top to bottom, I don’t think there was a false note among the secondaries. Very well written, and a near perfect pace. Found this to be one of the most convincingly lived-in Hindi films I’ve seen in a good long while. No one here seems like they were dropped into a scene without some level of consideration towards their internal life, and towards their place with respect to the other actors in a scene. Piku’s victories are subtle, and genuine rarities in this industry. This isn’t a tremendously ambitious movie but it is true to every inch of its modest and noble ambitions.
As a Bachchan fan, I don’t think he’s performed as effectively as he has here in ages.
Seriously, though, I can think of so many Hindi films (even by directors I like, like Hirani) that would have made these moments less convincing, or the jokes less funny. But Sircar really set a tone in this movie that made this less of a weird gaffe. More importantly, the expressions on the guy’s face here (I think he’d agree with you that she could have handled things differently!) gets to the point I made above, that even the smallest characters here have a perspective, and the world of the movie is deepened by that.
Actually, it’s a moment like that that defined the unexpectedness of the movie. Not that it’s cool and unexpected that someone would talk about BM at a dinner table, but Hindi movies are not prone to showing their lead characters committing foolish faux pas like this.. Sircar and his gifted writer aren’t necessarily on his character’s side all the time and there’s something refreshing about that.
Spoilers*
The movie alluded to some taboo/different subjects : pre marital sex, daughter taking care of parent instead of sons, women marrying multiple times.
[I literally just got back from Piku. I’ll have more to say on it at another point but I absolutely loved the movie! It was perfect throughout. Liked everything about the movie from the tonal consistency to the visuals of the second half to the flawless casting to the sharp dialog to the overall impressive effort on Sircar’s part (easily his best film). I could go on. And you know I’m a very hard to please fan when it comes to you. But this was very well done on your part. A role and film that I can instantly put up with your best in this late season of your career. And incidentally loved all the Bangla sprinkled throughout. Even otherwise this is one of the best contemporary efforts of the Hindi industry. Very well done throughout. And it’s much harder to pull this off sometimes when the subject isn’t otherwise a hugely ambitious one. Anyway I whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone and would go further and say that no one ought to miss it in the theater. Just the Calcutta visuals in the second half make this necessary. There are so many superb moments in the film but if I could just pick one I’d have to nominate your brief cycling bit in the second half. It really condensed the film in some ways. It’s easily Deepika Phadukone’s best outing and Irrfan Khan was super in a sort of anchor part (his deadpan was hugely effective amidst all the craziness!). Congrats on the success. You and the film and everyone associated with it deserve every bit.]
It deals with the aftermath of a plumbing system going bust in a Calcutta building. Consequently no one is able to flush out anything. The waste just starts piling up! In the story it’s of course a kind of symptom for all kinds of cultural and political decay. But it’s also a rather humorous effort.]
“…. but if I could just pick one I’d have to nominate your brief cycling bit in the second half.”
This was a really wonderful moment. A joy to watch, I’m glad you highlighted it. It’s the kind of thing that a director who’s a fan of Bachchan might drop into a movie without thinking about how it fits into the big picture of the film, but Sircar’s biggest service to Bachchan is perhaps that he’s given him a character that’s placed very precisely within the tone he’s created. So few directors have done that for this giant in his late phase, so few have been this thoughtful. In fact more often than not young directors have been more concerned with paying tribute to his powers than with utilizing them, and helping them evolve.
Hope you write something on this for sure, perhaps more interested in this than Kanmani which is saying something for a Ratnam fan!
Piku
One of the biggest/real strengths is the writing here by Juhi who inserts nuances onto the i. The fact that this writing coupled with a competent director can create what appears such a ‘standout’ film in Bollywood highlights the relatively poor pervasive standards. (Though somebody has pointed out this may have been lifted from Austen!!)
It’s certainly a film much better than I expected. But not as mind blowing either (as being claimed by many here). There are multiple ‘opportunities’ wherein the maker could enter genuinely special zones but there’s too much of stress on this recent tendency of ‘diluting’ moments in the interest of flow, crispness & lack of ‘melo/doramedy’.
Irrfan is v good but tends to under act at times. Amitabh Bachchan is truly a COLOSSUS, a GIANT on WORLD cinema. Even he borders on overplaying at times and could have just toned it down one notch.
But it seems Bachchan was HELD BACK at times by an UNDER DEVELOPED role which seemed deliberately under written at times, this not being HIS film after all
There are shades bachchan could have given (& he is more than capable of delivering those knock out punches!) but there was a reluctance on both the writer, director and perhaps even bachchan himself to go beyond.
As for deepika –have a lot to say about her and this role but, well, maybe laters. -This will be a very well liked film, will cross 50 easily and likely 75 and may even skirt 85/90 cr domestic net. Families will love it but above all deepikas role may well become the POSTER GIRL of ‘modern’ INDIAN FEMINISTS –will resist more on that as of now ..
Somehow had similar feelings at points in some v good films. For eg PK. I do get sometimes this URGE to take over and CORRECT those ‘mistakes’.
Ps: these ‘mistakes’ are only relative ..the movie is certainly v good but falls just short of that ‘special” category…(for me)
Will add a note about most reviewers & bloggers here and elsewhere
Most can see white, black
And only v few shades of grey
(Forget fifty!)
Ps: so in a way, the maker has succeeded since what’s the use if going any deeper or upping the scales of grey when even the most ‘discerning’ are content with just the hint of grey
Ps2: the mention of FSoG here was totally incidental but one that truly exposes the lacunae of range and the competence not only in the maker but also amongst the ‘best’ of the reviewer…
Akshay Kumar set to gift 200 Cr to Hindi Film industry in first 5 months of 2015
– Naveen 10:50:00 am IST
At a time when other stars are trying to gain weight (how difficult that is…gosh) and learn Haryanvi, working on their Christmas releases, fighting court cases for their wrong doings and culpable homicides of men and animals,
AKSHAY KUMAR has colly netted 160Cr in 2015 and is set to close on 200 Cr. With two more movies to go, he has emerged as Hindi Film Industry ka tyohaar.
If one talks about the quality, then here too Akshay makes a killing. Both the movie enjoys extraordinary rating in imdb with over 8, surpassing the last two movies done by other stars.
Earlier media used to rate stars based on opening, only to realize that it is easy to open big if a star does one film at a time. This Mercedes Benz model of filmmaking becomes a Honda model if the quality sucks, despite the big opening.
Everyone knows that a cloudburst is not as useful as a sedate consistent monsoon. Akshay Kumar belongs to the latter category. His films are like India ka tyohaar – happening in every season.
After scoring a sixer in Baby and Gabbar is Back, he is set to rock with Brothers (Independence Day release) and Singh is Blingg (Oct 2 release). With an opening week of 60Cr guaranteed for each film, Akshay is set to cross Rs 400Cr nett in 2015.
I would agree with this article. Akshay’s recent choice of films has been good and he is very important for the industry. 4 films a year netting close to 400cr is commendable. Gabbar is all set to be a clean hit. Baby was a above average/semi-hit.
Naveen: Sorry. I do not share your euphoria. While saying Akshay Kumar has gifted the industry 200 cr, one has to also state how much the industry had invested in these films. Going by reports, lose to 160 cr was invested in the two films. Compare that with say Aamir Khan where the invrestment of 80 cr brings in 340 cr ( I am not even adding the international recepts). So who is bringing tyohar to Hindi films?
Utkal, By cost i hope you mean Distributors cost.
I do not think distributor’s cost of Akshay Kumar movie (80cr, as mentioned by you) and Aamir khan movie (80Cr as mentioned by you) can be same. Any person in business can tell you that A Merc Benz in India will always cost high but will only sell a few compared to Honda).
Why the cost gets quoted so high for an Akki film or so low for an Aamir film is a mystery. I am very happy for Aamit but i can never understand why an Akki film, which is more of a monsoon strategy, will same same as an Aamir film (which is more of a cloudburst strategy)
Realistically, i think if Aamir movie sells at 80Cr, then Akki’s movie should sell at 45-55 Cr. So i think what is quoted in media and what distributors actually pay are not same.
‘Why the cost gets quoted so high for an Akki film or so low for an Aamir film is a mystery.’ There is no mystery there. An Aamir film like PK can be made almost at the same production cost as an Akki film like Baby or Gabbar and can earn 6 times as much globally. That’s what matters to any industry any VC – Return on Investment.
So you are considering production cost? 🙂
That’s why i asked if we are in the same page as cost – Distributors cost or Production cost. You very well know that Distribution cost is what decided if a film is a hit or not.
Shilpi Sharma, once the live-in partner of singer-actor Kamaal Khan, opened up to Mumbai Mirror about how the prime witness in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case vanished overnight, selling off the flat they shared and leaving her shattered. “He used to be disturbed about the case. He’d get agitated if I mentioned the hit-and-run case, so I never probed. I got to know him two years after the incident and the unspoken rule was that we’d never talk of it,” the report quoted Shilpi. The two met in 2004 on the sets of Rahul Rawail’s Jo Bole So Nihaal.The film marked the acting debut of both Kamaal and Shilpi, though he was already an established singer by then. “We were both starting our acting careers together and instantly connected. He was quite charming and I soon fell madly in love,” reminisced Shilpi.
The former actress admitted that days before Kamaal disappeared, the fights had become frequent. “We fought but there was an attempt to maintain stability. But one day, late in 2008, I woke up to find that Kamaal was gone. I was shocked! It took me days, even months, to come to terms with the fact. I haven’t been in a relationship since though my parents now insist that I should get married,” said an emotional Shilpi. “Kamal’s sudden disappearance caused me great embarrassment since I’d given up film offers to be with him. Maybe he had reasons. In a weird way, it gave me closure but also shattered my faith in men and relationships,” she admitted, insisting she hasn’t followed the Salman Khan trial. “Kamaal’s disappearance is as big a mystery to me as it is to anyone else. I hope he’s living a happy life. I’m trying to,” the report concluded quoting Shilpi.
Naveen: Return on Investment from 4 hit films is usually more than from 1 blockbuster. No. Not necessarily. And Akshay’s films are not even Hit. They are so called Plus or Recovery or Flop. Ans to production or distribution cost, take any figure, and do the math for Akshay’s last 4 films and the last one film of Aamir, Salman, and Shahrukh and you will see where each one stands with resoect to RoI.
So you logic of production costs is not correst because Aamit may make a film at the same cost as Akshay, but they are definitely sold at higher price. However market reports both Akshay as well as Aamit film at the same Distributor’s cost. This is a sham and cannot be true.
Now based on this, they decides profitability. So if the distributor cost quoted high for Akshay or low for Aamit, profitabilty gets a question mark. I am damn sure that Distributor cost of Akki films are quoted high or Aamit films lowere than they actually are.
[2] Return on Investment:
ROI per film or ROI per quarter? For most ROI per film is important. But for industry ROI per quarter is very important. It is to these market that Akshay plays.
Isn’t that important…of course they are. Akshay provides that.
Piku Has Good Weekend And Very Strong Trend
Monday 11 May 2015 10.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku had a good weekend of around 24.50 crore nett and the trend was very strong with extraordinary growth on Saturday and very good growth on Sunday. The trending is the best of the year barring Dum Laga Ke Haisha but that film was at very low levels and it is easier with low collections.
The business of the film was led by the major metros of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Bangalore but on Sunday multiplexes all over were good. The few single screens it has released on have not done well but that is does not matter much when multiplexes show this type of growth. The business in West Bengal is better than Gabbar Is Back released last week and that film had the biggest weekend of the year in that circuit.
It is rare that film a film taking a five crore nett opening day ends up doing an eleven crore Sunday. The film should hold well on Monday especially after the growth on Sunday as some films manage to show huge jump on Saturday but are then flat on Sunday.
The other release of the week Kuch Kuch Locha Hai was very dull with around 2.25 crore nett business over the weekend.
Top Overseas Opening Weekends – Piku Tops
Monday 11 May 2015 11.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku has done well in Overseas with the two biggest markets US/Canada and Gulf collecting very well. The weekend business in Gulf over the Thu-Sat period was $650k aporx while the figures in US/Canada will be even better. The top five Overseas openers of 2015 are as follows.
1. Piku – $2,100,000 apprx
2. Gabbar Is Back – $1,480,000
3. Baby – $1,230,000
4. Tevar – $1,070,000
5. Roy – $900,000
The film is the first film of 2015 to hit the $2 million mark. Piku will easily emerge the biggest grosser overseas as the film will do very good lifetime business in US/Canada.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 21m 21 minutes ago
Day 1: ₹ 5.32 cr … 3-day weekend: ₹ 25.22 cr … Just look at the REMARKABLE growth in the biz of #Piku. Proves yet again CONTENT is KING.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 19m 19 minutes ago
#Piku witnesses PHENOMENAL growth on Sun. Fri 5.32 cr, Sat 8.70 cr, Sun 11.20 cr. Total: ₹ 25.22 cr. India biz. Take a bow, Team #Piku.
Gabbar Is Back Set To Be Top Grosser Of Year
Monday 11 May 2015 11.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gabbar Is Back did well in its second weekend with business of around 12.75 crore nett which is a drop of around 67% from the first weekend. The total is 72 crore nett in ten days and the film is course to be the biggest grosser of 2015.
The film may even emerge the first rea hit of the year but depends as the 40 crore distributor share is there but it has to go over 45 crore to be a hit and for that it has get numbers in week three and week four. the film did get some competition from Piku from Saturday onwards but as the business in premium multiplexes was that great anyway it did not make much difference to the film.
The film is already the biggest grosser of 2015 in Rajasthan, CP Berar, CI, Nizam/ Andhra, Bihar, Assam and Orissa. Delhi/UP should also become number one by the end of the week.
And there is Bachchan, of course. In the past couple of decades there has been much talk about AB’s passage from the anti-authority hero of the 1970s, champion of the downtrodden (onscreen), to a symbol of benevolent authoritarianism himself (on and off screen). But who knew, back in the day when we were kids imagining ourselves as leather-jacketed Sikandar on the motorbike singing “Rote huay aate hain sab…”, that one day we would see the 70-year-old version of that fate-conqueror complaining that his bowel is dispensing “one small piece at a time” – and that we would STILL cheer for him. Well, fans grow older – and wiser – too.
Piku verdict-
After Utkal’s review and overwhelming bias for PIKU, I am bit shy as well as shocked to let all know that:
PIKU is an average film with excellent acting. Good watch on TV, paisa waste in theatre. It was boring in parts despite me loving movies set in Kolkata. Ending was average again. In a nut shell Paisa waste. Most likely uncle-aunty types will like it more.
Sorry AnJo if I offended anyone by saying uncle aunty types… But I really meant those who like TV serial in Zindagi channel. They look quite life like and so is PIKU.
I know one day I shall watch Zindagi channel too… But aaj nahin.
I have now read through most of the positive feedback on PIKU given in this thread. Almost 90% is about excellent acting done by Amitabh, Irfaan and Deepika and I totally agree. In my verdict above, I do mention that the movie has brilliant acting.
However very few lines are written about the movie itself. This supports my view when I say PIKU is an average film with brilliant acting.
Satyam mentioned about the cycling scene. I think that was the only scene when Amitabh was at his best. Maybe that’s the reason.
Irfan and Deepika should have been given more role together and imo the writing failed in this department. It did not do justice to any of the character and could not build on deep relationships which it was capable of.
naveen,
piku is liked by the masses,overseas has also beaten akkis gabbar is back,tell you the truth ,gabbar is back was some how awful ,watching piku tomorrow because today it was ” sold out” piku is liked by 8/10…if it was average then it would have dropped by saturday evening but it picked up by 6o% is real proof that it is an instant hit…better then gabbar is back…
Next week if I Like or don’t like Bombay Velvet then what will you say?
And FYKI, I never said PIKU is bad nor I am comparing it with any other movie.
😛
Piku has held up very well on Monday with collections set to be around 4.25 crore nett range. It will be a drop of just 10-15% from Friday. The film is looking at a 40 crore nett apprx first week.
The film has found appreciation amongst the multiplex audience especially the premium ones in the metros. The chains with the most premium multiplexes like PVR, Inox and DT look set to record more or equal footfalls to the first day as tickets rates drop on Monday but the drop in collections will be less than the ticket rate drop. These cinemas normally show the biggest falls on Monday as working day big drops in ticket rates but with Piku they have had an excellent hold.
My views on PIKU
Seems redundant to say much after what has already been said. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Very nicely done. Not overly ambitious but highly satisfying. Amitabh and Irfan are superlative and DEepika not too far behind. Definitely her best outing IMO.
Definite a lot of potty references but not at all offensive. Shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing the movie. I think it is to the directors credit that inspite of not having an abundance of blissful moments, it keeps you rewardingly engaged. Contrary to what some have suggested , it is not about a dysfunctional relationship. Hard to characterize the father- daughter relationship. It is certainly not normal but Deepika obviously cares for him while he behaves like a self absorbed kid.
The end was a little abrupt and unexpected.
This certai would not have worked with lesser performers. Amitabh has nailed it and cannot imagine anyone else being able to carry it of. It is not his film or Deepika’s. I think all three own it.
Still somewhat pleasantly surprised at the BO.
Wouldn’t have thought something like this would be so well received. Not a reflection on the film but the audience.
Bachchan mentioned elsewhere today that Zanjeer also released in May roughly around the same date as Piku. Here is once more 42 years after that film still enjoying success, still being critically lionized. Awful as it must have been to be his peer it’s perhaps even more terrible to belong to one of the generations following his. He clearly cannot dominate the box office as he did once, he clearly decided not to go down the masala circus path either but is there any star even today who seems more defining on the Bombay horizon than him?!
In our past lives we used to ‘debate’ with misguided folks about his hits today and what not. I remember saying Black followed x years after Zanjeer or Paa followed y years after the same. Well we’re still counting! And he’s still working with some of the brightest young talents.
And it should also open up the eyes and brains – in whichever order – of those folks who come up with a Ramanujan-esque genius formula of comparison – Is Rajnikanth @ 60 > = Amitabh @ 60???
the end was a bit abrupt but perhaps in keeping with the quirkiness throughout. And here what was most impressive was that Sircar completely avoided the temptation to introduce a Karan Johar ending of some sort. But you’ve characterized it perfectly. I’d just add that to pull off this sort of thing requires a skillful effort by the director and of course enough chemistry from the performers. Again agree with everything you’ve said.
Glad to see that you and GF have liked the film (hoping that the promised piece on the film will be posted in the coming days). I enjoyed this thoroughly and liked a Bachchan performance after a long, long time. I do wish though that the plot had a little more meat (one of the reasons why I preferred Ankhon Dekhi to this, was that that one never felt like a “light” film). But there is lots to enjoy here, it’s one of the rare comedies from contemporary Bollywood where the comedy is genuinely funny throughout. More than anything, Piku is an excellent comedy. Also I liked the entire Delhi (C.R. Park) ambience. With Piku and Ankhon Dekhi we have had two fine Delhi films in successive years
“the end was a bit abrupt but perhaps in keeping with the quirkiness throughout”-
True. And notice how Balki messed up the ending of Shamitabh. Found that climactic twist quite forced as well (seemed more in line with Tamil cinema than anything else)
Apart from Haider, I hope you watch the last two Mysskin films (Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum and Pisaasu, the latter was the best Tamil film of last year IMO).
The best Indian film (I haven’t seen Court) I have seen this year is Qissa though.
Piku Has Very Strong Hold On Monday
Monday 11 May 2015 23.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku has held up very well on Monday with collections set to be around 4.25 crore nett range. It will be a drop of just 10-15% from Friday. The film is looking at a 40 crore nett apprx first week.
The film has found appreciation amongst the multiplex audience especially the premium ones in the metros. The chains with the most premium multiplexes like PVR, Inox and DT look set to record more or equal footfalls to the first day as tickets rates drop on Monday but the drop in collections will be less than the ticket rate drop. These cinemas normally show the biggest falls on Monday as working day big drops in ticket rates but with Piku they have had an excellent hold.
It film will have a total of 29 crore nett after four days and this may not be a big total but is fantastic considering the opening day was just 5 crore nett.. It has done six times opening day business in four days.
100 cr was never on the cards, no popular music or absence of one crowd pulling name, it would be out of this world trending.
70 is more realistic scenario, and that would be very good trending aswell.
A real good trending these days is making 3 times of weekend business. with 24 cr weekend, if it makes 70 cr. That will be big and clean hit too.
I understand that, but I sensed a Queen kind of deal here…With a Queen kind of deal you can have a second week around 30 crores after doing a first week of 40 crores..I was quite hopeful that this will go that way..
Queen kind of trending is more possible on lower numbers and i think queen was more commercial subject with moderately popular songs.
Dum laga ke had queen kind of trending, but its first day was half of queen.
Queen was not more commercial than Piku… But was far more entertaining
However PIKU can match that figure as it is a family film and they are loving it.
And dont forget BV and TWM2 are releasing next. Every week there is a big movie for multiplex audience.
If BV clicks big time, piku will struggle to make 60 cr total.
But Somehow, i have feeling BV will sink big time.
Gabbar Is Back continued it’s decent run on it’d second Monday grossing around 1.75 crore nett. The approx first four day business of Gabbar Is Back in week two is as follows.
The second week will gross around 19 crore nett which would be highest week two collection of the year. The film will be at around 78 crore nett after two weeks.
BOI: Piku First Monday Business
Piku showed huge growth of 65% plus on Saturday which is extraordinary. It is very rare that this sort of growth happens. The first day business hardly gave the film a chance but day the phenomenal growth on day two has changed the scenario.The approx first four day business of Piku is as follows.
Happy to see piku doing well and the orgasmic celebration by feminists (pun also intended!) –it’s well deserved…
Don’t wanna spoil the ‘party’
But a contrarian view —
These are NOT my views but by some nivedita mishra
Contrarian view: What’s so ‘independent’ about Piku?
Nivedita Mishra, Hindustan Times, New Delhi| Updated: May 11, 2015 16:11 IST
First the positives about Piku–what an original screenplay and how engaging a content with so little drama! Trust Juhi Chaturvedi and Shoojit Sircar to come up with a refreshingly new story after Vicky Donor. With credible performances, Piku is definitely on its way to becoming a hit. Even the dialogues seem to come straight out of our daily lives. But, in effect, this remains a very upper middle-class urban life tale.
The film has received rave reviews for its modern and feminist portrayal of contemporary life. But is Piku really as ‘fiercely independent’ as she is made out to be? Few reasons why Piku is a privileged woman and can afford to be ‘Piku Banerjee’.
Independent, really?
Piku is introduced to us as a young independent woman living in South Delhi’s CR Park. It’s quite obvious that she is a privileged South Delhi girl from an upper middle class Bengali family. For a woman like that, isn’t it easy being ‘fiercely independent’? Does she ever have to travel in public transport (auto, DTC bus, for instance) to know what it feels to be at the receiving end of a lecher and groped by a man? Would Piku ever go house-hunting in any of the many nagars that dot the city, for instance, and expect to be told bluntly — no boyfriends allowed, no late nights? Why, even the house she lives in is her father’s. Living in a semi feudal Delhi without the cushion of wealth and the privileges can be a totally different story.
All those benign men…
Piku has some luck — how is it that she is surrounded by such benign and forever acquiescing men? Her friend and partner in the ad firm she works in, played by Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta, is almost an apologetic co-worker. Irrfan, with whom she eventually falls in love, is no lame duck but he too gives in every now and then. Hasn’t this ‘dil ki burri nahin hai’ bit been stretched? And her uncle (kaku in Kolkata) — what an apology of a character!
The only man who actually gives her the most trying time of her life is her father. Come to think of it, Amitabh Bachchan’s Bhaskor Banerjee is the real ‘feminist’ in the film — he isn’t against his daughter marrying; he detests the idea of her ‘surrendering’ her aspirations at the altar. And that’s his belief for all of womankind — doesn’t he admonish his sister-in-law in Kolkata for tamely giving in to family demands and leaving her job?
What is this canard of single-handedly managing a home?
This writer recalls reading in one of the many reviews how Piku Banerjee manages a home and job with admirable ease. Seriously? With a full-time ‘man-maid’ at the beck and call of the senior Banerjee and with a housemaid (well, one who does leave during the course of the film though), life can’t be that difficult, can it?
Without a support system, life in ‘unforgiving’ Delhi can be tough for a middle-class girl. And Piku wouldn’t know it and this is romantic cinema, after all!
Ps: lol @ all those benign (read ’emasculated’ men!)
“Krish Says:
May 11, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Slightly disappointed with this. I was expecting more than 5 crs. Now 100 crs will be difficult.”
Haha some chaps never learn…read my note above
Ps: nee-na seems interesting & who are these lead actresses?
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 5h5 hours ago
Really enjoyed Bombay Velvet. Such a well made film. Well done Anurag, Ranbir, @AnushkaSharma, Kay Kay, Satyadeep and @TheVivaanShah
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 5h5 hours ago
Everything about the film is pitch perfect.Every department.Such a joy to see,but not as much a joy as seeing @karanjohar make a full debut!
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 5h5 hours ago
Add Actor to the Bio KJ. You are the surprise of BV. Biggest hug.
“These are NOT my views but by some nivedita mishra”
Spoilers *
And by the way just curious —why the heck doesn’t deepu I mean piku drive on her own ??
The other curiosity-I missed it since busy with some thing else
In Varanasi when rana was allowed in by deepika, did they sleep 2gether? Missed that bit…..
By the way to all Pseudo LIBERALS especially like utkal uncle, ‘satyam’, ‘sanjana’ who protest at the drop of the hat over trivial things like protests over movies —
Having loved the director’s debut film “Anhe Ghore Da Daan” (which I will recommend quite strongly), I am really looking forward to this. The film is set during the Sikh separatist movement of the 1980s and has been selected to be screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year
#BombayVelvet – very entertaining with strong performances from all, special mention for #ManishChoudhry, AK goes Tommy 2 guns blazing .
AK shows versatility as a film maker
Big thumbs up to my men Vasan Bala & Thani Mudaliar for an engaging & entertaining screenplay.
Box Office India was the first one to tell you that Amitabh Bachchan has asked Sujoy Ghosh to cast Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bachchan in a film. We hear the director has started working on the script and will soon meet senior Bachchan for a narration. We have also heard that the director has already narrated the story to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has allotted his dates from October as before that he has to finish Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Raees. Nawaz wants to give his 100 per cent to the Bachchan starrer. Siddiqui is taking keen interest in every aspect of this film as he wants to make it his best performance so far.
Saw Rehasya and Dum Laga key Heshiya..
Rehasya is a very well narrated movie, KK and Tisca are too good,,,, Tisca looks super namkeen in those eye wear.
Dum laga key is kind of Ankho Dekhi part 2, superb in parts
Me and my wife both had the question- that in which small town in UP in Nineties- it would have been possible to have the kind of pratiyogita that they showed in the movie- Patnee ko choo toh saktey nahee sabkey saamney, yahan toh kandhey par utha kar bhaag rahey hain !!!
Munna Bhai and Saurabh zara prakash daalo ???
I was more shocked at the dialogue “ab ladka sayana ho gaya hai” mom and aunt, listening outside the married son’s bedroom…which UP town is that one from?
I googled instead.
Sandas was the Anatolian (Hittite) lion god during the Classical period. He used to be represented in association with a horned lion, and often resided inside a pyre surmounted by an eagle. Sandan was often associated to the Greek god Herakles, and sometimes to Marduk. In ceremonies, an image of the god was placed inside a pyre and was set on fire.
Anurag Kashyap @anuragkashyap72 · 19h 19 hours ago
The retwwets aside, Saw “Piku” today, what an awesome awesome film.. Brilliant writing @writeonj and what filmmaking @ShoojitSircar
sujoy ghosh @sujoy_g
· May 11
can’t get over @irrfan_k reaction to @SrBachchan rambling on about his dad & @deepikapadukone reaction when irrfan scolds AB. priceless PIKU
The remarkable thing about Piku is I really haven’t come across anyone at all who’s truly disliked it. But secondly this film has struck a chord, rather unexpectedly. It’s not just about the numbers here, which are of course very impressive on their own.
It is a good watch. It has an emotional connect. It resonates with each one of us because our parents in someway are like that. It is about “loving your parents” but in non-Joharish way 😉
Nina Arora (wrote a couple of screenplays) put this up on facebook on ‘Piku’.
“Principal actors Amitabh, Deepika and Moushmi belong to the “projection” school so, shine, engage.
Irrfan glows like a solitary candle in the dark. Neither does he look in awe of Mr Bachchan nor does he try to upstage him. Neither does he look thrilled to bits in his first romantic role opposite a top heroine (saala main tho hero ban gaya) nor does he stand out like an arty sore thumb. He just is.
Chaudhury, an iconoclast, covering up his quiet, muddled inner world with methodical cynicism until a collision with the external world, the mad, mad, mad world of Piku explodes the walls between his inner and outer worlds. And suddenly, it seems perfectly natural to stand on the threshold of possibilities, not quite inside the gate as yet but not an outsider any more either. The last scene is just brilliant.
I think the story is told from Chaudhury’s pov tho not for a moment does he thrust that down your gullet. Yes, Irrfan’s unobtrusive incandescence is easy to take for granted in a bright, noisy frame but long after you’ve met the eccentric Bangalee brigade, laughed out loud, understood them perfectly, you want to know more about the much-left-unsaid trio of Chaudhury, Doctor and Budhhan.
Felt very moved and nostalgic about all things Bengalee, parent-child complexities, a girl who screams because she cares too much to give up but is human enough to resent the emotional blackmail. Calcutta- oh shucks is that a tram? – Shoojit’s Benhalee sensitivity, sensibilitiies saved from self-conscious superscliousness by his sense of humour (“are you sure you’re not Bengalee?” As a supreme compliment!!!) – moved me deeply in the last half hour.
I won’t say its a great movie, certainly not as good as Vicky Donor but I will say that Shoojit Sircar and Juhi Chaturvedi are today’s Hrishikesh Mukherjee-Gulzar combo.
Juhi Chaturvedi is, of course the revelation of this century- easily the best writer in Hindi films. Thinking how to get her autograph.”
Very interesting perspective from Nina Arora. In fact, it is the major, major strength of the film, this perfectly balanced triangle made up of Bahskor Banerjee, Piku and Rana Chadhury, each carrying its own weight and significance and inner universe.
Acceptance, is the bedrock of every relationship. Acceptance demands emotional maturity to put up with the moods and vagaries of the other. Vagaries could be manifold, emotional upheavals, irrationality, over reactions and inconvenient physical infirmity. We believe we can choose relationships that would not demand acceptance, for its viability, but this does not happen. With house comes landlord, with spouse comes in-laws, with job comes boss, with bank interest comes TDS. Moreover, we can’t choose parents and siblings and it takes two and half decades, for most sensible parents to realise how thankless, parenting enterprise was. Acceptance should not be misconstrued as compromise, as acceptance is unconditional, compromise isn’t. Acceptance strengthens our character compromise makes us hollow, meek. And it is only through this unconditional acceptance one comes upon this elusive, precious, human emotion, love.
Piku is a tale of struggles of a young, sassy, uninhibited daughter to accept the idiosyncrasies of her self-obsessed, hypochondriac, unreasonable yet endearing, aging father. Piku, the eponymous protagonist, is concious of responsibilities that are expected from a daughter. She wants to fulfill them with the best of her abilities. But, with a incorrigible father it’s not easy for her to accomplish this task, of putting up with his impetuousness, though she remains determined. The movie applauds her for this very determination. As the movie progresses, it brings in a new entrant, an unbiased observant, who provides their love-hate relationship, a fresh perspective. And unknowingly and seamleassly a new relationship brews between him and Piku. The unknowingness of their sublime love is so reminiscent of Faiz’s masterpiece couplet, in which he likens himself to barren land, in which budding flowers, go unnoticed, during spring.*
The movie portrays the chemistry, between each of these characters, in a charming, believable style, with which the audience can easily relate. The characters do not put up, a polished veneer, that most film scripts expect from their actors, facing the camera. Similar to what we do, when a guest walks into our home, amidst domestic brawl. But at places, their conversions get tad puerile making this candidness looks contrived. This is, perhaps, only failing in an otherwise, well scripted, slice of life, flick.
Piku’s world is quintessentially Bengali. Pictures of their revered masters (Tagore and Ramkrishna Pramhans) and garish (à la Jamini Roy) paintings adorning their walls , filigree rangolied floor, pastel shade houses, well carved four poster beds with bolsters, take you straight within a traditional Bengali house. And her family is as boisterous and warm, as Bengalis are. The movie captures the flavours of Kolkata and Chitranjan Park, Delhi, quiet remarkably. This, anyway, would have been expected from this fine Bengali director, hailing from Barrackpore, Kolkata. You could feel the pungency of mustard oil tinged, Jhal-Muri and sweetness of Miti-Doi and subtleness of date-jaggery made Gude-Sandesh, throughout the film.
Irafan Khan and Deepika, both, could effortlessly slip get into the skin of their characters. You never like the constipated Amitabh as Piku’s father, but that is what he was meant to be, a non likeable character. So were Irfan’s family members. The movies background score, light Indian classical based intumental melodies, all along the film, kept the film’s mood, lively, as that is what the this film was meant to be, lively.
A truly lively experience!
————————————————-
* Raat yun dil mein teri, khoyi hui yaad aayi
Jaise viraane mein chupke se bahaar aa jaye
Jaise sahraon mein haule se chale baad-ae-naseem
Jaise bimaar ko be-wajaah quraar aa jaaye
*Last night your faded memory came to me
As in the wilderness spring comes, quietly,
As, slowly, in the desert, moves the breeze,
As, to a sick man, without cause, comes peace.
true it became even more improbable after that. I was never worried as such but I wasn’t happy with those second and third Bayern goals relatively quickly.
Great to see PIKU doing well. Was travelling and got a chance to see it in Northern Virginia in a packed theater in Sterling. Enjoyed the movie and gave me a glimpse of Hrishikesh Mukherjee/BB style of film making, simple and engaging. Will go on to do well and win awards i hope.
The film is heading for a 39-40 crore nett first week and with weekdays showing strong trend it should hold well in week two despite release of Bombay Velvet though weaker competition could have really pushed the business further.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders Summoned by Enforcement Directorate
All India | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: May 13, 2015 13:45 IST
MUMBAI: Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricket franchise has reportedly been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged forex violations.
Sources say the management of the Indian Premier League team has been asked to appear for questioning by this month-end on allegations that shares were undervalued. Mr Khan’s co-owners in the franchise are his wife Gauri, industrialist Jai Mehta and his wife, actor Juhi Chawla.
Mr Khan’s office has denied receiving any notice from the directorate. Any notice, his manager said, would go to KKR and not individuals.
The 49-year-old star was questioned four years ago in Mumbai on money illegally flowing into the multimillion dollar cricket league from foreign tax havens during the second season.
Sources say the actor was then asked to submit documents relating to the buying of players, advertising, revenue and the share holding pattern of his franchise.
No Smoking ticker from first frame to last in Bombay VelvetBy Bollywood Hungama News Network, May 13, 2015 – 11:19 hrs IST
Anurag Kashyap who fought tooth and nail to remove the mandatory anti-smoking warnings from his last film and was even willing to go all the way to the Supreme Court to prevent the statutory anti-smoking warnings from making their way into his film has agreed to let the anti-smoking ticker play throughout his new film Bombay Velvet.
A reliable source from the censor board informs, “Bombay Velvet is set in the 1960s when smoking was considered fashionable in society and in films. The film is shot in smoky clubs with one or the other character constantly lighting up a cigarette. In terms of the smoky ambience Bombay Velvet is like Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar or Chetan Anand’s Taxi Driver… Considering the number of times the characters light up in Bombay Velvet it would have been very distracting to have the anti-smoking ticker coming and going… far less distracting to just have the warning playing continuously in a small corner.”
On the other hand we also hear that Siddharth Basu who was seen playing the role of Robin Dutt in John Abraham’s film Madras Cafe will be seen playing an important character in Bombay Velvet. While casting director Mukesh Chhabra will be seen doing a cameo in the film. However details of their roles are still unavailable.
Trisha Gupta’s Mumbai Mirror column on ‘Piku’ – Slice of life, served warm
By the time you read this, you would have heard and watched the PR machinery grinding away for days, anointing director Shoojit Sircar as the new Hrishikesh Mukherjee. While this is only a symptom of how desperate we are for labels (and maybe of how much we secretly miss ‘Hrishi Da’), Sircar has done something that counts as a rather fun tribute to Mukherjee. He’s taken Bachchan’s original quick-tempered, reserved 30-year-old Bhaskar Banerjee of Anand (1971), and aged him into the crabbily eccentric, garrulous 70-year-old Bhaskor Banerjee of Piku. More amusingly, the hypochondria of richer patients like Asit Sen’s Seth Chandranath, that so annoyed Bachchan as a young doctor in Anand, has now become his own. The new old Bhaskor, nursing his boxful of homeopathic tablets as close as his now-generous paunch, lives in Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park and spells his first name with a deliberately underlined Bengali ‘o’. (That ‘o’ is a sign for you to wonder: did Amitabh Bachchan make a better Bengali when he wasn’t trying so hard to play one?)
This is Sircar’s second cinematic take on Dilli Bangalis. The first, Vicky Donor (2012), which still remains his finest film by far, had Ayushman Khurrana’s persistent Lajpat Punjabi boy woo Yami Gautam’s gently dignified Ashima Roy, resulting in wedding negotiations that bring out each community’s most ungenerous view of the other: superior, killjoy Bengalis believe they’re being forced to deal with moonhphat money-minded Punjabis — and vice versa. But despite Sircar’s penchant for broad stereotype, his affection for his characters shone through, as it does in Piku.
Here, Sircar seems to suggest that Padukone is a Delhi girl, her Bengaliness expressed as culture and not as language—note the scene where she dismisses a potential suitor for not having watch any Ray films. But even if she were cast as a Hauz Khas Enclave girl instead of a Chittaranjan Park one, Padukone’s Bangaliyana would be too little, and Bachchan’s too much. Still, despite Bachchan’s overdone accent, I didn’t completely cringe at the jaanishes that occasionally punctuate the father-daughter conversations. And drawing my half-Bengali self up to the full height of its limited authority, I shall vouch for the joyful appropriateness of both the Bangla song references: the playfully romantic Hemanta-Sandhya Mukherjee song from the Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen classic Saptapadi (1961) ‘Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoye’ [‘What if this road were to never end’], which Bhaskor breaks into on their already interminable road journey, and Manna Dey’s cheerful ‘Jeebone ki paabo na, bhulecchi shey bhabona’ [‘What I won’t find in life, I’ve stopped thinking about that’] to which a tipsy Bhaskor shakes a leg in much the spirit of Soumitra Chatterjee’s original twist in the 1969 film Teen Bhuboner Paarey.
But the Bengaliness in Piku is at its best when least remarked upon: such as the fact that ‘Piku’ is what Padukone’s character is known by, not just to family and friends, but pretty much to everyone. Colleagues and cowering taxi drivers alike call her Piku Madam, anointing with respectable publicness what would otherwise be *just* a nickname. There is probably a long and impressive bhalo naam, but it’s so long and impressive that no-one ever uses it. I also loved the non-underlined way in which Sircar uses a ridiculous battle over a knife: it was about an old man’s stubbornness, but it was also a gentle suggestion that what Hindi belt masculinity might consider a way of keeping safe (having a weapon in the car) is, to the Bengali bhadralok, a source of clear and present danger. Another aspect of Bengaliness that the film quietly demonstrates is the family conversation as argument, with people quite happy to cut across each other and squabble joyfully over pointless things. (I must mention here that Moushumi Chatterjee, as Piku’s aunt Chhobi Mashi, is an absolute gem. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this grown-up, un-coy version of the actress in two wonderful Aparna Sen films, The Japanese Wife and Goynar Baksho, and I’m waiting for Hindi cinema to give her a truly meaty role to sink her teeth into.)
What’s best about Piku, though, is not its droll Bengaliness, or its unending succession of alimentary conversations (which are not half as bad as I expected, and even contain some useful homespun wisdom on bowel-clearing from Irrfan Khan’s fantastically wry Rana). It is the film’s affecting ability to draw out our complicated feelings about our parents—the frustration at their embarrassing quirks, the reversal of positions that becomes inevitable as they age, and the fierce protectiveness with which we guard them from the criticisms of others. Piku’s combination of annoyance and amusement, of being weighed down and standing tall alone, will strike a chord with every middle-aged person who’s taken care of an irritable parent (often a parent irritable at having to be taken care of).
There is also the un-heavy-handed, thoroughly endearing way the film deals with the subject of ageing and death. Irrfan, playing a taxi company owner who ends up driving Bhaskor, Piku and their Man Friday Budhan (the servants in this film could do with a separate column) to Calcutta, gets some of the best lines: “Tapak gaye toh Banaras jaisi koi jagah nahin,” he announces as they drive past the city Hindus consider the holiest place to die. But to see how to meet death with a twinkle in your eye, you have to see the film. Perhaps it is an Anand homage, after all.
Karan Johar @karanjohar May 8
140 characters to describe the most wonderful film I have seen this year is not enough…#Piku is all heart and stomach…..and so much more
I set aside my misgivings about the crass humour and watched Piku yesterday. I enjoyed the exquisitely crafted, three-dimensional characters and the stellar performances but not much else. Piku was such a lovingly detailed character, embellished with several humanising touches that we so rarely see in our heroines and Deepika brought her to life beautifully. Irrfan played Rana with his signature understated elegance, providing a much needed reprieve from the fiery abrasiveness of the other two leads.
As for Bhaskor, I appreciated that they don’t take the easy way out and turn him into a filmi father. My problem is that the film was a little *too* convincing in showing him to be a irascible, selfish and rather insecure old man. Bachchan’s exuberantly prickly performance would have been hilarious if Bhaskor was meant to be little more than a comic relief curmudgeon. But considering that he is a central protagonist of a father-daughter story, I thought Bachchan could have portrayed Bhaskor with a (much) softer touch, infusing the role with a little more vulnerability and grace.
The claustrophobia of Piku’s life, with her father’s whinging voice following her around the house and his insalubrious updates constantly impinging on her work was quite exhausting to watch. She might seem independent on the surface, but the fact remains that she largely acquiesced to her father’s extremely unreasonable behaviour. Not that this behaviour is surprising in itself: filial piety is perhaps the most fundamental value of any Indian and it often puts people in tricky situations because parents aren’t always the paragons of selfless virtues that they are supposed to me.
To showcase this flawed side to a parent-child bond could have been a refreshing diversion from the norm. Alas, the film doesn’t go the full distance and takes an ultimately sentimental view of Piku and Bhaskor’s relationship, wanting us to believe that he is a roguish but immensely loveable man. I would have enjoyed the film a good deal more had it taken a Little Miss Sunshine sort of approach where it revelled in the fallibles of its characters and the dysfunctionality of their relationships. And so, my search for an enjoyable Bollywood father-daughter story continues…
On a side note, I certainly wouldn’t call Bhaskor a feminist. The film quite strongly implies that his protestations against Piku marrying and serving her husband were purely selfish, in that he’d rather she remained single and serve him instead. I don’t see what’s feminist about this, especially when Piku wants to get married and is clearly intelligent enough to make decisions for herself. And his presumptuous dismissal of any woman who chooses to stay at home with her children as ‘Low IQ’ was an unnecessary cheap shot.
“But considering that he is a central protagonist of a father-daughter story, I thought Bachchan could have portrayed Bhaskor with a (much) softer touch, infusing the role with a little more vulnerability and grace.”
“To showcase this flawed side to a parent-child bond could have been a refreshing diversion from the norm. Alas, the film doesn’t go the full distance and takes an ultimately sentimental view of Piku and Bhaskor’s relationship, wanting us to believe that he is a roguish but immensely loveable man. I would have enjoyed the film a good deal more had it taken a Little Miss Sunshine sort of approach where it revelled in the fallibles of its characters and the dysfunctionality of their relationships.”
Aren’t you contradicting yourself.
As you have observed rightly in the first sentence quoted Bhaskor has been shown as a selfish, manipulative character with nothing particularly lovable about his. Yet Deepika loves him..sort of. That is the dysfunctional relationship. Why does it have to be like Little Miss Sunshine. This is an Indian original, an Indian take on dysfunctional father-daughter relationship.
No, I’m not contradicting myself. I’m saying that EITHER Bhaskor should have had more redeeming characteristics and the film could have been a fun, quirky family-bonding movie OR the film should keep Bhaskor the way he is but take a less feel-good approach.
As it stands, it doesn’t use the saccharine, melodramatic idiom of a KJo movie but it’s central message is still the same…it’s all about loving (and tolerating) your parents, regardless of how badly they behave. I’m not saying Deepika had to abandon her father or anything drastic like that, but the film could have dealt a little more with the dysfunctionality in their relationship rather than just passing it off as a loveable quirk of a grumpy old man.
I wasn’t satisfied with the resolution to their relationship and I felt like the film itself was undecided on how it viewed Bhaskor. But again, this is just my personal opinion, Bachchan’s character didn’t resonate with me but I can see why people enjoyed the film as much as they did. The character detailing really was exquisite and as GF noted, the film felt so lived-in, and the Piku is such a well thought out character.
ABCD 2, a Disney franchise, featuring Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor in lead is all set to release on 19th June. The ABCD 2 team are putting in all efforts to make this Dance movie a big Blockbuster!
Releasing the official songs one after another is one of the promotional strategies to keep the curiosity in the masses. Today, the second song of ABCD 2, titled as ‘Sun Saathiya’ is released.
SATYAMSHOT 
May 7, 2015 at 6:44 AM
Still like this song (and the video) a lot-
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May 7, 2015 at 9:14 AM
Curious about the word on this. Haven’t been following the trailers and such but I’m in it for Irfan and Bachchan’s first onscreen pairing.
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May 7, 2015 at 9:46 AM
Here is an early review on the film. Seems the film is pretty much in Vicky Donor territory (in terms of the “feel good” vibe), I had enjoyed VD but I was something more substantial here. But this still seems to be worth watching in the theatre (how many Bollywood films deal with a father-daughter relationship)-
http://www.gulfnews.com/entertainment/film-cinema/film-review-piku-1.1506745
Film Review: Piku
Talk of bowel movement dominates ‘Piku’, but Deepika Padukone’s drama doesn’t stink
By Manjusha Radhakrishnan Senior Reporter
May 7, 2015
“Piku, led by Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, is the movie equivalent of having a warm bowl of chicken soup on a nippy night. It may be comfort food that warms you all over, but you are certain that the broth won’t have unexpected twists or shock your system in any way.
Similar feelings envelope you when you watch director Shoojit Sircar’s Piku, a tale that chronicles the dependant relationship between a demanding 70-year-old father Bhashkor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) and his accommodating daughter, Piku (Padukone). The majority of their banter and interaction revolve around Bhashkor’s bowel movement, or the lack of it. But Sircar and the actors should take a bow for not reducing all that potty talk into something foul. It’s endearing, at first. But let’s face it. There are more riveting topics to discuss in this world. So I found myself agreeing vociferously with cab owner Rana Chaudhry (Irrfan Khan) who points out that the old man should take a break from tying emotions raging through his body to his bowel motions. It’s a valid point, especially since there was so much meat to be culled out from the budding friendship between Rana and Piku.
Both Khan and Padukone have done a tremendous job of making their characters lovable and real. They are quirky, but they don’t let those eccentricities overwhelm them. However, the film does appear constipated at some points. For instance the family road trip undertaken by Piku, her dad, the house help and a reluctant driver (Khan) from Delhi to Kolkota is ripe with opportunities, but the movie never explores that Piku-Rana tangent. That’s a shame because that would have elevated Piku to a superbly satisfying film.
Bachchan goes through the motions of playing Bhashkor with his usual alacrity. Barring his ill-fitting wig, the scene in which he introduces his daughter as an emotionally and sexually independent woman is hilarious. It’s his crafty bid to shoo away a potential suitor and it just makes you smile. He’s unapologetically selfish — a far cry from those sacrificing, indulgent dads that we have been accustomed to in some Bollywood romances.
Finally, there’s a Bollywood movie that doesn’t present an hyperbolic pitch-perfect image of a father and his daughter. Just like any regular — dysfunctional to an outsider — family, they fight, make-up and move on in life. Padukone and Bachchan are naturals as they display an over-familiarity that only family members who live together can display.
But that’s not to say that Piku is flawless. It’s no cliffhanger — the film puts a smile on your face primarily because of the collective prowess of its principal cast. In the second half, Piku almost becomes an ode to Kolkota and its old-world charm. It’s brightest moments, however, are the scenes featuring Khan and Padukone.
Watch Piku if you are in the mood to watch a movie that’s all heart. There are no larger-than-life heroes, dramatic transformations or neatly-tied endings. Still, Piku works its magic because it steers clear from the usual trappings”
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May 7, 2015 at 10:13 AM
As expected, looks a completely niche and multi-plexy film. Don’t see much business here unless the middle-aged and people north of 50 show up in the theater.
I am curious to see how Bachchan plays, probably, the most ‘unglamorized’ role of his post-KBC career. He will essentially be playing what Utpal Dutt played in Mukherjee’s films.
Utpal, however, remains the GOLD standard for me when it comes to portraying cantankerous oldies..
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May 7, 2015 at 1:21 PM
PIKU is receiving praise from every one, extremely positive tweets so far ….. even guys who hardly like any bollywood movie praising this one. Looks like Shoojit made really good entertainer.
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May 7, 2015 at 3:12 PM
Good to know..hope it makes money…
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May 8, 2015 at 3:07 AM
I think it will….This might be the Queen this year…Do not be surprised if this touches 60 – 70 crs..The only issue is next weeks big release..
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May 8, 2015 at 10:21 AM
There is a good jump in the evenings here. It might actually end up doing a Queen after all. And if BV is not great, I might rule out a big number here…First day looks like 5 crores now…
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May 8, 2015 at 10:21 AM
I meant to say, I might NOT rule out a big number above
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May 7, 2015 at 5:50 PM
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA –
There have been many iconic Bollywood films set in Bengal like DEVDAS, CHOKHER BALI, PARINEETA, KAHAANI etc. And now getting deeper into the beautiful Bengali world is this week’s release PIKU, which is set in a typical Bengali household. Will this film prove to be as iconic as its ‘predecessors’, lets analyze.
The film starts off with a day in the life of the Delhi based Piku (Deepika Padukone), whose world revolves around her architectural office, her colleague Sayyed Afroze (Jishu Sengupta) and her father ever-so-doting father Bhaskhor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan). Life is absolutely monotonous for her. While her day starts off with her office and ends with her ever-worried-about-constipation father Bhaskhor. Despite all her efforts to brainwash him off the same, he refuses to budge. That’s why she compromises with the existing situation, which also means that she has to cancel a lunch date in order to attend to her ‘mentally constipated’ father’s constant SOS. Just when life is moving in a monotonous manner for the Banerjee family, a sudden decision to travel to Kolkata springs up. Because Bhaskhor rules out the possibility of travelling by air or train citing his constipated problems, the family decides to go on a road trip to Kolkata. One the other hand, due to lack of ‘availability’ of any driver, the owner of a rental taxi service Rana Chaudhary (Irrfan Khan) decides to drive the car himself. It is during this trip that Piku and her father realize a few bitter facts about life and about each other, courtesy, Rana, who doesn’t believe in mincing words when it comes to calling a spade a spade. It is during this journey that a romantic tension develops between Piku and Rana. But when they reach Kolkata, a tragedy strikes the Banerjee household, which, not only changes the entire course of Piku’s life, but also brings the entire Banerjee household to a standstill. What is this tragedy that strikes them, will Piku ever be able to find love and does Bhaskhor ultimately find a solution to his constipation is what forms the rest of the film.
Since the film comes from the stable of the ‘thinking man’s director’ Shoojit Sircar and the ‘thinking man’s writer’ Juhi Chaturvedi (best known for Vicky Donor), the film holds immense promise/ potential as the whole. One has to applaud the way in which Shoojit has handled the sweet and simple tale of PIKU. This film will definitely go down as one of the films in his repertoire that demands a superlative applause. After VICKY DONOR, MADRAS CAFE and now with PIKU, Shoojit proves his supremacy as a storyteller. Even though the film is good in overall perspective, the climax is sudden and does seem to be left incomplete.
As far as the acting is concerned, this being an author backed role, no prizes for guessing as to it is Deepika Padukone who leads the show from all the fronts. One has to applaud this girl for making all the right choices in her career as far as her film selections are concerned. To stand up to the stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan is no mean achievement and Deepika successfully does that and how! All in all, she is excellent, sincere and shows immense growth as an actor. Despite his ever-so-towering persona, Amitabh Bachchan, on the other hand, is as down-to-earth as down-to-earth can get! Even though you will not find ‘THE’ Amitabh Bachchan and his famous mannerisms and baritone, you will be really shocked and surprised to see him in a new light. His behavior and mannerisms as a Bengali old man are simply outstanding. As for Irrfan Khan, there is no denying the fact that he is truly brilliant in his part. Despite the ‘odd pairing’ with Deepika, his onscreen chemistry with her and her family in the film really crackles up all the scenes. His interactions with Amitabh Bachchan are totally hilarious. The film also sees the ‘return’ of the ever-charming Moushumi Chatterjee back on the silver screen. In no way, has she lost the magic of her ‘simplistic approach’ towards her roles. She is an absolute endearing delight to watch in the film. The other actors like Jishu Sengupta and Raghuveer Yadav help the film in moving forward.
Since it’s a simple film, the music of the film is also expected to be simple. And the film’s music director Anupam Roy delivers just that. Even though there are not any chartbusting tracks in the film, the music of the film helps as a major driving force in the film’s progress. While the film’s cinematography (Kamaljeet Negi) is beautiful, the film’s editing (Chandrashekhar Prajapati) is crisp. A special mention to the film’s costume designer (Veera Kapur) for keeping the costumes ‘in check’ with the ‘flow’ of the film.
On the whole, PIKU is a must watch this season as it brings back the memories of the legendary directors Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee and likes. This is a film that shall grow with word of mouth.
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May 7, 2015 at 7:30 PM
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May 7, 2015 at 11:04 PM
Piku and Kuch Kuch Locha Hai will clash this week with Piku likely to be leading the race. it would have been interesting Deepika Padukone v Sunny Leone clash if it was Piku and Ek Thi Leela (released a few weeks back) releasing together but Kuch Kuch Locha Hai does not have the music or awareness of that film.
Gabbar has held pretty well on weekdays so should be in the mix this weekend also and it will be probably be ahead of Piku in some circuits which are dominated by single screens.
Piku is similar to Finding Fanny and can take an opening in that level but that film crashed on Monday and Piku will have to avoid that all costs. Even if it was to sustain its just a one week window till the big big budget Bombay Velvet.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/pikuandkuchkuchlochahaiclashthisweek#.VUwnVVKCwqE
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May 7, 2015 at 11:07 PM
Priyanka has been signed on as the female lead for a new ABC show about FBI recruits. Interesting, but I wondered why she committed to such a low-profile show.
http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/bollywoods-priyanka-chopra-to-co-star-in-abcs-quantico-1201446536/
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May 7, 2015 at 11:09 PM
After Land Swap with Bangladesh is Cleared, PM Thanks Sonia Gandhi for Support.
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-on-land-boundary-agreement-historic-milestone-in-india-bangladesh-relations-761279?pfrom=home-lateststories
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May 7, 2015 at 11:23 PM
http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/rishi-kapoor-says-hes-retiring-from-twitter-761371?utm_source=ndtv&utm_medium=top-stories-widget&utm_campaign=story-15-http%3a%2f%2fmovies.ndtv.com%2fbollywood%2frishi-kapoor-says-hes-retiring-from-twitter-761371
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May 8, 2015 at 12:29 AM
Review: In ‘Piku,’ Amitabh Bachchan Plays a Dad to Deepika Padukone
By RACHEL SALTZMAY 7, 2015
“Piku,” an offbeat Hindi comedy, would have you contemplate the intestines and mortality of one Bhashkor Banerji and the actor who plays him, Amitabh Bachchan. Bhashkor’s life and conversation may revolve around his constipation and fussy hypochondria, but there’s no mistaking the scene-stealing energy that Mr. Bachchan, India’s erstwhile Angry Young Man, musters for his new role of Cranky Old Man.
And so pity Bhashkor’s poor daughter, Piku (Deepika Padukone). She may be the very picture of a modern career girl, but she can’t escape the father who has turned her into an ill-tempered scold. His chiding, hectoring voice fills the home they share, and even follows her to the office, where he sends her much-too-public updates on his bowel movements. And Bhashkor, who derides the very idea of marriage, waylays Piku’s suitors to let them know that she is no virgin.
Come again? Bhashkor is not your typical Bollywood papa, and “Piku,” directed by Shoojit Sircar from a script by Juhi Chaturvedi, isn’t a typical Hindi movie. It lopes along, following no formula beyond the roughest outlines of a romantic comedy. In its middle section, it detours into road movie territory, with Rana (Irrfan Khan, brooding and wonderful), behind the wheel; the owner of a taxi company, Rana drives Piku and Bhashkor to Kolkata from Delhi. Even on the road, the film’s concerns remain domestic, more about getting along inside the cramped car than about the wide-open spaces.
This movie, as the title suggests, is set up to be Piku’s story: How will she make a life? But the filmmakers let Mr. Bachchan overwhelm the story. Ms. Padukone, an always likable performer, remains in his shadow, just as Piku remains in Bhashkor’s, liberated but without real agency. Ms. Padukone keeps Piku from being a one-note shrew. But she can’t quite make her a heroine.”
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May 8, 2015 at 12:41 AM
Piku review: Pretty meets potty in Deepika, Big B, Irrfan’s charming new film
by Deepanjana Pal May 8, 2015 08:41 IST
“From the Piku trailer, you might think you know what’s going to happen in the film. Piku will be a beautiful, quirky young woman who lives with her father, Bhaskor. They’ll adore each other, sing songs, possibly cut a birthday cake. Along the way, Piku will fall in love with someone (Irrfan), she’ll be torn between father and lover for a bit, there will be a few tears and then everyone will live happily ever after. Exactly none of this happens in Piku.
Writer Juhi Chaturvedi and director Shoojit Sircar have done what no one thought Bollywood had the gumption to do: they’ve made a film that’s entirely unpredictable. From character to plot, everything in Piku will take you by surprise. Everything other than Bachchan’s inconsistent Bengali-accent, that is. But it’s a minor flaw because Piku gets pretty much everything else right, and gloriously so.”
“Bhaskor is demanding, suspicious, whimsical, opinionated, sweet and a royal pain. In short, he’s pretty much your favourite old uncle/ granddad. Bachchan gets that combination of an annoying but adorable personality perfectly. The only thing that doesn’t ring true about his Bhaskor is the paunch that looks like a cushion’s been stuffed under the kurta. But who cares about paunches, when Bachchan is, with supreme deadpan composure, discussing excrement and leaving you rolling with laughter?
Given lines that crackle with wit, Bachchan delivers them with the kind of flair that you expect from an actor of his calibre. His comic timing is superb and his body language is just right. You realise how perfect his portrayal is because of the details — like when Bhaskor is listening closely, he has a fixed but open-mouthed, slack-jawed stare, as though he hasn’t even realised that his jaw is hanging loose. Yet his eyes, magnified through the thick lenses, are unblinking and intense.”….
…”Chaturvedi’s greatest talent is in her ability to tackle complex themes in the chatter that abounds in Piku. There’s the business of how difficult old age is, not just for the person ageing but those around them. Piku has to mother Bhaskor and find a balance between her needs and his, which isn’t easy. Chaturvedi also picks up a few ‘bold’ themes. The film’s undramatic way of dealing with Piku’s sexual needs and separating sex from romance is in sharp contrast to how awfully and ham-handedly Bollywood usually handles these topics (remember Hunterrr?).
More provocatively, Chaturvedi has Bhaskor standing as an obstacle to Piku’s love life, but in a thoroughly unexpected yet believable way. He is heartwarmingly supportive of her career and doesn’t begrudge her casual sex, but Bhaskor doesn’t want her to get married and scotches every possibility that he thinks could go in the direction of proper emotional commitment. He claims he’s anti-marriage for Piku because he doesn’t want her to sacrifice herself to man, yet that’s exactly what he wants her to do for me. The real reason Bhaskor wants Piku to stay single is that he doesn’t want to lose her to another man. It’s partly selfish and partly obsessive with an unsettling Oedipal whiff. Chaturvedi treats this very complex idea with magnificent subtlety and finesse, and without melodrama.”…
http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/piku-review-pretty-meets-potty-in-deepika-big-bs-irrfans-charming-new-film-2233918.html
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May 8, 2015 at 1:11 AM
‘With Piku, Padukone establishes herself as both an excellent actor as well as a star. It just goes to show what kind of talent can be showcased when the writing is good. Padukone is riveting on screen, even when she’s being screechy and unpleasant, and Piku is often screechy and unpleasant.’ Didn’t I say so after ‘ Cocktail’, that we have a genuine star-actress in our midst!
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May 8, 2015 at 1:48 AM
Was waiting for Nandini Ramnath’s review (a critic I quite like). She to seems to have liked the film (like everyone else apparently), but I don’t think she is impressed by Bachchan here. Like the fact that she mentions Pushpak-
Film review: ‘Piku’ mines great humour from irritable characters and stubborn bowel movements
http://scroll.in/article/725897/film-review-piku-mines-great-humour-from-irritable-characters-and-stubborn-bowel-movements
“….Constipation is not a screen-friendly subject and is played mostly for laughs, such as in Singeetam Srinivasa Rao’s 1987 silent movie Pushpak, which introduced audiences to the pleasures of the enema. In Sircar’s slice-of-life drama, the problem becomes a metaphor for inter-generational conflict, as the process of holding on and refusing to let go described in digestive terms. The 125-minute movie has the same collection of fundamentally decent, endearing and eccentric characters that made Vicky Donor such a winner. The family interactions and scrapes between Piku, Bhaskor, and her extended family (including Moushumi Chatterjee’s superb thrice-divorced aunt) are observed with warmth and indulgence, the humour is witty, conversational and purely situational, and the emphasis on naturalistic acting is jolted only when Bachchan widens his eyes and mangles his often hilarious pronouncements to suit his capital-letter Bengaliness.
Bhaskor is a character with which we are all familiar, but Bachchan plays him as a stereotype. His underlined irascibility contrasts with Padukone’s relaxed and convincing performance and Irrfan’s scene-stealing turn. Irrfan has the occasional tendency to stop trying once he has stepped into a frame, but in Piku, he is fully attentive to the possibilities of Rana’s character as both foil and emotional enema. Rana’s gently delivered home truths allow Piku to finally let go, and even Bhaskor shuts up once in a while when confronted with another other male rival for Piku’s affection.
It’s to the filmmakers’ credit that they are able to find laughs and sweetness in the digestive tract, but Piku doesn’t always smoothly navigate the emotional roadblocks it sets up for its heroine’s journey of self-realisation. The cinematography is functional to a fault, while the choppy editing doesn’t allow some of the better observed moments to breathe. Chaturvedi writes dialogue that wouldn’t be out of place in a screwball comedy, but the rush from one witticism to the next often doesn’t let some the insights into the general dysfunctionality that marks this movie’s sub-set sink in.
Some sequences bristle with the emotional tension that can result from a self-centred single parent stifling his daughter’s dreams, but they quickly dissolve into giggles. Sircar and Chaturvedi have made quite a long journey from semen to human waste. They have made a fuzzy film that links bowel movements and the very real problem of children having to deal with badly aging parents. Some of the harsher truths that emerge from Bhaskor’s staggeringly petulant behaviour, such as when he holds up the road trip over a trifle, cannot be flushed away quite so easily.”
http://scroll.in/article/725897/film-review-piku-mines-great-humour-from-irritable-characters-and-stubborn-bowel-movements
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May 8, 2015 at 2:15 AM
Padukone is at her very best, the actress moving farther from her contemporaries with almost every successive film, and here she stuns with her casual body language and her inch-perfect intonation. She’s impatient and short-tempered, wearing her otherwise-adorable dimples dismissively, like a no-nonsense shield. She knows when to prescribe homeopathic pills, and goes into enough graphic detail on the phone to wreck her dates. This tightly wound Piku is a demanding part, and the film pushes her. She rises to the occasion, and her performance — which believably oscillates between a defiantly uppity woman to a girl half-proposing marriage with a mouthful of egg-roll and a giggle — is spectacular.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Sircar makes Padukone say ‘pachcha.’ Piku uses this Bangla word for arse — a cute splat of a word, with a tchah-sound built right in — while at a dining table full of eagerly nostalgic relatives and Padukone plays the moment magnificently, her eyes twinkling and grin well in place, dropping her guard to say an ‘uncouth’ word and, simultaneously, thrilled to be saying it. Bravo.
http://rajasen.com/2015/05/08/review-shoojit-sircars-piku/
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May 8, 2015 at 2:21 AM
Man, this is getting some hyperbolic praise-
Raja Sen on the film-
Review: Piku may be the finest Hindi film of 2015
http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-piku-may-be-the-finest-hindi-film-of-2015/20150508.htm
“We are never told Deepika Padukone’s actual name in Piku.
A Bengali nickname is an all-conquering wonder, a sticky and stubborn two-syllable sound that a person is straddled with when too-young-to-object, and one that follows us to our graves.
And so Deepika’s character — be it in office or living room or on a relative stranger’s phone-screen — is always simply Piku, and, despite the peculiarity or cuteness of the nickname, its usage has become matter-of-fact.
The fact that throughout the film, we never dwell on its etymological origin-story and aren’t concerned with what Piku means (or may perhaps be short for) illustrates honesty and a storytelling confidence rare to our cinema.
Shoojit Sircar’s Piku is a special, special film. “…..
“….It is a film with tremendous heart — one that made me guffaw and made me weep and is making sure I’m smiling wide just thinking about it now — but also a sharp film, with nuanced details showing off wit, progressive thought and insightful writing.
Take a bow, Juhi Chaturvedi, this is some of the best, most fearless writing I’ve seen in Hindi cinema in a while.”
“Bachchan, as Banerjee, is a delight, hamming it up in the way old Bengali men do, posturing for family and servants and wagging his finger reproachfully at those outside the clan — at one point he calls Irrfan “you non-Bengali Chaudhury.”
rrfan Khan is characteristically flawless. Despite a less author-backed role than father and daughter, he imbues his character with enough authenticity to steal many a scene and give the narrative its consistency.
It is largely for the benefit of Khan’s Rana Chaudhury that the Bengalis speak in Hindi and English through (most of) this film’s duration, and the character is fascinating.
An engineer with a dodgy backstory, he’s morally sound enough to berate a pearl-pilfering sister and feels the need to call out selfishness even in someone he likes.
Khan’s performance holds the film together, balancing the diametrically opposed — and fundamentally similar — father and daughter, sometimes by just a truly pointed look.
One scene, where he glances at Deepika to necessitate a change of seating arrangements in the car, is an absolute stand-out.
Padukone is at her very best, the actress moving farther from her contemporaries with almost every successive film, and here she stuns with her casual body language and her inch-perfect intonation.
She’s impatient and short-tempered, wearing her otherwise-adorable dimples dismissively, like a no-nonsense shield.
She knows when to prescribe homeopathic pills, and goes into enough graphic detail on the phone to wreck her dates.
This tightly wound Piku is a demanding part, and the film pushes her.
She rises to the occasion, and her performance — which believably oscillates between a defiantly uppity woman to a girl half-proposing marriage with a mouthful of egg-roll and a giggle — is spectacular.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Sircar makes Padukone say ‘pachcha.’
Piku uses this Bangla word for arse — a cute splat of a word, with a tchah-sound built right in — while at a dining table full of eagerly nostalgic relatives and Padukone plays the moment magnificently, her eyes twinkling and grin well in place, dropping her guard to say an ‘uncouth’ word and, simultaneously, thrilled to be saying it.”…
“…There is an awful lot to love and appreciate in Piku, and, like the best of films, it sets you thinking but doesn’t rush to point out quick-fix answers.
“Not satisfactorily,” like Bhaskorda reveals when asked how well a new bowel-coaxing remedy worked, “phir bhi kuchh naya karne ko mila.”
Sometimes the joy indeed lies in trying out something new, and Piku is just the tonic.”
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May 8, 2015 at 3:01 AM
The film also makes the best case for women empowerment since Queen. In the film, Piku is single, but has a casual sex life, and this fact is established very subtly. It is not a ‘character trait’. It’s just another normal thing that this normal girl does. And to top it all, even her father is liberal enough to not make a fuss over that. He expresses the occasional well-meaning concern, but he’s not the regressive honour killer that is so prevalent in both in and outside our cinema. When was the last time you saw a Bollywood film where the father suggests to his daughter that getting married soon is only for those with low IQ? Last I checked, Sonakshi Sinha wanted to be ‘blessed for marriage’ by seeing Ajay Devgn’s schlong. In this film, the Bechdel Test is effortlessly kicked in the nuts in a terrific ‘will they won’t they’ scene between Piku and Rana that warrants a huge applause for both Chaturvedi and Sircar.
Most importantly, Piku glides over all of these heavy-duty themes with breezy lightness and consistent, well-timed comedy. This is a road trip movie after all, and it’s got hysterical, rapid-fire montage of cuts of the back and forth between the trio of Piku, Bhaskkor and Rana. The teeny bit of melodrama is handled beautifully by shuffling laughs and tears together like a pack of cards, making Piku one of the more emotionally honest films to have come from the industry.
http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/piku-review-move-queen-bollywoods-got-new-feminist-heroine-deepika-2234000.html
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May 8, 2015 at 3:17 AM
A more believable review by Shubhra Gupta-
“…Sircar knows his setting well. The free-for-all chatter around the stomach, the kind of herbs that help stuff along the alimentary canal – the best moment of the film comes when Irrfan draws a sketch, with graphic accuracy, of the route food takes before it plops out—is spot on. The way the characters are bracketed, though, flattens the film. Of course, there are delightful laugh-out-loud moments too, the kind that lift ‘Piku’ off the screen. Some of those come from the interaction between ‘baap’ Bachchan and ‘beti’ Padukone, but soon they settle into a pattern where the irritability and annoyance and short-temper Bhashkor and Piku have to exhibit become rate limiting factors: how many squabbles about a constantly-calling-baba and a beti constantly-on-call can you infuse with difference? I got a little exhausted by the jabber: when they stop and fall silent, the point is made better.
Amitabh Bachchan’s delivery of his constipated Bengali bhadralok jumps between a couple of notes, his accent occasionally slipping. And because most of Deepika Padukone’s scenes are with him, she comes off same-same too, though you can see how she can use her coltish beauty to advantage when she is let alone. Even Moushumi Chatterjee, as the gadabout ‘mashi’, isn’t as much fun as she could have been. Raghubir Yadav, as the old-confidante-doctor is good, though, as is Sengupta.
The only one given enough wiggle-room is Irrfan, and he makes the most of it, shifting, manoeuvring skillfully, not letting himself be caught in one position. He is the outsider to Piku’s world, and how he enters and makes space for himself, lets the film breathe and come alive.
Shoojit Sircar’s exploration of human relationships through unusual pegs provides his films an instant hook. And focusing upon bowel movements is certainly novel. ‘Piku’ sparks in moments, and I threw my head back and guffawed in a few. But the rest of it stays only mildly amusing. I wanted more motion in these motions.”
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/movie-review-piku/#sthash.ZMXY7V0u.dpuf
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May 8, 2015 at 3:24 AM
Frankly, I found Mihir and Raja’s review more believable. Shubhra is just playing the typical ‘ critic’, whose opinion I normally don’t care about.
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May 8, 2015 at 3:30 AM
http://thereviewmonk.com/movie/piku/
It has an average rating of 7.9 from 17 reviewers so far. Easily the highest among Hindi films of the year, besting the 7.1 of Qissa, and 6.9 of NH10 and Margarita with a Straw.
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May 8, 2015 at 4:08 AM
quite amazed…was expecting it to be good but amount of positive feedback on twitter seems it is brilliant..!!
OT : somebody get #shoebite out of that graveyard…are you listening Mr Manoj Shyamalan 😉
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May 8, 2015 at 4:50 AM
watching tonight hopefully….first movie since PK, ages!
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May 8, 2015 at 6:18 AM
NY Times:
Review: In ‘Piku,’ Amitabh Bachchan Plays a Dad to Deepika Padukone
By RACHEL SALTZMAY 7, 2015
“Piku,” an offbeat Hindi comedy, would have you contemplate the intestines and mortality of one Bhashkor Banerji and the actor who plays him, Amitabh Bachchan. Bhashkor’s life and conversation may revolve around his constipation and fussy hypochondria, but there’s no mistaking the scene-stealing energy that Mr. Bachchan, India’s erstwhile Angry Young Man, musters for his new role of Cranky Old Man.
And so pity Bhashkor’s poor daughter, Piku (Deepika Padukone). She may be the very picture of a modern career girl, but she can’t escape the father who has turned her into an ill-tempered scold. His chiding, hectoring voice fills the home they share, and even follows her to the office, where he sends her much-too-public updates on his bowel movements. And Bhashkor, who derides the very idea of marriage, waylays Piku’s suitors to let them know that she is no virgin.
Come again? Bhashkor is not your typical Bollywood papa, and “Piku,” directed by Shoojit Sircar from a script by Juhi Chaturvedi, isn’t a typical Hindi movie. It lopes along, following no formula beyond the roughest outlines of a romantic comedy. In its middle section, it detours into road movie territory, with Rana (Irrfan Khan, brooding and wonderful), behind the wheel; the owner of a taxi company, Rana drives Piku and Bhashkor to Kolkata from Delhi. Even on the road, the film’s concerns remain domestic, more about getting along inside the cramped car than about the wide-open spaces.
This movie, as the title suggests, is set up to be Piku’s story: How will she make a life? But the filmmakers let Mr. Bachchan overwhelm the story. Ms. Padukone, an always likable performer, remains in his shadow, just as Piku remains in Bhashkor’s, liberated but without real agency. Ms. Padukone keeps Piku from being a one-note shrew. But she can’t quite make her a heroine.
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May 8, 2015 at 6:22 AM
t’s amazing how a good script brings out the best in actors and that’s exactly the case with PIKU. Deepika Padukone is impressive and how! She just keeps getting better with each film. Amitabh Bachchan plays the annoying constipated father brilliantly. Moushumi Chatterjee is superb. But it’s Irrfan Khan who steals the show, hands down! He again shows how versatile he can be. Watch out for the scene in which he which he’s discussing his father’s death with Amitabh. This film again establishes the versatility of the actor.
PIKU is epic sh*t! You simply can’t afford to miss this one.
http://www.glamsham.com/movies/reviews/piku-movie-review.asp
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May 8, 2015 at 6:33 AM
Piku Slow Start Kuch Kuch Locha Hai Poor Start
Friday 09 May 2015 13.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku had a slow opening of around 15-20% at multiplexes though some plexes in the big cities were better while Kuch Kuch Locha Hai had a poor opening of around 5-10%. Both films were also dull in single screens though Piku has a limited single screen release.
Piku should pick up late afternoon and evening shows as these type of films which are aimed mainly for the premium multiplexes usually do but the costs are high for a niche film and it will have grow big on Saturday and sustain extremely well to get near recovery.
Kuch Kuch Locha Hai is less than half the cost of Piku but the way it has opened at multiplexes it has no chance The single screens may be a bit better but single screens can only really help if they open to full houses or close to full houses as the trend is always down..
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May 8, 2015 at 6:34 AM
diametrically opposite but then we know the BOI history on a Bachchan film! Of course it’s also the usual game of the one who’s trying to be down on the film stressing on the lowest percentages while the one who’s strong on it reporting the highest ones.
“As expected PIKU, that has been in the news has opened to a strong start with morning shows featuring an occupancy rate of 40%. However KKLH has started on a slow note with a meager 20% occupancy rate, while Akshay Kumar’s GABBAR IS BACK that continues its run at the box office fares much better.
On the whole, PIKU is expected to dominate the weekend, while GABBAR IS BACK will hold strong. KKLH on the other hand will have to rely heavily on positive reviews and good word of mouth to compete with the other films.”
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office/update/id/424/date/2015-05-08
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May 8, 2015 at 8:19 AM
Piku review: The eccentric family of Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone is endearing
http://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/piku-review-amitabh-bachchan-deepika-padukone-irrfan-khan-overpower-the-film/article1-1345041.aspx
The reviewer gave out the entire story!
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May 8, 2015 at 10:02 AM
I liked Piku. Uncomplicated, unambitious fun. Dialogues and acting take the cake. Reminded me of Nebraska somehow, but had a lighter touch.
Deepika does a Balan here. Exemplary act and her best acting stint till date.
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May 8, 2015 at 10:37 AM
I am pleasantly surprised at the almost universally good treatment PIKU is getting from the critics.
Seems like all lead performers have done a great job. Deepika looks like will benifit a lot from this and if there is any doubt Utkal will make sure that it happens- based on the carpet bombing here and on FB with Deepika portions of reviews!😄
Utkal can’t contain his excitement😄😄
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May 8, 2015 at 10:42 AM
LOL! This film looks to be a success. Gabbar won’t be a problem for it this weekend with its key multiplex audience. However BV will be next week. Unless it doesn’t do well.
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May 8, 2015 at 12:06 PM
I don’t think this film will work at Boxoffice. Whenever a movie gets thumbs up from critics, boxoffice battle is lost most of the times.
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May 8, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Sircar has done well across genres from Yahaan to Madras Cafe to Vicky Donor. Has been quite consistent. Like the first one the most. Madras Cafe was interesting throughout though rather uneven and the John casting was a poor decision, Vicky Donor was again well made though not really my kind of thing. He seems to have pulled it off with Piku once again.
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May 8, 2015 at 10:45 AM
Presenting the title track from one of Bollywood’s much awaited love stories of 2015 – ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’, starring Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan & Rajkummar Rao, in the soulful voice of Arijit singh
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May 8, 2015 at 10:47 AM
On a different note quite a stunning success for Cameron and one that confounds all expectations. Both Clegg and Milliband have resigned. Cameron couldn’t have had a better day. of course the SNP swept everything (sturgeon’s numbers are even more incredible) damaging Labor (it didn’t help that Milliband consistently polled behind the party) and many feel this might hasten the dismemberment of the UK with the Tories in power at the other end. Cameron meanwhile ran a class American negative campaign — ‘even if you don’t like me aren’t you more afraid of the other guy?’!
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May 8, 2015 at 10:52 AM
It’s an incredible victory. The whole campaign has been a damp squib because many felt it will be a coalition government. And the markets were uncertain.
But today has in many ways been a stunning day. 3 leaders have resigned and the Tories have won an unexpected majority. They deserve a second term in reality…it would have been a senseless move to have someone else in considering by in large the Tories have navigated the UK out of recession whereas the rest of Europe is still struggling. By default why rock an already delicate boat further? And the markets have responded quite well.
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May 8, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Tories thankfully are not as regressive as the conservatives in US who are a special brand of lunatics. Tony Blair single handedly did more damage to Labour than any one else.
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May 8, 2015 at 10:58 AM
yes agreed..
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May 8, 2015 at 11:01 AM
Didn’t follow closely but based on a UK blog I follow , was expecting a big Tory win
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May 8, 2015 at 10:59 AM
In some ways this also isn’t a bad result because Cameron of course had ben under pressure from Ukip, specially on the immigration issue. This will give him space to remain more centrist. As Rajen points out the problem with the Right in the US is precisely that it’s gone loony!
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May 8, 2015 at 1:03 PM
Meanwhile, some terrible political developments in Israel 😦
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May 8, 2015 at 1:25 PM
yeah awful..
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May 8, 2015 at 1:18 PM
Can’t say I’m jubilant about this. It is an incredible victory but more because of the lack of a strong, credible left than because of any public confidence in the Tories (and Cameron knows this, hence his pointedly negative campaign). IMO that isn’t good news for a democracy. The left vote is split far more than the right and FPTP voting makes things worse since it’s designed for two-party politics; I think there are several constitutes where the Lib Dems could have won if those who voted Green voted for them instead. But then again most people don’t want an alternative voting system so I don’t see what can be done.
IMO Clegg and Miliband quitting is good news because they are the least charismatic leaders possible and really dragged their parties down. Miliband failing to defend his eminently sensible mansion tax in the face of Myleene Klass’s idiocy was really the low moment for me. And of course, the most heartening news is that the odious Farage failed to be elected MP and announced his resignation as UKIP leader!
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May 8, 2015 at 1:29 PM
yes but people were very upset with the Lib Dems for not taking a stronger stand against the Tories on many issues. Their support was expected to collapse.
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May 8, 2015 at 3:22 PM
Amazing. The exit polls had given tories 300+and labour 200+
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May 8, 2015 at 11:44 AM
In director G Marthandan’s forthcoming film Acha Din, Mammootty may be playing the most interesting part he’s delivered in the recent years.
In the film, the veteran star reportedly essays a North Indian who has been living in Kerala for two decades because, well, he loves the South Indian state!
His character Durgadas is a sweeper who lives in Kochi with his wife Sheethal, played by debutante Mansi Sharma.
“Durgadas hails from Jharkhand and though he dresses in their style, he lives like a Malayali.
“We can’t reveal much about the storyline right now, but it’s an unusual story told in an interesting way,” says Marthandan, who has earlier directed Mammootty in Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus.
Acha Din is produced by Cyn Cyl Celluloid and will hit the screens during Ramzan.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/meet-north-indian-mammoothy/20150508.htm
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May 8, 2015 at 1:13 PM
But it’s with the character of Piku that writer Juhi Chaturvedi pushes the envelope farthest, giving us a fully flesh-and-blood modern woman. Unembarrassed to admit she has sexual needs, unafraid to pursue a casual relationship with a colleague, and never shy of snapping back at her patience-testing father, Piku is a refreshing character in the movies, and Padukone plays her without a hint of artifice. It’s a performance that never feels like a performance; she’s that good in the film.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/piku-review-its-a-charming-unpredictable-comedy/544544-47-84.html
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May 8, 2015 at 2:11 PM
Deepika is becoming typecast as the liberated female. This is nothing earth shaking for her. If she plays a sati savitri role, a regressive role, then that can be called different for her. A Phoolan devi, Jai Santoshi Maa etc. also will provide the much needed versatality.
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May 8, 2015 at 1:28 PM
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 12h12 hours ago
#Piku releases today. Do try and watch it. Take you’re parents, trust me you won’t regret it.
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May 8, 2015 at 1:51 PM
No opposition in Nagaland; BJP, Congress both in govt
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-opposition-in-Nagaland-BJP-Congress-both-in-govt/articleshow/47206333.cms
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May 8, 2015 at 2:43 PM
I never expected anything from PIKU .. promos were boring .. but looks like movie is very hard to dislike .. even very harsh critic are under awe ..
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May 8, 2015 at 6:40 PM
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May 8, 2015 at 8:16 PM
This is hilarious. .good one Anjo
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May 8, 2015 at 6:41 PM
Hated miliband ever since he stabbed & ‘overcame’ his bro
Actually don’t mind clegg—-like the guy
But the best duo are back for more
Cameron -Osborne ..
As for piku, are we expected to applaud just bcos deepika has put some clothes on for a change & gone easy on the makeup?
Oh c’mon 🙂
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May 8, 2015 at 9:32 PM
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May 8, 2015 at 10:48 PM
Piku Picks Up At Premium Multiplexes
Friday 08 May 2015 23.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku picked up in the evening at the premium multiplexes and the collections should come in at around 5 crore nett which is better than films like Finding Fanny released last year and Detective Byomkesh Bakshi released a month or so ago. The pick up in the evening is routine for these type of films as opening collections are low.
The film has done pretty well in Mumbai city and Pune though those are the only cities in Mumbai circuit which have collected, even Thane is weak barring a few multiplexes. Still Mumbai city and Pune city will take the film to a decent Mumbai circuit figure..
The opening day number is not too bad if you look at the content and type of film it is but the big burden for the film is the cost, it should be be a 20-25 crore film but is almost double and for recovery of such an amount the opening day has to be much more than 5 crore nett unless you can have an extraordinary run over 3-4 weeks.
The collections of Kuch Kuch Locha Hai were a disaster.
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May 9, 2015 at 2:01 AM
5 crore is a good start for a niche multiplex movie. Weekend should be in the 18-20 zone. WOM is super strong.
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May 9, 2015 at 3:07 AM
I’m also looking forward to 18-20 cr weekend but that’ll be quite disappointing considering the star power of Deepika. There should be a 25 cr weekend at least if the film has to recover its cast as this one is a costly affair.
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May 9, 2015 at 3:53 AM
This is around a 35 crore movie , so 60 crores means its a very good win. 5 crore is a good start. To put this into context, most major WOM movies last year, Queen, OMG all started around 2 to 3 crores…The movie is going to be a big winner IMO. BOI’s commentary is based due to the release of BV next week and they expect Piku to drop and end around 40 crores due to the drop. But my reports say that this will do a Queen and will go from strength to strength. This has the merits to withstand BV in the multiplexes and YRF will ensure it gets the screens.
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May 9, 2015 at 7:52 AM
BOI are anti-Bachchan anyway though admittedly also they’re never too kind on multiplex-only deals.
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May 9, 2015 at 11:18 AM
35 cr??? It’s actual cost is 38cr and print/publicity cost is 12 cr. It should do around 85cr just to recover its cast.
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May 9, 2015 at 2:33 AM
The story of Sarabjit Singh’s death created a national ruckus and Dalbir’s struggle to free her brother captured the nation’s attention. Writer Rajesh Beri and Creative Rajesh Nair have been involved in this project with Mukta Arts right from the beginning.
http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-popular/sarabjit-biopic-to-go-on-floors-in-oct-2015-to-be-directed-by-omung-kumar/
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May 9, 2015 at 5:13 AM
Official first day collection for piku (bollywood hungama / taran adarsh) & koimoi : 5.5 Cr. Unbelievable trending ( can say one of the best after 3idiots and queen). expecting a min of 23 Cr to 25 cr week end. Mark my words, First week will be in the range of 37 to 42 Cr. Life time domestic should be minimum of 70+ Cr.
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May 9, 2015 at 7:14 AM
http://boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/pikuandkuchkuchlochahaifirstdaybusiness#.VU3r30uwjoA
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May 9, 2015 at 7:14 AM
Gabbar Is Back Day Eight Business
Saturday 09 May 2015 12.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gabbar Is Back had a decent eighth day as it grossed around 2.75 crore nett. The fall is around 75% but the first day have a holiday in parts. The film will easily clear 10 crore nett for the weekend and maybe even go to 12 crore nett.
The collections are better than new release Piku in Gujarat/Saurashtra, Rajasthan and Bihar. Surprisingly a multiplex circuit like East Punjab is also doing well whenough normally it does not perform too well for this type of mass film. The collections are low in West Bengal and Mysore.
The film will cover it’s price for the all India distributor but profits will be limited as week three is likely to see a drop in business.
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May 9, 2015 at 11:48 AM
Akshay Kumar keeps chugging along, should get to 100 crs. he has done some good work over the last couple of years and deserves some love on this forum
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May 9, 2015 at 12:24 PM
many of us like Akshay here. it’s just that most of his films have been rotten in the past. He’s now doing some good work for sure. Of course I am never sympathetic to this whole ‘he deserves to be loved’ line of argument. Don’t think we need to moralize things so much when it comes to movie stars. Unless they’re doing something truly exceptional. Even his better films though good as entertainment are hardly up there when it comes to truly interesting cinema.
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May 10, 2015 at 12:45 AM
Akshay not doing Truly interesting cinema- Ha Ha.
😛
WAISE I agree with you… On ‘he deserves to be loved’
This forum was created to promote Abhishek and Aamir(because he could replace SRK dominance).
Then came Sallu and reenergised Akshay. Problem is that this was unexpected as well as undesirable. Result is all for there to see.
On Alshay Kumar-
Abhi to hui hai shuruaat
Aani hai puri Baraat
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May 9, 2015 at 7:29 AM
BOI gives Yash Raj figures for Khan Movies (eg dhoom etc) why diffrent figures for Bachchan or Kumar Movies? Yash Raj manipulates only for few actors like Bachchans not Khans?
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May 9, 2015 at 7:34 AM
Interesting film on Tagore and his sister-in-law, Kadambari
http://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/kadambari/ET00030516
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May 9, 2015 at 7:37 AM
thanks for the shout-out. Interested in this. will put up the trailer.
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May 9, 2015 at 8:43 AM
Piku (YRF), 118 theaters / $180K Fri. / 3-day cume: $551K /Wk 1
http://deadline.com/2015/05/hot-pursuit-box-office-reese-witherspoon-sofia-vergara-1201422937/
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May 9, 2015 at 9:05 AM
That’s a fair figure.
Wonder how they come up with three day estimates so early on a Sat morning and that too not $550k but $551k!😄
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May 9, 2015 at 9:32 AM
rajen 1: It could be figures for Wed, Thu, Fri or Thu, Fri, Sat.
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May 9, 2015 at 9:37 AM
Utkal- it just released on Fri. If you look at the actual post, they have these ‘precise’ estates for all movies.
More importantly, am waiting for your thoughts on PIKU.!if things workout, am planning to watch it today.
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May 9, 2015 at 10:50 AM
hoping to watch it tomorrow.
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May 9, 2015 at 9:45 AM
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/uttama-villain-kamal-haasan/article7180889.ece
Not older, riper
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May 10, 2015 at 8:32 AM
”I was reminded of a little-known episode from the 80s when Kamal was ‘sending shivers down the spines of Hindi stars’ like Jeetendra put it. Poornachandra Rao, a big time Telugu producer, started a film starring Kamal, and the tallest superstar (that one’s not difficult) for a Hindi film based on the Richard Dreyfuss starrer ‘Whose Life Is It Anyway’. Kamal played the role of an artiste paralysed neck downwards after an accident who wants to die. The tall superstar played a doctor. 75 per cent of the film was canned when the superstar watched the ‘rush’ print and was overwhelmed by Kamal’s performance. He asked for more footage for him to perform but ultimately offered to work free in Poornachandra Rao’s next film if he shelved this one. The request was acceded to but things were never the same between Kamal and the tall superstar. He has forgiven but definitely not forgotten.”
Big B*****
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May 10, 2015 at 8:43 AM
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/30-bollywood-movies-that-never-were-released/1/181061.html
the narrative you have is strictly for the unthinking Kamal fan club!
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May 10, 2015 at 9:19 AM
Unthinking bachcan fan club can never be trusted as well.
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May 10, 2015 at 10:56 AM
yes which is why you can trust some of us here!
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May 11, 2015 at 11:35 AM
ROFLOL…yes I have heard this one..Don’t worry, there are many lunatics supporting such type of lunacy..
The other one that takes the cake is this ‘fact:’ The reason Kamal Haasan was supposed to have retreated from the Hindi film industry is because Amitabh Bachchan fans’ association club members threatened to throw acid on Haasan if he continued to ‘challenge’ Amitabh specifically and Hindi film actors ‘generally’!
Bachchan must now get used to this – from Indira Gandhi’s manipulation to push him into the industry to ‘chopping’ Mithun’s role in Agneepath and MANY of his co-stars’ roles to Rajiv Gandhi getting him the National Award for Agneepath influentially to wringing awards..
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May 11, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Not that I wanted to mention this but since this came up I feel it only appropriate to mention this.. many years ago he destroyed my chances too because even before I had shot for anything he saw my potential, realized I would be a serious threat and made sure I never got a job in the industry in any capacity.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:04 PM
BTW such kind make an appearance even on Rangan’s blog!! It is almost like finding a Fellini fan trying for meta in 50 shades of Grey!!
This is from his PIKU review..
Kogul Sandal
May 10, 2015
More manipulative Amit shit lapped up by unsuspecting S.Indian. Knowledgable Chennai crowd exists only in cricket I guess…
brangan
May 10, 2015
Kogul Sandal: Ah, a genuine troll sighting. Thank you for stopping by. Your kind is quite rare in these parts. Do give my best to your comrades in the rediff comments section 🙂
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May 9, 2015 at 10:50 AM
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May 9, 2015 at 10:53 AM
skimmed through this because of the spoiler warning but the reviews have really been excellent here.
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May 9, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Sometimes films with least expectations work much better.
Piku is loved both by critics and audience.
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May 9, 2015 at 1:23 PM
Am not sure how much of this will be reflected in BO figures but everyone who has seen the film seems to be gushing over it. Am talking about friends and acquaintances, not critics. I have rarely seen such enthusiastic endorsement of movie particularly from people in their tanneries and thirties.
And all three (Deepika,Irfaan and Ofcourse AB) seem to have given great performances.
I am somewhat nonplussed at the critical and real life appreciation the movie seems to be getting given how underwhelmed I was with trailers and in my mind had already chalked it up as another miss by AB.
The WOM is like-do not miss, best of the year, best of last few years etc!!
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May 9, 2015 at 2:17 PM
Actually I always thought it looked like a quirky Balki movie. the kind of film Balki wasn’t able to make this time around. But yes I do agree that since this is ultimately a limited audience movie big numbers, specially with competition next week from BV, are probably unlikely.
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May 9, 2015 at 2:50 PM
Saturday numbers is out, will be upward of 7+ means, weekend will be minimum 22+ Cr and week one will be around 40 Cr. With Yash Raj + PVR, will not loose much screens to BV. will touch min 65+ by end of second week.
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May 9, 2015 at 3:45 PM
that’s certainly a big week 1 number if true. Think you have it on the high side for the weekdays. But it’s possible.
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May 9, 2015 at 3:47 PM
Piku Has Huge Growth On Day Two
Friday 09 May 2015 23.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku has had huge growth on Saturday with collections looking to go to 7 crore nett. They could even be higher as growth can be 50% from Friday. The film grossed around 5 crore nett on day one and will be 12 crore nett plus in two days. This gives the film a chance for a 20 crore nett plus weekend which would be decent especially considering the start.
The film which mainly collected at premium multiplexes on Friday but all multiplexes showed good jumps on Saturday. The business outside the premium multiplexes is still low but there is a trend there.
The collections in Mumbai city, Pune, Delhi city, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Bangalore were good on Saturday and if other major cities give a good performance on Sunday it may have a chance of success though it will need tor run well after week one.
The collections of Kuch Kuch Locha Hai had very poor collections all over and will hardly gross 75 lakh nett on day one.
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May 9, 2015 at 4:48 PM
Lol! Can imagine how hard must it be for the clowns at BOI to digest a 40% jump from Fri to Sat. Guess that’s why they took their sweet time.
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May 9, 2015 at 9:44 PM
I’m surprised why Bachchan fans feel BOI is anti Bachchan? Here is a good jump for Piku and they are reporting it. I think these guys want BOI to change the tags of Bachchan’s disasters into blockbusters.
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May 9, 2015 at 4:05 PM
Toilet humour is something I absolutely do not enjoy, regardless of how well it is executed, so I’m not going to watch this film. Nevertheless, I’m pleasantly surprised by the rave reviews for Piku (and Deepika) and it will be interesting to see what Satyam, Rajen, Utkal etc have to say about it. And I’m glad someone has finally made a father-daughter bonding film after the countless mother-son stories in Bollywood!
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May 9, 2015 at 6:49 PM
The movie is good sort of dysfunctional family drama. Toilet humor except some dialogues are quirky and not disgusting. The movie is well made. The director and screenplay are the leads of the movie.
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May 9, 2015 at 6:56 PM
For those who don’t know, this is really high praise coming from Munna who is not known for being effusive.
Almost means, it is Oscar worthy😄
Only movie he has praised more is All the best going back a few years.
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May 9, 2015 at 7:05 PM
LOL! Munna’s concise understatement is needed to balance out Utkal’s impassioned hyperbole! 😀 (Jokes apart, Utkal’s reviews are always enjoyable; it’s just amusing to see his extremely enthusiastic piece side by side with Munna’s very measured comment)
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May 9, 2015 at 7:13 PM
ha! True! would have loved to read his Sholay review! ‘Better than most films, the screenwriters are the heroes, so much Asrani comedy was not needed. Could have edited a bit in the second half. Cutting both the hands was not needed. They could have left one for him to eat.’
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May 9, 2015 at 7:36 PM
Lol, spot on Satyam.
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May 9, 2015 at 7:19 PM
Haha.. You may see some similarities with Nebraska and Little miss sunshine.
The movie has pushed some taboo envelopes subtly (things which can not be achieved in Deepika vogue choice video).
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May 9, 2015 at 4:11 PM
Just came back from Piku.
While trying to get myself a glass of water I noticed the expensive single malt ( Oban) that my nephew-in-law had bought when he came visiting, on the shelf. I normally do not drink when alone. But I thought I must pour myself small one. This called for a celebration certainly. So many of my cinematic heroes had come good of late.
First off the block was Vishal Bhardwaj was ‘Haider’ which I have seen thrice in the theater and once on the DVD and it still haunts me. Sridhar Raghavn surprised me with ‘ Badlapur’ which again calls for multiple viewing. Then Navdeep Singh came up with gut-wrenching NH-10, which I have seen twice in the theater. Anurag Kashyap gave a good account of himself in the unsettling ‘Ugly’. Hirani said what needed to be said with ‘PK’…and I had to see it twice to be sure. And yes he had lost none of his artistic integrity in a bid to entertain. Then just last week I saw ‘ OK Kanmani’…and lo! Mani Ratnam was back. And what a relief that was! But I saw it one more time in the theatre, just to be sure. And yes, Mani was as young, playful, cinematically eloquent and full of love for humanity as he was at his peak. And now there is Shoojit Sarkar and ‘Piku’.
Just like ‘ OK Kanmani’ there is not much happening. But each moment is so lovingly written, so well staged and so perfectly performed that you do not want to take your eyes (and ears) off the screen for a moment lest you miss something. Ah…the women in Bollywood! Where do you get all that talent from? Juhi Chaturvedi, take a bow! It is your writing which makes it all come off so well on screen. And Shoojit knows how to stage ‘funny’ on screen. I loved the humour in Vicky Donor. He manages to do with shit what he did with sperm in the earlier one. It’s the nice to see that Shoojit can get a big laugh by just the installation art of the chair-commode tied on top of the Innova. Shoojit also does quirky well. And here he has two masters of the quirk, Amitabh and Irrfan, to dance out his quirkography. I loved the tableau of Amitabh and irrfan sitting on a culvert on the highway, outside the Innova, Irrfan holding the knife in his hand. ‘ Why don’t you just throw it away?’ Deepika / Piku says. Irrfan/Rana looks at the knife for a while , looks at Piku, and throws it. There are many moments like this that Irrfan nails with his impeccable timing. Amitabh, after a long time, is a character that reminds you of no other Amitabh you have seen before. He is over the top. His accent keeps slipping. And he looks much older than the 70 he is supposed to be. But he too becomes the quirky Bhaskor Banerjee with his singular views on marriage being for women with low IQs and his announcing to the world that his daughter is not a virgin and his essentially selfish manipulation of his daughter for his own well-being. He makes us buy in to his character and we share his sheer delight as he bikes through the streets of Kolkata towards the end of the film.
And what of Deepika and her radiant presence? If I write how I felt about her in the film you might think I am in love with her.Come to think about it, maybe I am in love with her. Any way let me talk about Piku instead. What a character Juhi Chaturvedi has written. She is a totally heroic modern woman, her heroism manifested in her grace under pressure. She knows the essentially selfish and manipulative nature of her father, but she says, ‘We don’t judge our parents’. She is doing the best she can , blancing her work, her household duties, and if she needs the help of her part-time lovers to get by, she will take them on her stride. As Irrfan/Rana says in his inimitable deadpan style ‘ Aap to ..jaise aapke papa kehte the..unki tarah ho gayi..annie Besant, Rani Lakshmi Bai…mahan aurat.”
The relationship between Ran and Piku is written so well. And so is the detailing of Irrfan’s family, his sister, his mother, and his Saudi background. It adds so much texture to the tale. And yes, Shoojit is so good in bringing out the natural manly charms of noth-Indian men, with all their aggression and lack of fine culture, pitted against the at-times-pretentious but always pompous cultural snobbery of the Bengalis ( Amitabh introduces Irrfan as the non-Bengali Chaudhury.) He did it with the Ayushman Khurana character in Vicky Donor,and he does it with Irrfan / Rana here.
And yes, how can I forget? The music. I was bowled over by it. The songs were exquisite. And the words, even in Hindi, managed to retain the expressionistic freshness that we know Anupam’s Bengali lyrics for. The background score too was top-notch, with a very catchy Indian strings hook that propels the story at a pleasant, comfortable pace.
Ps: I have poured myself another small one of the single malt. Maybe I will write something on Ok Kanmani now.
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May 9, 2015 at 4:50 PM
Thanks,Utkal.
As Always a heartfelt review.Am glad you liked it.
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May 9, 2015 at 9:38 PM
Rofl rajen, you are behaving like producer of this fil.
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May 9, 2015 at 5:38 PM
“And what of Deepika and her radiant presence? If I write how I felt about her in the film you might think I am in love with her.Come to think about it, maybe I am in love with her. “Hmm..enjoy but be safe & don’t get carried away -plz don’t do anything illegal/indecent (& check with me 1st–ok?) cheers
“if she needs the help of her part-time lovers to get by, she will take them on her stride”– Well, I wasn’t going to, but may catch it soon (if playing nearby)
Btw watched 5 minutes of an obscure film called I’m Kalam– seems a simple cute film–(obviously won’t be able to finish it)
But came across this — enjoyed this folksy tune & rendition
Ps: I’m still into kids film unlike utkal uncles deepika mania
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May 9, 2015 at 5:44 PM
Here’s what I think of the film. Not a very good writer, but…
First of all the film is clearly inspired by the father/daughter pair of Mr Woodhouse/Emma of Jane Austen’s book Emma.
-both have a young daughter destined to look after an ailing, quite old, cranky father who is obsessed with illhealth real and imagined.
-both fathers thought there can be no place like home and own bed, as opposed to travelling around
-both thought that travel was wrought with danger to all mankind (Mr Woodhouse) and to himself (ABs character)
-both consider marriage a bad thing and the word is mot appreciated by both
-both don’t want their daughter to get married
-theres also this extolling over ancestral home, it could be Donwell abbey of Mr Knightley or Hartfield of Woodhouses.
The treatment is of course different.
As Ami says, I too don’t enjoy toilet humour, and in this film it runs the whole length of the film. Only difference is that its supposed to be part of the story rather than added in for humour. Still….
I started enjoying after the first 20 minutes or so. Till then every character is arguing and quarrelling. I began to feel so exhausted with everyone shouting. Amitabh Bachhan though equally angry and disturbed does it in a less irritating manner, but Deepika, I thought was too much. I must add though, that there must be people having that character.
While Emma deals with her father expertly because of practce over the years Piku seems to be getting undone over the years of dealing with a father who was rather selfish and difficult.
It was a bit difficult to accept that she cares for her father emotionally. As a duty yes, she did the right thing. It’s only with extra scenes that we get to see it was emotional as well, but not as a part of her behaviour.
AB was excellent. So was Irfaan. Deepika was very good most of the time, but I don’t think holding her head between her hands everytime she wants to show despair and frustration is good acting.
Of course most things get straightened out for the better especially in her acting as well when they start for Calcutta.
Shots of Calcutta are beautiful, so also Varanasi.
I would have enjoyed the film more if it didn’t have to go on right till the end about constipation.
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May 9, 2015 at 5:49 PM
Correction
*extolling over the virtues of
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May 9, 2015 at 6:05 PM
Ah yes, I forgot to mention. Mr Woodhouse’s ailment was a ‘delicate stomach’ and he always insisted on eating apples that were baked twice.
His staple diet consisted of gruel made of arrowroot, and only his cook was able to get the right consistency, not too thick and not too thin.
He was so obsessed that he worried about everyone’s stomach. Invited people over but wouldn’t let them eat anything that was not healthy, and insisted on giving them a boiled egg.
This has been changed to constipation in Piku
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May 9, 2015 at 6:06 PM
Thanks for your review OG- the Austen connect is interesting (sad that none of the critics cottoned on to this). Would you say Irrfan is a leading man in the Austen mold as well?
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May 9, 2015 at 7:31 PM
No no. It isn’t based on the complete novel. Just the father/daughter angle of the book. They have taken that and made a whole film on it. At least that’s my opinion as I see more than just a passing similarity.
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May 9, 2015 at 7:56 PM
Some descriptions of the character of the father Mr Woodhouse in the book Emma..
Now these are but just a few examples. Takes time to search for these. There are a lot more. Couldn’t get down to getting Emma’s description as a devoted daughter looking after her father.
“The evil of the actual disparity in their ages (and Mr. Woodhouse had not married early) was much increased by his constitution and habits; for having been a valetudinarian all his life, without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years ……. ”
.”….from his habits of gentle selfishness and of being never able to suppose that other people could feel differently from himself,…”
“He was a nervous man, easily depressed; fond of every body that he was used to, and hating to part with them; hating change of every kind. Matrimony, as the origin of change, was always disagreeable;”
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May 9, 2015 at 8:24 PM
Just read BRs review and this line struck me;
He talks of the unpredictablity of the film where you think father daughter relationship will change;
“You think the father will understand what his daughter is going through, that the daughter will see why her father is this way, that they’ll both learn life lessons and embrace tearfully.
And it doesn’t happen that way.
That’s just like in the book.
@Ami
>(sad that none of the critics cottoned on to this).
Well most are men (and machos) and Jane Austen is not something they’d read, I guess.
The writer of this film is Juhi Chaturvedi, a woman and I can well imagine that she read the book and got inspiration to write a story on this classic father daughter pair who are like none other.
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May 9, 2015 at 9:04 PM
Haha, well-spotted OG! Did you watch Far From the Madding Crowds? I think you would like it a lot…
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May 9, 2015 at 10:28 PM
As the topic is on shit, I would like to make some observations.
Why some people are so obsessed if it is not that regular? Especially the elderly.
Some need cup of hot coffee as a prelude or a good smoke(during).
Those who eat heartily without thinking about diet dont face this problem usually.
Those who diet. Those who import very little cant expect to export much.
Why it should be in the morning only? Why not at other times?
We are walking talking toilets.
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May 9, 2015 at 10:59 PM
Oldgold: Good to know about the Jane Ausen angle. I was trying to visualize Jhi Chaturvedi’s mind. This is help.
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May 10, 2015 at 4:34 AM
You are welcome.
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May 10, 2015 at 12:37 AM
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May 10, 2015 at 12:38 AM
I too saw Gabbar. Akshay Kumar just nailed it. An award winning crowd whistling performance.
MOVIE OF 2015
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May 10, 2015 at 12:59 AM
Piku dekh kar aaiye!
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May 10, 2015 at 8:02 AM
Will surely watch Piku. Films like Gabbar, Piku needs to be watched, hailed and celebrated.
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May 10, 2015 at 8:10 AM
Going to watch Piku tonight: tried to go yesterday but couldn’t get tickets, everything near me was either sold out or the only seats available were in the front two rows.. I completely underestimated the film, I must confess…
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May 10, 2015 at 10:26 AM
Lol Munna.
Qalandar- a lot of my younnger cousins have booked tickets for Piku for parents as a mothers day gift.
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May 10, 2015 at 1:38 AM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/Aamir-Khan-Lesser-known-facts/photostory/47214201.cms
The Gujarat High Court, on Friday, nullified a case against Aamir Khan and four others of illegal commercial shooting of protected animal, Chinkara, during the filming of Lagaan in Kutch. Chief Justice VM Sahai discovered that no live Chinkara was used or was in possession of the petitioner and the footage seen in the film was actually computer-generated.
The complaint was filed by the Gujarat Forest Department.
While Aamir Khan is relieved from the case, he is all set to launch his manager as a director.
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May 10, 2015 at 1:43 AM
BEIJING: Actors Aamir Khan and Jackie Chan will share the same stage during the release of three films featuring themes of India-China friendship on May 14.
The films will be released on the sidelines of functions, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his three day visit to China starting May 14.
China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said that Khan and Chan are among the actors in the three films. Two other male Chinese actors, Huang Xiaoming and Wang Baoqiang, who played roles in the films, will also participate in a press conference on their release, it said.
One of the films to be released is Da Tang Xuan Zang (temporary English title: Monk Xuanzang), which describes the journey of the Chinese pilgrim who visited India to collect Buddhist texts in the 6th century. The spread of Buddhism from India to China is the most important reference point in the relationship between the Himalayan neighbors.
Another film to be released is Gong Fu Yu Jia (English title: Kung Fu Yoga), which discusses the similarities between the two cultural strains. The third film to be released is Da Nao Tian Zhu (temporary English title: Lost in India)
The Administration will also disclose plans for mutual importation of films between the two countries.
The decision for mutual collaboration in the film sector was taken last September when Chinese president Xi Jinping visited India. The two sides signed the Joint Declaration on Constructing Closer Partnership for Development, and reached common understanding in the two countries becoming ‘closer partners for development, cooperation partners in spearheading growth, and global partners for strategic coordination’.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Aamir-Jackie-film-fillip-to-Modis-China-visit/articleshow/47218337.cms
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May 10, 2015 at 2:29 AM
Piku Has Extraordinary Growth On Saturday
Piku showed huge growth of 65% plus on Saturday which is extraordinary. It is very rare that this sort of growth happens. The first day business hardly gave the film a chance but day the phenomenal growth on day two has changed the scenario.The approx first two day business of Piku is as follows.
Friday – 5,00,00,000
Saturday – 8,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL – 13,50,00,000
The film is now looking at a good weekend which could be in the 23 crore nett range and that is very good after a 5 crore nett first day.
http://boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/pikuhasextraordinarygrowthonsaturday#.VU76OmB0yAg
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May 10, 2015 at 3:05 AM
I said somewhere earlier , once BOI realizes this is a Queen kind of scenario, they will turn around.. Now watch this movie get to 100 crores..Sunday will be around 10.5 crores and Monday will be as good as Friday. If it can get to 4 crores next Friday, 100 crores is on. This is the Queen of this year..
And I just came back from the movie. Loved the movie…Big B is excellent and after a long time a movie uses his comic timing…When was the last time, one saw him in a comic role? Deepika is very very good but I thought Irfan was just outstanding…A very relatable tale and one that everyone can identify with…This will have legs the size of an elephant whether or not BV does well..Shoojit Sircar nails his 3rd film in a row. He is now a director whose next movie will be awaited…
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May 10, 2015 at 3:30 AM
This has legs to go up to 70 crore or so. Certainly it is one of Big B’s most amazing recent performance. Unlike earlier expectations, it is a feel good movie with the right dose of humour for multiplex audiences. WOM even internationally is stunning. But all will depend on BV. IF BV gets good reviews, PK will get sidelined.
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May 10, 2015 at 3:57 AM
This film will be better than Queen. Senior citizens are liking it a lot and so are women.
But who will benefit most from this film?
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May 10, 2015 at 7:21 AM
the trending certainly looks very strong.. but one should also factor in BV next week. Admittedly this looks to be the sort of deal that might be less affected in certain ways but still competition is always a factor. 70-80 seems reasonable and would be huge. 100 would be awesome but that’s I think a loftier prediction with BV around. Would love to be wrong of course!
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May 10, 2015 at 7:29 AM
must say Deepika too is really in the zone. It’s one thing to get hits with obvious choices and quite another to do it with quirky ones or for that matter get much more than expected with a film like YJHD.
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May 10, 2015 at 4:03 AM
Official figures: Friday 5.32 Cr , Saturday 8.70 Cr and total is 14.02 Cr , so 25 Cr week end is on. Best trending after 3 idiots. 75 Cr is doable and chance for 100 cr is definitely on. Global business 250+ cr is possible (looking at the current Intl trends)
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May 10, 2015 at 8:00 AM
Gabbar is Back has collected a very well 4.25 crore nett on 2nd Saturday (9th day) at box office as per estimates. Film has thus recorded a jump of around 50%+ on day 9 which is fantastic. Thus, Gabbar is now heading for a decent second weekend numbers.
Gabbar total collection after 9 days is approx 66.6 crore nett. Film should register further jump on 2nd Sunday. Film second weekend collection is now heading for 12-12.5+ crore nett which means film has every chance now to collect around 20 crore nett business in second week.
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May 10, 2015 at 8:05 AM
Trending of Gabbar in week2 is only a shade lower than Piku’s week1. Both movies are enjoying extraordinary WOM.
Sunday figure for both the movie combined will be HUGE.
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May 10, 2015 at 8:19 AM
Deepika on Comedy Nights with Kapil. Looked very pretty in a saree.
She is a familiar sight on this show whenever her film is being released.
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May 10, 2015 at 8:27 AM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jayalalithaa-verdict-AIADMK-hopeful-of-relief-party-men-hold-prayers/articleshow/47223229.cms
This is the kind of pressure judges face during trials of celebrities.
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May 10, 2015 at 8:29 AM
i am still not expecting more than 50 Crore life time for PIKU. This may go completely down from Monday onwards.
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May 10, 2015 at 10:54 AM
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/shooting-from-the-hip/article7190589.ece?homepage=true
Shooting from the hip
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May 10, 2015 at 11:18 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 8h 8 hours ago
Thrilled to see a gem like #Piku sprinting faster across the nation. Super-strong word of mouth is translating into super numbers at the BO.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 8h 8 hours ago
#Piku biz witnesses MASSIVE growth on Day 2. Fri 5.32 cr, Sat 8.70 cr. Total: ₹ 14.02 cr. India biz. Winning hearts. Winning BO.
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May 10, 2015 at 11:18 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 8h 8 hours ago
#GabbarIsBack [Week 2] Fri 2.80 cr, Sat 4.20 cr. Grand total: ₹ 66.86 cr. India biz.
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May 10, 2015 at 11:22 AM
the film even using Taran’s higher numbers is not likely to do more than 90. Even less than that is possible. Looking at the numbers, also Piku’s multiplex strength, plus the BV release (even if it doesn’t work it will have a good weekend, if it does obviously it will dominate more) don’t think Gabbar will add anything significant beyond this week. A Baby-like result must be considered absolutely subpar for Gabbar. It’s going to fall way behind Rowdy Rathore in absolute terms.
Unfortunately Akshay’s choices have greatly damaged him over the years. He just cannot get those high end numbers (or even anything remotely close in a variety of genres). With his comedy sequels he obviously does much better but these are like circuses with all kinds of stars and actors thrown in. Quite apart from the sequel element. There was a time when Askhay was doing really well but he wasted his opportunities when he was in the zone. Too late to recover now because in these masala genres people have a lot of choice. And the Baby kind of thing always has a ceiling anyway. Yes he’s still getting to certain totals on multiple films and that might be ok but he was in a much more commanding position once.
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May 10, 2015 at 4:01 PM
Sunday supposedly 10-11 crores.
So a pretty decent weekend.
At the risk of sounding like the producer of the movie.😄
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May 10, 2015 at 4:26 PM
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5192501/
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May 10, 2015 at 4:32 PM
Lol!
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May 10, 2015 at 5:56 PM
BV will be a problem only if Piku loses screens. I dont think it will. It is going on in 1600 screens, expect it to retain those. Multiplexes can easily accommodate 2 films…If it can be around the 4 cr figure next Friday, 100 crores is a guarantee…I think it will…I expect Monday (tomorrow) to be better than Friday..
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May 10, 2015 at 6:13 PM
Looking at Kashyap’s track record..BV should start good but would lose steam because of subject.
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May 11, 2015 at 4:09 AM
will wait for friday but most likely deepika will spoil ranbir’s party…
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May 11, 2015 at 4:20 AM
enjoyed watching one of the BV trailers on the big screen..
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May 10, 2015 at 4:18 PM
Simply put.. Loved Piku. The story appears simple but the dialogues are not, they are very quirky, interesting and always unexpected with heavy doses of dry humor. The move is very well executed with all the 3 characters extraordinary performances. After a long time Bachchan got a great role and he nailed it to the T; Simply superb. Supporting him is the eccentric daughter Deepika in another fantastic role. You just can’t take eyes away from her any moment. She showed the role with right amount of frustration and feisty in nature. With both father-daughter having author backed roles, I understand why Shoojit needed an actor like Irrfan to stand firm for his character which appears lot simpler than the father-daughter. Even with such a simple character, Irrfan takes it to another level and delivers a quality performance.
Another victory for Shoojit Sircar, this movie will do well in multiplexes and long life on TV channels.
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May 10, 2015 at 5:56 PM
This was flawlessly cast, and not just in the obvious form of the (excellent) three principal actors but, top to bottom, I don’t think there was a false note among the secondaries. Very well written, and a near perfect pace. Found this to be one of the most convincingly lived-in Hindi films I’ve seen in a good long while. No one here seems like they were dropped into a scene without some level of consideration towards their internal life, and towards their place with respect to the other actors in a scene. Piku’s victories are subtle, and genuine rarities in this industry. This isn’t a tremendously ambitious movie but it is true to every inch of its modest and noble ambitions.
As a Bachchan fan, I don’t think he’s performed as effectively as he has here in ages.
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May 10, 2015 at 6:44 PM
Spoiler*
I think Deepika’s date scene could have been handled differently. She started talking about shit on a dinner table.
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May 10, 2015 at 6:49 PM
Eh, I didn’t mind that. Shit happens.
Seriously, though, I can think of so many Hindi films (even by directors I like, like Hirani) that would have made these moments less convincing, or the jokes less funny. But Sircar really set a tone in this movie that made this less of a weird gaffe. More importantly, the expressions on the guy’s face here (I think he’d agree with you that she could have handled things differently!) gets to the point I made above, that even the smallest characters here have a perspective, and the world of the movie is deepened by that.
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May 10, 2015 at 6:57 PM
Actually, it’s a moment like that that defined the unexpectedness of the movie. Not that it’s cool and unexpected that someone would talk about BM at a dinner table, but Hindi movies are not prone to showing their lead characters committing foolish faux pas like this.. Sircar and his gifted writer aren’t necessarily on his character’s side all the time and there’s something refreshing about that.
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May 10, 2015 at 7:11 PM
Spoilers*
The movie alluded to some taboo/different subjects : pre marital sex, daughter taking care of parent instead of sons, women marrying multiple times.
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May 10, 2015 at 7:11 PM
agreed with all your comments.. loved the film. Will try to say something more on this. And Kanmani for that matter!
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May 10, 2015 at 7:22 PM
left this comment on Bachchan’s blog…
[I literally just got back from Piku. I’ll have more to say on it at another point but I absolutely loved the movie! It was perfect throughout. Liked everything about the movie from the tonal consistency to the visuals of the second half to the flawless casting to the sharp dialog to the overall impressive effort on Sircar’s part (easily his best film). I could go on. And you know I’m a very hard to please fan when it comes to you. But this was very well done on your part. A role and film that I can instantly put up with your best in this late season of your career. And incidentally loved all the Bangla sprinkled throughout. Even otherwise this is one of the best contemporary efforts of the Hindi industry. Very well done throughout. And it’s much harder to pull this off sometimes when the subject isn’t otherwise a hugely ambitious one. Anyway I whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone and would go further and say that no one ought to miss it in the theater. Just the Calcutta visuals in the second half make this necessary. There are so many superb moments in the film but if I could just pick one I’d have to nominate your brief cycling bit in the second half. It really condensed the film in some ways. It’s easily Deepika Phadukone’s best outing and Irrfan Khan was super in a sort of anchor part (his deadpan was hugely effective amidst all the craziness!). Congrats on the success. You and the film and everyone associated with it deserve every bit.]
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May 10, 2015 at 7:24 PM
will try to do a proper piece on this and Kanmani.. some interesting points of contact between the two..
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May 10, 2015 at 7:29 PM
[Incidentally this Sandipan Deb story is not a bad one to complement the film:
It deals with the aftermath of a plumbing system going bust in a Calcutta building. Consequently no one is able to flush out anything. The waste just starts piling up! In the story it’s of course a kind of symptom for all kinds of cultural and political decay. But it’s also a rather humorous effort.]
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May 10, 2015 at 7:30 PM
“…. but if I could just pick one I’d have to nominate your brief cycling bit in the second half.”
This was a really wonderful moment. A joy to watch, I’m glad you highlighted it. It’s the kind of thing that a director who’s a fan of Bachchan might drop into a movie without thinking about how it fits into the big picture of the film, but Sircar’s biggest service to Bachchan is perhaps that he’s given him a character that’s placed very precisely within the tone he’s created. So few directors have done that for this giant in his late phase, so few have been this thoughtful. In fact more often than not young directors have been more concerned with paying tribute to his powers than with utilizing them, and helping them evolve.
Hope you write something on this for sure, perhaps more interested in this than Kanmani which is saying something for a Ratnam fan!
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May 10, 2015 at 7:31 PM
“Hope you write something on this for sure, perhaps more interested in this than Kanmani which is saying something for a Ratnam fan!”
I’ll agree with this if we can keep it a dirty secret..!
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May 10, 2015 at 8:19 PM
While you’re at it, give Haider a shot.
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May 10, 2015 at 8:37 PM
Ha! Yes I have to. Have had the DVD lying around for ages. But then Paradesi gives me an even guiltier conscience!
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May 10, 2015 at 8:54 PM
You know that’s a good reminder. I never ended up seeing Paradesi myself….ought to do that some time soon.
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May 10, 2015 at 9:13 PM
I’ve also intended to revisit Kadal ever since the Kanmani screening.
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May 10, 2015 at 7:56 PM
Piku
One of the biggest/real strengths is the writing here by Juhi who inserts nuances onto the i. The fact that this writing coupled with a competent director can create what appears such a ‘standout’ film in Bollywood highlights the relatively poor pervasive standards. (Though somebody has pointed out this may have been lifted from Austen!!)
It’s certainly a film much better than I expected. But not as mind blowing either (as being claimed by many here). There are multiple ‘opportunities’ wherein the maker could enter genuinely special zones but there’s too much of stress on this recent tendency of ‘diluting’ moments in the interest of flow, crispness & lack of ‘melo/doramedy’.
Irrfan is v good but tends to under act at times. Amitabh Bachchan is truly a COLOSSUS, a GIANT on WORLD cinema. Even he borders on overplaying at times and could have just toned it down one notch.
But it seems Bachchan was HELD BACK at times by an UNDER DEVELOPED role which seemed deliberately under written at times, this not being HIS film after all
There are shades bachchan could have given (& he is more than capable of delivering those knock out punches!) but there was a reluctance on both the writer, director and perhaps even bachchan himself to go beyond.
As for deepika –have a lot to say about her and this role but, well, maybe laters. -This will be a very well liked film, will cross 50 easily and likely 75 and may even skirt 85/90 cr domestic net. Families will love it but above all deepikas role may well become the POSTER GIRL of ‘modern’ INDIAN FEMINISTS –will resist more on that as of now ..
Somehow had similar feelings at points in some v good films. For eg PK. I do get sometimes this URGE to take over and CORRECT those ‘mistakes’.
Ps: these ‘mistakes’ are only relative ..the movie is certainly v good but falls just short of that ‘special” category…(for me)
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May 10, 2015 at 8:04 PM
Will add a note about most reviewers & bloggers here and elsewhere
Most can see white, black
And only v few shades of grey
(Forget fifty!)
Ps: so in a way, the maker has succeeded since what’s the use if going any deeper or upping the scales of grey when even the most ‘discerning’ are content with just the hint of grey
Ps2: the mention of FSoG here was totally incidental but one that truly exposes the lacunae of range and the competence not only in the maker but also amongst the ‘best’ of the reviewer…
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May 10, 2015 at 8:36 PM
if one is looking for ‘grey’ here I think one might have entered the wrong theater.. this isn’t that sort of film..
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May 10, 2015 at 10:17 PM
Among the stars: A realm of vanity and fear
http://www.hindustantimes.com/comment/among-the-stars-the-realm-of-vanity-and-fear/article1-1345852.aspx
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May 11, 2015 at 1:22 AM
Akshay Kumar set to gift 200 Cr to Hindi Film industry in first 5 months of 2015
– Naveen 10:50:00 am IST
At a time when other stars are trying to gain weight (how difficult that is…gosh) and learn Haryanvi, working on their Christmas releases, fighting court cases for their wrong doings and culpable homicides of men and animals,
AKSHAY KUMAR has colly netted 160Cr in 2015 and is set to close on 200 Cr. With two more movies to go, he has emerged as Hindi Film Industry ka tyohaar.
If one talks about the quality, then here too Akshay makes a killing. Both the movie enjoys extraordinary rating in imdb with over 8, surpassing the last two movies done by other stars.
Earlier media used to rate stars based on opening, only to realize that it is easy to open big if a star does one film at a time. This Mercedes Benz model of filmmaking becomes a Honda model if the quality sucks, despite the big opening.
Everyone knows that a cloudburst is not as useful as a sedate consistent monsoon. Akshay Kumar belongs to the latter category. His films are like India ka tyohaar – happening in every season.
After scoring a sixer in Baby and Gabbar is Back, he is set to rock with Brothers (Independence Day release) and Singh is Blingg (Oct 2 release). With an opening week of 60Cr guaranteed for each film, Akshay is set to cross Rs 400Cr nett in 2015.
Link- https://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/piku-gabbar-returns-the-rest-of-the-box-office/#comment-302361
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May 11, 2015 at 6:17 AM
I would agree with this article. Akshay’s recent choice of films has been good and he is very important for the industry. 4 films a year netting close to 400cr is commendable. Gabbar is all set to be a clean hit. Baby was a above average/semi-hit.
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May 11, 2015 at 1:32 AM
Naveen: Sorry. I do not share your euphoria. While saying Akshay Kumar has gifted the industry 200 cr, one has to also state how much the industry had invested in these films. Going by reports, lose to 160 cr was invested in the two films. Compare that with say Aamir Khan where the invrestment of 80 cr brings in 340 cr ( I am not even adding the international recepts). So who is bringing tyohar to Hindi films?
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May 11, 2015 at 1:57 AM
Utkal, By cost i hope you mean Distributors cost.
I do not think distributor’s cost of Akshay Kumar movie (80cr, as mentioned by you) and Aamir khan movie (80Cr as mentioned by you) can be same. Any person in business can tell you that A Merc Benz in India will always cost high but will only sell a few compared to Honda).
Why the cost gets quoted so high for an Akki film or so low for an Aamir film is a mystery. I am very happy for Aamit but i can never understand why an Akki film, which is more of a monsoon strategy, will same same as an Aamir film (which is more of a cloudburst strategy)
Realistically, i think if Aamir movie sells at 80Cr, then Akki’s movie should sell at 45-55 Cr. So i think what is quoted in media and what distributors actually pay are not same.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:04 AM
‘Why the cost gets quoted so high for an Akki film or so low for an Aamir film is a mystery.’ There is no mystery there. An Aamir film like PK can be made almost at the same production cost as an Akki film like Baby or Gabbar and can earn 6 times as much globally. That’s what matters to any industry any VC – Return on Investment.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:09 AM
So you are considering production cost? 🙂
That’s why i asked if we are in the same page as cost – Distributors cost or Production cost. You very well know that Distribution cost is what decided if a film is a hit or not.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:10 AM
Return on Investment from 4 hit films is usually more than from 1 blockbuster.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:14 AM
Shilpi Sharma, once the live-in partner of singer-actor Kamaal Khan, opened up to Mumbai Mirror about how the prime witness in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case vanished overnight, selling off the flat they shared and leaving her shattered. “He used to be disturbed about the case. He’d get agitated if I mentioned the hit-and-run case, so I never probed. I got to know him two years after the incident and the unspoken rule was that we’d never talk of it,” the report quoted Shilpi. The two met in 2004 on the sets of Rahul Rawail’s Jo Bole So Nihaal.The film marked the acting debut of both Kamaal and Shilpi, though he was already an established singer by then. “We were both starting our acting careers together and instantly connected. He was quite charming and I soon fell madly in love,” reminisced Shilpi.
The former actress admitted that days before Kamaal disappeared, the fights had become frequent. “We fought but there was an attempt to maintain stability. But one day, late in 2008, I woke up to find that Kamaal was gone. I was shocked! It took me days, even months, to come to terms with the fact. I haven’t been in a relationship since though my parents now insist that I should get married,” said an emotional Shilpi. “Kamal’s sudden disappearance caused me great embarrassment since I’d given up film offers to be with him. Maybe he had reasons. In a weird way, it gave me closure but also shattered my faith in men and relationships,” she admitted, insisting she hasn’t followed the Salman Khan trial. “Kamaal’s disappearance is as big a mystery to me as it is to anyone else. I hope he’s living a happy life. I’m trying to,” the report concluded quoting Shilpi.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/Kamaal-Khan-Lesser-known-facts-about-the-singer/photostory/47228592.cms
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May 11, 2015 at 2:16 AM
Naveen: Return on Investment from 4 hit films is usually more than from 1 blockbuster. No. Not necessarily. And Akshay’s films are not even Hit. They are so called Plus or Recovery or Flop. Ans to production or distribution cost, take any figure, and do the math for Akshay’s last 4 films and the last one film of Aamir, Salman, and Shahrukh and you will see where each one stands with resoect to RoI.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:30 AM
Utkal, let me take it one by one.
[1] Cost of Akshay and Aamir films are same
So you logic of production costs is not correst because Aamit may make a film at the same cost as Akshay, but they are definitely sold at higher price. However market reports both Akshay as well as Aamit film at the same Distributor’s cost. This is a sham and cannot be true.
Now based on this, they decides profitability. So if the distributor cost quoted high for Akshay or low for Aamit, profitabilty gets a question mark. I am damn sure that Distributor cost of Akki films are quoted high or Aamit films lowere than they actually are.
[2] Return on Investment:
ROI per film or ROI per quarter? For most ROI per film is important. But for industry ROI per quarter is very important. It is to these market that Akshay plays.
Isn’t that important…of course they are. Akshay provides that.
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May 12, 2015 at 1:00 AM
Thanks for agreeing.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:19 AM
Amma is back with a bang.
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May 11, 2015 at 2:30 AM
Mothers day in Chennai today – Gabbar ki Amma is Back
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May 11, 2015 at 3:07 AM
Comment of the day!
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May 11, 2015 at 3:07 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/topoverseasopeningweekendspikutops#.VVBUvFKCwqE
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May 11, 2015 at 3:11 AM
Piku Has Good Weekend And Very Strong Trend
Monday 11 May 2015 10.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku had a good weekend of around 24.50 crore nett and the trend was very strong with extraordinary growth on Saturday and very good growth on Sunday. The trending is the best of the year barring Dum Laga Ke Haisha but that film was at very low levels and it is easier with low collections.
The business of the film was led by the major metros of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Bangalore but on Sunday multiplexes all over were good. The few single screens it has released on have not done well but that is does not matter much when multiplexes show this type of growth. The business in West Bengal is better than Gabbar Is Back released last week and that film had the biggest weekend of the year in that circuit.
It is rare that film a film taking a five crore nett opening day ends up doing an eleven crore Sunday. The film should hold well on Monday especially after the growth on Sunday as some films manage to show huge jump on Saturday but are then flat on Sunday.
The other release of the week Kuch Kuch Locha Hai was very dull with around 2.25 crore nett business over the weekend.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:12 AM
Top Overseas Opening Weekends – Piku Tops
Monday 11 May 2015 11.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku has done well in Overseas with the two biggest markets US/Canada and Gulf collecting very well. The weekend business in Gulf over the Thu-Sat period was $650k aporx while the figures in US/Canada will be even better. The top five Overseas openers of 2015 are as follows.
1. Piku – $2,100,000 apprx
2. Gabbar Is Back – $1,480,000
3. Baby – $1,230,000
4. Tevar – $1,070,000
5. Roy – $900,000
The film is the first film of 2015 to hit the $2 million mark. Piku will easily emerge the biggest grosser overseas as the film will do very good lifetime business in US/Canada.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:13 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 21m 21 minutes ago
Day 1: ₹ 5.32 cr … 3-day weekend: ₹ 25.22 cr … Just look at the REMARKABLE growth in the biz of #Piku. Proves yet again CONTENT is KING.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 19m 19 minutes ago
#Piku witnesses PHENOMENAL growth on Sun. Fri 5.32 cr, Sat 8.70 cr, Sun 11.20 cr. Total: ₹ 25.22 cr. India biz. Take a bow, Team #Piku.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:12 AM
http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-popular/first-look-priyanka-chopras-cop-avatar-in-gangaajal-2/
Priyanka’s cop look.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:12 AM
Gabbar Is Back Set To Be Top Grosser Of Year
Monday 11 May 2015 11.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Gabbar Is Back did well in its second weekend with business of around 12.75 crore nett which is a drop of around 67% from the first weekend. The total is 72 crore nett in ten days and the film is course to be the biggest grosser of 2015.
The film may even emerge the first rea hit of the year but depends as the 40 crore distributor share is there but it has to go over 45 crore to be a hit and for that it has get numbers in week three and week four. the film did get some competition from Piku from Saturday onwards but as the business in premium multiplexes was that great anyway it did not make much difference to the film.
The film is already the biggest grosser of 2015 in Rajasthan, CP Berar, CI, Nizam/ Andhra, Bihar, Assam and Orissa. Delhi/UP should also become number one by the end of the week.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:14 AM
Piku Scores, Gabbar Roars, Kuch Kuch Locha Hai Sobs | Box Office Report
http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/piku-scores-gabbar-roars-kuch-kuch-locha-hai-sobs-box-office-report/
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May 11, 2015 at 3:21 AM
Wonderful write up on Piku by Jai Arjun Sigh.
And there is Bachchan, of course. In the past couple of decades there has been much talk about AB’s passage from the anti-authority hero of the 1970s, champion of the downtrodden (onscreen), to a symbol of benevolent authoritarianism himself (on and off screen). But who knew, back in the day when we were kids imagining ourselves as leather-jacketed Sikandar on the motorbike singing “Rote huay aate hain sab…”, that one day we would see the 70-year-old version of that fate-conqueror complaining that his bowel is dispensing “one small piece at a time” – and that we would STILL cheer for him. Well, fans grow older – and wiser – too.
http://jaiarjun.blogspot.in/
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May 11, 2015 at 5:37 AM
Piku’s trending over the week-end is phenomenal. Looks like one real bitter pill for BOI to swallow!
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May 11, 2015 at 10:28 AM
Rangan’s dissent on Gabbar:
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May 11, 2015 at 3:05 PM
Piku verdict-
After Utkal’s review and overwhelming bias for PIKU, I am bit shy as well as shocked to let all know that:
PIKU is an average film with excellent acting. Good watch on TV, paisa waste in theatre. It was boring in parts despite me loving movies set in Kolkata. Ending was average again. In a nut shell Paisa waste. Most likely uncle-aunty types will like it more.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:10 PM
Agreed. We all here are either uncles or aunties, though some of us, because of age, don’t yet have nieces…
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May 11, 2015 at 3:22 PM
Sorry AnJo if I offended anyone by saying uncle aunty types… But I really meant those who like TV serial in Zindagi channel. They look quite life like and so is PIKU.
I know one day I shall watch Zindagi channel too… But aaj nahin.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:39 PM
I have now read through most of the positive feedback on PIKU given in this thread. Almost 90% is about excellent acting done by Amitabh, Irfaan and Deepika and I totally agree. In my verdict above, I do mention that the movie has brilliant acting.
However very few lines are written about the movie itself. This supports my view when I say PIKU is an average film with brilliant acting.
Satyam mentioned about the cycling scene. I think that was the only scene when Amitabh was at his best. Maybe that’s the reason.
Irfan and Deepika should have been given more role together and imo the writing failed in this department. It did not do justice to any of the character and could not build on deep relationships which it was capable of.
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May 11, 2015 at 3:48 PM
naveen,
piku is liked by the masses,overseas has also beaten akkis gabbar is back,tell you the truth ,gabbar is back was some how awful ,watching piku tomorrow because today it was ” sold out” piku is liked by 8/10…if it was average then it would have dropped by saturday evening but it picked up by 6o% is real proof that it is an instant hit…better then gabbar is back…
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May 11, 2015 at 4:08 PM
What has Gabbar movie to do with this? Chillax Vijay and watch PIKU.
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May 11, 2015 at 4:11 PM
Next week if I Like or don’t like Bombay Velvet then what will you say?
And FYKI, I never said PIKU is bad nor I am comparing it with any other movie.
😛
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May 11, 2015 at 4:14 PM
BOI- PIKU holds very strongly on Monday
Piku has held up very well on Monday with collections set to be around 4.25 crore nett range. It will be a drop of just 10-15% from Friday. The film is looking at a 40 crore nett apprx first week.
The film has found appreciation amongst the multiplex audience especially the premium ones in the metros. The chains with the most premium multiplexes like PVR, Inox and DT look set to record more or equal footfalls to the first day as tickets rates drop on Monday but the drop in collections will be less than the ticket rate drop. These cinemas normally show the biggest falls on Monday as working day big drops in ticket rates but with Piku they have had an excellent hold.
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May 11, 2015 at 4:16 PM
PIKU is all set to be a blockbuster with brilliant trending and WOM.
Power to BigB, Irrfan and Deepika who is in title role.
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May 11, 2015 at 5:43 PM
My views on PIKU
Seems redundant to say much after what has already been said. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Very nicely done. Not overly ambitious but highly satisfying. Amitabh and Irfan are superlative and DEepika not too far behind. Definitely her best outing IMO.
Definite a lot of potty references but not at all offensive. Shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing the movie. I think it is to the directors credit that inspite of not having an abundance of blissful moments, it keeps you rewardingly engaged. Contrary to what some have suggested , it is not about a dysfunctional relationship. Hard to characterize the father- daughter relationship. It is certainly not normal but Deepika obviously cares for him while he behaves like a self absorbed kid.
The end was a little abrupt and unexpected.
This certai would not have worked with lesser performers. Amitabh has nailed it and cannot imagine anyone else being able to carry it of. It is not his film or Deepika’s. I think all three own it.
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May 11, 2015 at 5:46 PM
Still somewhat pleasantly surprised at the BO.
Wouldn’t have thought something like this would be so well received. Not a reflection on the film but the audience.
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May 11, 2015 at 5:55 PM
Is this movie similar to Finding Fanny?
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May 11, 2015 at 6:27 PM
true.. the film has definitely struck a chord…
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May 11, 2015 at 6:31 PM
Bachchan mentioned elsewhere today that Zanjeer also released in May roughly around the same date as Piku. Here is once more 42 years after that film still enjoying success, still being critically lionized. Awful as it must have been to be his peer it’s perhaps even more terrible to belong to one of the generations following his. He clearly cannot dominate the box office as he did once, he clearly decided not to go down the masala circus path either but is there any star even today who seems more defining on the Bombay horizon than him?!
In our past lives we used to ‘debate’ with misguided folks about his hits today and what not. I remember saying Black followed x years after Zanjeer or Paa followed y years after the same. Well we’re still counting! And he’s still working with some of the brightest young talents.
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May 11, 2015 at 6:41 PM
And it should also open up the eyes and brains – in whichever order – of those folks who come up with a Ramanujan-esque genius formula of comparison – Is Rajnikanth @ 60 > = Amitabh @ 60???
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May 11, 2015 at 6:21 PM
This is the key “Not overly ambitious but highly satisfying.”. It certainly is not a masterpiece but very effective cinema.
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May 11, 2015 at 6:27 PM
the end was a bit abrupt but perhaps in keeping with the quirkiness throughout. And here what was most impressive was that Sircar completely avoided the temptation to introduce a Karan Johar ending of some sort. But you’ve characterized it perfectly. I’d just add that to pull off this sort of thing requires a skillful effort by the director and of course enough chemistry from the performers. Again agree with everything you’ve said.
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May 12, 2015 at 8:13 AM
Glad to see that you and GF have liked the film (hoping that the promised piece on the film will be posted in the coming days). I enjoyed this thoroughly and liked a Bachchan performance after a long, long time. I do wish though that the plot had a little more meat (one of the reasons why I preferred Ankhon Dekhi to this, was that that one never felt like a “light” film). But there is lots to enjoy here, it’s one of the rare comedies from contemporary Bollywood where the comedy is genuinely funny throughout. More than anything, Piku is an excellent comedy. Also I liked the entire Delhi (C.R. Park) ambience. With Piku and Ankhon Dekhi we have had two fine Delhi films in successive years
“the end was a bit abrupt but perhaps in keeping with the quirkiness throughout”-
True. And notice how Balki messed up the ending of Shamitabh. Found that climactic twist quite forced as well (seemed more in line with Tamil cinema than anything else)
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May 12, 2015 at 8:20 AM
Apart from Haider, I hope you watch the last two Mysskin films (Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum and Pisaasu, the latter was the best Tamil film of last year IMO).
The best Indian film (I haven’t seen Court) I have seen this year is Qissa though.
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May 12, 2015 at 9:25 AM
yes I have those on my radar.. thanks.. I must I’m really interested in Court most of all but unlikely to get the chance to see it any time soon.
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May 12, 2015 at 9:21 AM
I didn’t like Shamitabh at all. Thought this was a total misfire from Balki.
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May 11, 2015 at 6:28 PM
Very sad news..RIP Hi-fi..
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/Atif-Aslam-Lesser-known-facts/photostory/47231878.cms
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May 11, 2015 at 6:35 PM
Piku Has Very Strong Hold On Monday
Monday 11 May 2015 23.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku has held up very well on Monday with collections set to be around 4.25 crore nett range. It will be a drop of just 10-15% from Friday. The film is looking at a 40 crore nett apprx first week.
The film has found appreciation amongst the multiplex audience especially the premium ones in the metros. The chains with the most premium multiplexes like PVR, Inox and DT look set to record more or equal footfalls to the first day as tickets rates drop on Monday but the drop in collections will be less than the ticket rate drop. These cinemas normally show the biggest falls on Monday as working day big drops in ticket rates but with Piku they have had an excellent hold.
It film will have a total of 29 crore nett after four days and this may not be a big total but is fantastic considering the opening day was just 5 crore nett.. It has done six times opening day business in four days.
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May 11, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Slightly disappointed with this. I was expecting more than 5 crs. Now 100 crs will be difficult.
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May 11, 2015 at 8:34 PM
100 cr was never on the cards, no popular music or absence of one crowd pulling name, it would be out of this world trending.
70 is more realistic scenario, and that would be very good trending aswell.
A real good trending these days is making 3 times of weekend business. with 24 cr weekend, if it makes 70 cr. That will be big and clean hit too.
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May 11, 2015 at 8:50 PM
I understand that, but I sensed a Queen kind of deal here…With a Queen kind of deal you can have a second week around 30 crores after doing a first week of 40 crores..I was quite hopeful that this will go that way..
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May 11, 2015 at 10:05 PM
Queen kind of trending is more possible on lower numbers and i think queen was more commercial subject with moderately popular songs.
Dum laga ke had queen kind of trending, but its first day was half of queen.
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May 12, 2015 at 12:24 AM
Queen was not more commercial than Piku… But was far more entertaining
However PIKU can match that figure as it is a family film and they are loving it.
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May 11, 2015 at 8:37 PM
And dont forget BV and TWM2 are releasing next. Every week there is a big movie for multiplex audience.
If BV clicks big time, piku will struggle to make 60 cr total.
But Somehow, i have feeling BV will sink big time.
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May 11, 2015 at 6:51 PM
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May 12, 2015 at 2:54 AM
BOI: Gabbar Is Back Second Monday Business
Gabbar Is Back continued it’s decent run on it’d second Monday grossing around 1.75 crore nett. The approx first four day business of Gabbar Is Back in week two is as follows.
Friday – 2,75,00,000
Saturday – 4,25,00,000
Sunday – 5,50,00,000
Monday -1,75,00,000 apprx
TOTAL – 14,25,00,000
The second week will gross around 19 crore nett which would be highest week two collection of the year. The film will be at around 78 crore nett after two weeks.
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May 12, 2015 at 2:55 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/pikufirstmondaybusiness#.VVGjfI6qpBc
BOI: Piku First Monday Business
Piku showed huge growth of 65% plus on Saturday which is extraordinary. It is very rare that this sort of growth happens. The first day business hardly gave the film a chance but day the phenomenal growth on day two has changed the scenario.The approx first four day business of Piku is as follows.
Friday – 5,00,00,000
Saturday – 8,50,00,000
Sunday – 11,00,00,000
Monday – 4,25,00,000
TOTAL – 28,75,00,000
The film will have the third highest first week collection of the year as it head towards a 40 crore nett first week total
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May 12, 2015 at 4:38 AM
Happy to see piku doing well and the orgasmic celebration by feminists (pun also intended!) –it’s well deserved…
Don’t wanna spoil the ‘party’
But a contrarian view —
These are NOT my views but by some nivedita mishra
Contrarian view: What’s so ‘independent’ about Piku?
Nivedita Mishra, Hindustan Times, New Delhi| Updated: May 11, 2015 16:11 IST
First the positives about Piku–what an original screenplay and how engaging a content with so little drama! Trust Juhi Chaturvedi and Shoojit Sircar to come up with a refreshingly new story after Vicky Donor. With credible performances, Piku is definitely on its way to becoming a hit. Even the dialogues seem to come straight out of our daily lives. But, in effect, this remains a very upper middle-class urban life tale.
The film has received rave reviews for its modern and feminist portrayal of contemporary life. But is Piku really as ‘fiercely independent’ as she is made out to be? Few reasons why Piku is a privileged woman and can afford to be ‘Piku Banerjee’.
Independent, really?
Piku is introduced to us as a young independent woman living in South Delhi’s CR Park. It’s quite obvious that she is a privileged South Delhi girl from an upper middle class Bengali family. For a woman like that, isn’t it easy being ‘fiercely independent’? Does she ever have to travel in public transport (auto, DTC bus, for instance) to know what it feels to be at the receiving end of a lecher and groped by a man? Would Piku ever go house-hunting in any of the many nagars that dot the city, for instance, and expect to be told bluntly — no boyfriends allowed, no late nights? Why, even the house she lives in is her father’s. Living in a semi feudal Delhi without the cushion of wealth and the privileges can be a totally different story.
All those benign men…
Piku has some luck — how is it that she is surrounded by such benign and forever acquiescing men? Her friend and partner in the ad firm she works in, played by Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta, is almost an apologetic co-worker. Irrfan, with whom she eventually falls in love, is no lame duck but he too gives in every now and then. Hasn’t this ‘dil ki burri nahin hai’ bit been stretched? And her uncle (kaku in Kolkata) — what an apology of a character!
The only man who actually gives her the most trying time of her life is her father. Come to think of it, Amitabh Bachchan’s Bhaskor Banerjee is the real ‘feminist’ in the film — he isn’t against his daughter marrying; he detests the idea of her ‘surrendering’ her aspirations at the altar. And that’s his belief for all of womankind — doesn’t he admonish his sister-in-law in Kolkata for tamely giving in to family demands and leaving her job?
What is this canard of single-handedly managing a home?
This writer recalls reading in one of the many reviews how Piku Banerjee manages a home and job with admirable ease. Seriously? With a full-time ‘man-maid’ at the beck and call of the senior Banerjee and with a housemaid (well, one who does leave during the course of the film though), life can’t be that difficult, can it?
Without a support system, life in ‘unforgiving’ Delhi can be tough for a middle-class girl. And Piku wouldn’t know it and this is romantic cinema, after all!
Ps: lol @ all those benign (read ’emasculated’ men!)
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May 12, 2015 at 4:41 AM
“Krish Says:
May 11, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Slightly disappointed with this. I was expecting more than 5 crs. Now 100 crs will be difficult.”
Haha some chaps never learn…read my note above
Ps: nee-na seems interesting & who are these lead actresses?
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May 12, 2015 at 5:01 AM
Btw credit where it’s due
Deepika sports an ABSOLUTELY NO MAKEUP look
And the styling is REAL, ‘natural’
‘Modern’ meets ethnic
Can’t rule out fashion lines copying this
Jeene ki ye kaise aadat lagi
Bematlab ye karze chadh gaye…..
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May 12, 2015 at 6:13 AM
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 5h5 hours ago
Really enjoyed Bombay Velvet. Such a well made film. Well done Anurag, Ranbir, @AnushkaSharma, Kay Kay, Satyadeep and @TheVivaanShah
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 5h5 hours ago
Everything about the film is pitch perfect.Every department.Such a joy to see,but not as much a joy as seeing @karanjohar make a full debut!
Abhishek Bachchan @juniorbachchan 5h5 hours ago
Add Actor to the Bio KJ. You are the surprise of BV. Biggest hug.
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May 12, 2015 at 7:41 AM
apex: So Piku is not all that independent. So?
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May 12, 2015 at 8:03 AM
“These are NOT my views but by some nivedita mishra”
Spoilers *
And by the way just curious —why the heck doesn’t deepu I mean piku drive on her own ??
The other curiosity-I missed it since busy with some thing else
In Varanasi when rana was allowed in by deepika, did they sleep 2gether? Missed that bit…..
By the way to all Pseudo LIBERALS especially like utkal uncle, ‘satyam’, ‘sanjana’ who protest at the drop of the hat over trivial things like protests over movies —
Why is there a silence over these
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/12/asia/bangladesh-blogger-killed/
Why these doubke standards ???
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May 12, 2015 at 8:32 AM
Having loved the director’s debut film “Anhe Ghore Da Daan” (which I will recommend quite strongly), I am really looking forward to this. The film is set during the Sikh separatist movement of the 1980s and has been selected to be screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year
http://vimeo.com/127110625
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May 12, 2015 at 10:48 AM
This needs more attention. Anhe Ghore Da Daan is the best film to come out of India in well over a decade. Looking forward to this.
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May 12, 2015 at 8:52 AM
http://www.india-forums.com/bollywood/hot-n-happening/52326-zanjeer-clocks-42-years-big-b-nostalgic.htm
‘Zanjeer’ clocks 42 years, Big B nostalgic
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May 12, 2015 at 9:30 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 7h 7 hours ago
#Piku continues its dream run. Mon biz is 85% of Fri biz, superb. Fri 5.32 cr, Sat 8.70 cr, Sun 11.20 cr, Mon 4.40 cr. Total: ₹ 29.62 cr.
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · May 11
#Piku is EXTRAORDINARY in international markets too. Opening weekend total: $ 2.273 million [₹ 14.52 cr]. BIGGEST OPENER 2015 Overseas.
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May 12, 2015 at 9:31 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 8h 8 hours ago
#BombayVelvet certified 15 by British censors on 11 May. Run time: 148 min 53 sec.
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May 12, 2015 at 9:31 AM
I think it was supposed to be longer initially, at least if some of the reports were true it’s been edited quite a bit.
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May 12, 2015 at 9:36 AM
Apex: Movies may be trivial for you, not for me.
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May 12, 2015 at 9:40 AM
FB Post from Gulshan Devaiah:
#BombayVelvet – very entertaining with strong performances from all, special mention for #ManishChoudhry, AK goes Tommy 2 guns blazing .
AK shows versatility as a film maker
Big thumbs up to my men Vasan Bala & Thani Mudaliar for an engaging & entertaining screenplay.
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May 12, 2015 at 10:01 AM
Apex: She does not drive to work. And you want her to drive 1500km with a 70-year old father in tow!
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May 12, 2015 at 10:13 AM
don’t mind Apex.. he’s always sore when he cannot get the deeper resonances of Krrish in other films..
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May 12, 2015 at 10:15 AM
Sujoy’s Next
by Soumita Sengupta (May 2, 2015)
Box Office India was the first one to tell you that Amitabh Bachchan has asked Sujoy Ghosh to cast Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bachchan in a film. We hear the director has started working on the script and will soon meet senior Bachchan for a narration. We have also heard that the director has already narrated the story to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has allotted his dates from October as before that he has to finish Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Raees. Nawaz wants to give his 100 per cent to the Bachchan starrer. Siddiqui is taking keen interest in every aspect of this film as he wants to make it his best performance so far.
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May 12, 2015 at 10:15 AM
this is good news though I find it were Irfan instead of Nawaz.
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May 12, 2015 at 10:51 AM
Saw Rehasya and Dum Laga key Heshiya..
Rehasya is a very well narrated movie, KK and Tisca are too good,,,, Tisca looks super namkeen in those eye wear.
Dum laga key is kind of Ankho Dekhi part 2, superb in parts
Me and my wife both had the question- that in which small town in UP in Nineties- it would have been possible to have the kind of pratiyogita that they showed in the movie- Patnee ko choo toh saktey nahee sabkey saamney, yahan toh kandhey par utha kar bhaag rahey hain !!!
Munna Bhai and Saurabh zara prakash daalo ???
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May 12, 2015 at 2:32 PM
I was more shocked at the dialogue “ab ladka sayana ho gaya hai” mom and aunt, listening outside the married son’s bedroom…which UP town is that one from?
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May 12, 2015 at 3:28 PM
Bhai yeh toh Bharat kee ghar ghar kee kahani hai …..
ab Tu khud ko hee dekh ley- Tu Kaun? Mein Khamakhan !!!
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May 12, 2015 at 9:23 PM
I googled instead.
Sandas was the Anatolian (Hittite) lion god during the Classical period. He used to be represented in association with a horned lion, and often resided inside a pyre surmounted by an eagle. Sandan was often associated to the Greek god Herakles, and sometimes to Marduk. In ceremonies, an image of the god was placed inside a pyre and was set on fire.
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May 12, 2015 at 10:57 PM
https://www.google.com/search?q=sandaas&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Xb1SVeC-K8GvsAWWjoCwDw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=375&bih=559
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May 14, 2015 at 6:11 PM
Hum roshni mei wiswaas karte hain 😉
That is true ; But within context of movie it was alright and didn’t come out as abnormal.
ps – I was looking for your question 3-4 months back when the movie released 🙂
ps1 – Rahasya is a good movie and I saw it only when I saw a comment elsewhere.
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May 12, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Kick 2 Theatrical Trailer
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May 12, 2015 at 11:01 AM
Anurag Kashyap @anuragkashyap72 · 19h 19 hours ago
The retwwets aside, Saw “Piku” today, what an awesome awesome film.. Brilliant writing @writeonj and what filmmaking @ShoojitSircar
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May 12, 2015 at 11:07 AM
sujoy ghosh @sujoy_g
· May 11
can’t get over @irrfan_k reaction to @SrBachchan rambling on about his dad & @deepikapadukone reaction when irrfan scolds AB. priceless PIKU
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May 12, 2015 at 11:18 AM
yes one of the very strong moments in the film.
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May 12, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Makes me want to go and see it and not wait for the DVD.
All my friends and relatives in India seem to have loved it.
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May 12, 2015 at 11:17 AM
this should definitely be checked out in the theater… specially for some of the Calcutta visuals in the second half..
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May 12, 2015 at 11:28 AM
Will do, was planning to watch BV while my daughter watches Pitch Perfect- 2 with her friends, but may now watch Piku.
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May 12, 2015 at 11:54 AM
The remarkable thing about Piku is I really haven’t come across anyone at all who’s truly disliked it. But secondly this film has struck a chord, rather unexpectedly. It’s not just about the numbers here, which are of course very impressive on their own.
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May 12, 2015 at 1:27 PM
It is a good watch. It has an emotional connect. It resonates with each one of us because our parents in someway are like that. It is about “loving your parents” but in non-Joharish way 😉
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May 12, 2015 at 1:43 PM
ha ha… so true…My Papa – Chacha jee had 3-4 cups of tean 3-4 rounds of Sandaas every morning !!
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May 12, 2015 at 2:33 PM
what is sandaas? San-Daas?
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May 12, 2015 at 3:26 PM
Bhai tu toh Bahut Phanni hai, AIB mein jaa kar Bakchodhi kar, shayad KhaapShyap key saath San-Dass ho jaaye !!
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May 12, 2015 at 1:44 PM
Munna- Did you read my Q re. DLKH ?
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May 12, 2015 at 4:55 PM
let me check 🙂
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May 12, 2015 at 12:43 PM
I hope you’re still writing your promised Piku/ Kanmani piece, Satyam? 🙂
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May 12, 2015 at 1:16 PM
yes it’s coming!
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May 12, 2015 at 12:47 PM
Nina Arora (wrote a couple of screenplays) put this up on facebook on ‘Piku’.
“Principal actors Amitabh, Deepika and Moushmi belong to the “projection” school so, shine, engage.
Irrfan glows like a solitary candle in the dark. Neither does he look in awe of Mr Bachchan nor does he try to upstage him. Neither does he look thrilled to bits in his first romantic role opposite a top heroine (saala main tho hero ban gaya) nor does he stand out like an arty sore thumb. He just is.
Chaudhury, an iconoclast, covering up his quiet, muddled inner world with methodical cynicism until a collision with the external world, the mad, mad, mad world of Piku explodes the walls between his inner and outer worlds. And suddenly, it seems perfectly natural to stand on the threshold of possibilities, not quite inside the gate as yet but not an outsider any more either. The last scene is just brilliant.
I think the story is told from Chaudhury’s pov tho not for a moment does he thrust that down your gullet. Yes, Irrfan’s unobtrusive incandescence is easy to take for granted in a bright, noisy frame but long after you’ve met the eccentric Bangalee brigade, laughed out loud, understood them perfectly, you want to know more about the much-left-unsaid trio of Chaudhury, Doctor and Budhhan.
Felt very moved and nostalgic about all things Bengalee, parent-child complexities, a girl who screams because she cares too much to give up but is human enough to resent the emotional blackmail. Calcutta- oh shucks is that a tram? – Shoojit’s Benhalee sensitivity, sensibilitiies saved from self-conscious superscliousness by his sense of humour (“are you sure you’re not Bengalee?” As a supreme compliment!!!) – moved me deeply in the last half hour.
I won’t say its a great movie, certainly not as good as Vicky Donor but I will say that Shoojit Sircar and Juhi Chaturvedi are today’s Hrishikesh Mukherjee-Gulzar combo.
Juhi Chaturvedi is, of course the revelation of this century- easily the best writer in Hindi films. Thinking how to get her autograph.”
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May 12, 2015 at 1:45 PM
Very interesting perspective from Nina Arora. In fact, it is the major, major strength of the film, this perfectly balanced triangle made up of Bahskor Banerjee, Piku and Rana Chadhury, each carrying its own weight and significance and inner universe.
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May 12, 2015 at 2:13 PM
PIku is holding very well on Tuesday. Collections might be better than Monday, 4.5+ Cr. First week will be in the range of 41 to 43 Cr
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May 12, 2015 at 2:36 PM
MY TAKE ON ‘PIKU’
Acceptance, is the bedrock of every relationship. Acceptance demands emotional maturity to put up with the moods and vagaries of the other. Vagaries could be manifold, emotional upheavals, irrationality, over reactions and inconvenient physical infirmity. We believe we can choose relationships that would not demand acceptance, for its viability, but this does not happen. With house comes landlord, with spouse comes in-laws, with job comes boss, with bank interest comes TDS. Moreover, we can’t choose parents and siblings and it takes two and half decades, for most sensible parents to realise how thankless, parenting enterprise was. Acceptance should not be misconstrued as compromise, as acceptance is unconditional, compromise isn’t. Acceptance strengthens our character compromise makes us hollow, meek. And it is only through this unconditional acceptance one comes upon this elusive, precious, human emotion, love.
Piku is a tale of struggles of a young, sassy, uninhibited daughter to accept the idiosyncrasies of her self-obsessed, hypochondriac, unreasonable yet endearing, aging father. Piku, the eponymous protagonist, is concious of responsibilities that are expected from a daughter. She wants to fulfill them with the best of her abilities. But, with a incorrigible father it’s not easy for her to accomplish this task, of putting up with his impetuousness, though she remains determined. The movie applauds her for this very determination. As the movie progresses, it brings in a new entrant, an unbiased observant, who provides their love-hate relationship, a fresh perspective. And unknowingly and seamleassly a new relationship brews between him and Piku. The unknowingness of their sublime love is so reminiscent of Faiz’s masterpiece couplet, in which he likens himself to barren land, in which budding flowers, go unnoticed, during spring.*
The movie portrays the chemistry, between each of these characters, in a charming, believable style, with which the audience can easily relate. The characters do not put up, a polished veneer, that most film scripts expect from their actors, facing the camera. Similar to what we do, when a guest walks into our home, amidst domestic brawl. But at places, their conversions get tad puerile making this candidness looks contrived. This is, perhaps, only failing in an otherwise, well scripted, slice of life, flick.
Piku’s world is quintessentially Bengali. Pictures of their revered masters (Tagore and Ramkrishna Pramhans) and garish (à la Jamini Roy) paintings adorning their walls , filigree rangolied floor, pastel shade houses, well carved four poster beds with bolsters, take you straight within a traditional Bengali house. And her family is as boisterous and warm, as Bengalis are. The movie captures the flavours of Kolkata and Chitranjan Park, Delhi, quiet remarkably. This, anyway, would have been expected from this fine Bengali director, hailing from Barrackpore, Kolkata. You could feel the pungency of mustard oil tinged, Jhal-Muri and sweetness of Miti-Doi and subtleness of date-jaggery made Gude-Sandesh, throughout the film.
Irafan Khan and Deepika, both, could effortlessly slip get into the skin of their characters. You never like the constipated Amitabh as Piku’s father, but that is what he was meant to be, a non likeable character. So were Irfan’s family members. The movies background score, light Indian classical based intumental melodies, all along the film, kept the film’s mood, lively, as that is what the this film was meant to be, lively.
A truly lively experience!
————————————————-
* Raat yun dil mein teri, khoyi hui yaad aayi
Jaise viraane mein chupke se bahaar aa jaye
Jaise sahraon mein haule se chale baad-ae-naseem
Jaise bimaar ko be-wajaah quraar aa jaaye
*Last night your faded memory came to me
As in the wilderness spring comes, quietly,
As, slowly, in the desert, moves the breeze,
As, to a sick man, without cause, comes peace.
Translation: Vikram Seth.
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May 12, 2015 at 3:57 PM
PIKU US gross for weekend comes in at $938,938. Very strong performance and much more than the earlier estimate of $551k
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May 12, 2015 at 4:29 PM
C’mon Barcelona! Don’t start giving Bayern ideas! Even if it’s the 84th min!
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May 12, 2015 at 4:42 PM
alright it’s done.. was always going to be extremely hard after that first game for Bayern..
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May 12, 2015 at 4:54 PM
As soon as Barca scored first goal the series was won.
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May 12, 2015 at 5:04 PM
true it became even more improbable after that. I was never worried as such but I wasn’t happy with those second and third Bayern goals relatively quickly.
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May 12, 2015 at 5:25 PM
Great to see PIKU doing well. Was travelling and got a chance to see it in Northern Virginia in a packed theater in Sterling. Enjoyed the movie and gave me a glimpse of Hrishikesh Mukherjee/BB style of film making, simple and engaging. Will go on to do well and win awards i hope.
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May 12, 2015 at 8:32 PM
PK releasing in china on 3500 screens! http://www.mumbaimirror.com/entertainment/bollywood/Now-Aamir-heads-to-China/articleshow/47255562.cms
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May 12, 2015 at 11:18 PM
OK Kanmani fever seems to be over and Piku fever seems to be in.
Reminds me of Kahani and EV. Especially EV where domesticity of Sridevi was celebrated.
Next week?
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May 13, 2015 at 4:52 AM
😦
http://m.ndtv.com/world-news/at-least-41-killed-in-karachi-after-bikers-open-fire-on-bus-762683
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May 13, 2015 at 5:08 AM
Natural disasters and manmade disasters! Very sad news. Very terrible too.
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May 14, 2015 at 4:20 AM
http://tribune.com.pk/story/885824/failing-city-children-return-from-school-to-grief-stricken-parents/
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May 13, 2015 at 6:41 AM
Piku First Tuesday Business
Wednesday 13 May 2015 12.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Piku held up very on Tuesday with a very limited drop on Tuesday.The approx first five day business of Piku is as follows.
Friday – 5,00,00,000
Saturday – 8,50,00,000
Sunday – 11,00,00,000
Monday – 4,25,00,000
Tuesday – 3,75,00,000
TOTAL – 32,50,00,000
The film is heading for a 39-40 crore nett first week and with weekdays showing strong trend it should hold well in week two despite release of Bombay Velvet though weaker competition could have really pushed the business further.
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May 13, 2015 at 6:41 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh · 3h 3 hours ago
#Piku continues its VICTORY MARCH on weekdays! Fri 5.32 cr, Sat 8.70 cr, Sun 11.20 cr, Mon 4.40 cr, Tue 4.10 cr. Total: ₹ 33.72 cr.
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May 13, 2015 at 7:08 AM
Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders Summoned by Enforcement Directorate
All India | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: May 13, 2015 13:45 IST
MUMBAI: Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricket franchise has reportedly been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged forex violations.
Sources say the management of the Indian Premier League team has been asked to appear for questioning by this month-end on allegations that shares were undervalued. Mr Khan’s co-owners in the franchise are his wife Gauri, industrialist Jai Mehta and his wife, actor Juhi Chawla.
Mr Khan’s office has denied receiving any notice from the directorate. Any notice, his manager said, would go to KKR and not individuals.
The 49-year-old star was questioned four years ago in Mumbai on money illegally flowing into the multimillion dollar cricket league from foreign tax havens during the second season.
Sources say the actor was then asked to submit documents relating to the buying of players, advertising, revenue and the share holding pattern of his franchise.
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May 13, 2015 at 9:16 AM
Is there anything more obscene than this law?
No Smoking ticker from first frame to last in Bombay VelvetBy Bollywood Hungama News Network, May 13, 2015 – 11:19 hrs IST
Anurag Kashyap who fought tooth and nail to remove the mandatory anti-smoking warnings from his last film and was even willing to go all the way to the Supreme Court to prevent the statutory anti-smoking warnings from making their way into his film has agreed to let the anti-smoking ticker play throughout his new film Bombay Velvet.
A reliable source from the censor board informs, “Bombay Velvet is set in the 1960s when smoking was considered fashionable in society and in films. The film is shot in smoky clubs with one or the other character constantly lighting up a cigarette. In terms of the smoky ambience Bombay Velvet is like Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar or Chetan Anand’s Taxi Driver… Considering the number of times the characters light up in Bombay Velvet it would have been very distracting to have the anti-smoking ticker coming and going… far less distracting to just have the warning playing continuously in a small corner.”
On the other hand we also hear that Siddharth Basu who was seen playing the role of Robin Dutt in John Abraham’s film Madras Cafe will be seen playing an important character in Bombay Velvet. While casting director Mukesh Chhabra will be seen doing a cameo in the film. However details of their roles are still unavailable.
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May 13, 2015 at 11:24 AM
Trisha Gupta’s Mumbai Mirror column on ‘Piku’ – Slice of life, served warm
By the time you read this, you would have heard and watched the PR machinery grinding away for days, anointing director Shoojit Sircar as the new Hrishikesh Mukherjee. While this is only a symptom of how desperate we are for labels (and maybe of how much we secretly miss ‘Hrishi Da’), Sircar has done something that counts as a rather fun tribute to Mukherjee. He’s taken Bachchan’s original quick-tempered, reserved 30-year-old Bhaskar Banerjee of Anand (1971), and aged him into the crabbily eccentric, garrulous 70-year-old Bhaskor Banerjee of Piku. More amusingly, the hypochondria of richer patients like Asit Sen’s Seth Chandranath, that so annoyed Bachchan as a young doctor in Anand, has now become his own. The new old Bhaskor, nursing his boxful of homeopathic tablets as close as his now-generous paunch, lives in Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park and spells his first name with a deliberately underlined Bengali ‘o’. (That ‘o’ is a sign for you to wonder: did Amitabh Bachchan make a better Bengali when he wasn’t trying so hard to play one?)
This is Sircar’s second cinematic take on Dilli Bangalis. The first, Vicky Donor (2012), which still remains his finest film by far, had Ayushman Khurrana’s persistent Lajpat Punjabi boy woo Yami Gautam’s gently dignified Ashima Roy, resulting in wedding negotiations that bring out each community’s most ungenerous view of the other: superior, killjoy Bengalis believe they’re being forced to deal with moonhphat money-minded Punjabis — and vice versa. But despite Sircar’s penchant for broad stereotype, his affection for his characters shone through, as it does in Piku.
Here, Sircar seems to suggest that Padukone is a Delhi girl, her Bengaliness expressed as culture and not as language—note the scene where she dismisses a potential suitor for not having watch any Ray films. But even if she were cast as a Hauz Khas Enclave girl instead of a Chittaranjan Park one, Padukone’s Bangaliyana would be too little, and Bachchan’s too much. Still, despite Bachchan’s overdone accent, I didn’t completely cringe at the jaanishes that occasionally punctuate the father-daughter conversations. And drawing my half-Bengali self up to the full height of its limited authority, I shall vouch for the joyful appropriateness of both the Bangla song references: the playfully romantic Hemanta-Sandhya Mukherjee song from the Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen classic Saptapadi (1961) ‘Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoye’ [‘What if this road were to never end’], which Bhaskor breaks into on their already interminable road journey, and Manna Dey’s cheerful ‘Jeebone ki paabo na, bhulecchi shey bhabona’ [‘What I won’t find in life, I’ve stopped thinking about that’] to which a tipsy Bhaskor shakes a leg in much the spirit of Soumitra Chatterjee’s original twist in the 1969 film Teen Bhuboner Paarey.
But the Bengaliness in Piku is at its best when least remarked upon: such as the fact that ‘Piku’ is what Padukone’s character is known by, not just to family and friends, but pretty much to everyone. Colleagues and cowering taxi drivers alike call her Piku Madam, anointing with respectable publicness what would otherwise be *just* a nickname. There is probably a long and impressive bhalo naam, but it’s so long and impressive that no-one ever uses it. I also loved the non-underlined way in which Sircar uses a ridiculous battle over a knife: it was about an old man’s stubbornness, but it was also a gentle suggestion that what Hindi belt masculinity might consider a way of keeping safe (having a weapon in the car) is, to the Bengali bhadralok, a source of clear and present danger. Another aspect of Bengaliness that the film quietly demonstrates is the family conversation as argument, with people quite happy to cut across each other and squabble joyfully over pointless things. (I must mention here that Moushumi Chatterjee, as Piku’s aunt Chhobi Mashi, is an absolute gem. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this grown-up, un-coy version of the actress in two wonderful Aparna Sen films, The Japanese Wife and Goynar Baksho, and I’m waiting for Hindi cinema to give her a truly meaty role to sink her teeth into.)
What’s best about Piku, though, is not its droll Bengaliness, or its unending succession of alimentary conversations (which are not half as bad as I expected, and even contain some useful homespun wisdom on bowel-clearing from Irrfan Khan’s fantastically wry Rana). It is the film’s affecting ability to draw out our complicated feelings about our parents—the frustration at their embarrassing quirks, the reversal of positions that becomes inevitable as they age, and the fierce protectiveness with which we guard them from the criticisms of others. Piku’s combination of annoyance and amusement, of being weighed down and standing tall alone, will strike a chord with every middle-aged person who’s taken care of an irritable parent (often a parent irritable at having to be taken care of).
There is also the un-heavy-handed, thoroughly endearing way the film deals with the subject of ageing and death. Irrfan, playing a taxi company owner who ends up driving Bhaskor, Piku and their Man Friday Budhan (the servants in this film could do with a separate column) to Calcutta, gets some of the best lines: “Tapak gaye toh Banaras jaisi koi jagah nahin,” he announces as they drive past the city Hindus consider the holiest place to die. But to see how to meet death with a twinkle in your eye, you have to see the film. Perhaps it is an Anand homage, after all.
http://trishagupta.blogspot.in/2015/05/slice-of-life-served-warm.html
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May 13, 2015 at 1:13 PM
Piku Total 1st week Box Office Collection
piku 1st Day Box Office Collection : 5.32 crore (approx)
piku 2nd Day Box Office Collection : 8.70 crore (approx)
piku 3rd Day Box Office Collection : 11.20 crore (approx)
piku 4th Day Box Office Collection : 4.40 crore (approx)
piku 5th Day Box Office Collection : 4.10 crore (approx)
piku 6th Day Box Office Collection : 04 crore (approx)
Piku movie 1st Week Box Office Collection Income : 37.72 crore (approximately).
http://www.theindiantalks.com/news/piku-movie-6th-day-1st-week-box-office-collection-report/
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May 13, 2015 at 1:17 PM
if piku sustains its momentum through out for another 2 weeks ,its should do atleast…70-80cr
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May 13, 2015 at 3:27 PM
Karan Johar @karanjohar May 8
140 characters to describe the most wonderful film I have seen this year is not enough…#Piku is all heart and stomach…..and so much more
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May 14, 2015 at 12:56 AM
http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-popular/first-look-poster-of-guddu-rangeela-ft-arshad-amit-aditi/
First Look Poster Of Guddu Rangeela | Ft. Arshad, Amit, Aditi
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May 14, 2015 at 1:23 AM
YJHD pair cutting each other from this friday onwards! Who will have the,last laugh?
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May 14, 2015 at 1:35 AM
I set aside my misgivings about the crass humour and watched Piku yesterday. I enjoyed the exquisitely crafted, three-dimensional characters and the stellar performances but not much else. Piku was such a lovingly detailed character, embellished with several humanising touches that we so rarely see in our heroines and Deepika brought her to life beautifully. Irrfan played Rana with his signature understated elegance, providing a much needed reprieve from the fiery abrasiveness of the other two leads.
As for Bhaskor, I appreciated that they don’t take the easy way out and turn him into a filmi father. My problem is that the film was a little *too* convincing in showing him to be a irascible, selfish and rather insecure old man. Bachchan’s exuberantly prickly performance would have been hilarious if Bhaskor was meant to be little more than a comic relief curmudgeon. But considering that he is a central protagonist of a father-daughter story, I thought Bachchan could have portrayed Bhaskor with a (much) softer touch, infusing the role with a little more vulnerability and grace.
The claustrophobia of Piku’s life, with her father’s whinging voice following her around the house and his insalubrious updates constantly impinging on her work was quite exhausting to watch. She might seem independent on the surface, but the fact remains that she largely acquiesced to her father’s extremely unreasonable behaviour. Not that this behaviour is surprising in itself: filial piety is perhaps the most fundamental value of any Indian and it often puts people in tricky situations because parents aren’t always the paragons of selfless virtues that they are supposed to me.
To showcase this flawed side to a parent-child bond could have been a refreshing diversion from the norm. Alas, the film doesn’t go the full distance and takes an ultimately sentimental view of Piku and Bhaskor’s relationship, wanting us to believe that he is a roguish but immensely loveable man. I would have enjoyed the film a good deal more had it taken a Little Miss Sunshine sort of approach where it revelled in the fallibles of its characters and the dysfunctionality of their relationships. And so, my search for an enjoyable Bollywood father-daughter story continues…
On a side note, I certainly wouldn’t call Bhaskor a feminist. The film quite strongly implies that his protestations against Piku marrying and serving her husband were purely selfish, in that he’d rather she remained single and serve him instead. I don’t see what’s feminist about this, especially when Piku wants to get married and is clearly intelligent enough to make decisions for herself. And his presumptuous dismissal of any woman who chooses to stay at home with her children as ‘Low IQ’ was an unnecessary cheap shot.
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May 14, 2015 at 2:16 AM
Nice review, Ami.
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May 14, 2015 at 2:24 AM
“But considering that he is a central protagonist of a father-daughter story, I thought Bachchan could have portrayed Bhaskor with a (much) softer touch, infusing the role with a little more vulnerability and grace.”
“To showcase this flawed side to a parent-child bond could have been a refreshing diversion from the norm. Alas, the film doesn’t go the full distance and takes an ultimately sentimental view of Piku and Bhaskor’s relationship, wanting us to believe that he is a roguish but immensely loveable man. I would have enjoyed the film a good deal more had it taken a Little Miss Sunshine sort of approach where it revelled in the fallibles of its characters and the dysfunctionality of their relationships.”
Aren’t you contradicting yourself.
As you have observed rightly in the first sentence quoted Bhaskor has been shown as a selfish, manipulative character with nothing particularly lovable about his. Yet Deepika loves him..sort of. That is the dysfunctional relationship. Why does it have to be like Little Miss Sunshine. This is an Indian original, an Indian take on dysfunctional father-daughter relationship.
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May 14, 2015 at 2:41 AM
No, I’m not contradicting myself. I’m saying that EITHER Bhaskor should have had more redeeming characteristics and the film could have been a fun, quirky family-bonding movie OR the film should keep Bhaskor the way he is but take a less feel-good approach.
As it stands, it doesn’t use the saccharine, melodramatic idiom of a KJo movie but it’s central message is still the same…it’s all about loving (and tolerating) your parents, regardless of how badly they behave. I’m not saying Deepika had to abandon her father or anything drastic like that, but the film could have dealt a little more with the dysfunctionality in their relationship rather than just passing it off as a loveable quirk of a grumpy old man.
I wasn’t satisfied with the resolution to their relationship and I felt like the film itself was undecided on how it viewed Bhaskor. But again, this is just my personal opinion, Bachchan’s character didn’t resonate with me but I can see why people enjoyed the film as much as they did. The character detailing really was exquisite and as GF noted, the film felt so lived-in, and the Piku is such a well thought out character.
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May 14, 2015 at 2:34 AM
http://www.india-forums.com/bollywood/hot-n-happening/52370-sun-saathiya-released.htm
ABCD 2, a Disney franchise, featuring Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor in lead is all set to release on 19th June. The ABCD 2 team are putting in all efforts to make this Dance movie a big Blockbuster!
Releasing the official songs one after another is one of the promotional strategies to keep the curiosity in the masses. Today, the second song of ABCD 2, titled as ‘Sun Saathiya’ is released.
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May 14, 2015 at 2:52 AM
There was this old film with melodious songs Anupama about father daughter troubled relationship.
And in Aradhana, father supports his daughter until his last breath.
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May 14, 2015 at 6:17 AM
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shes-got-rs-2-crores-to-study-at-cornell-now-if-only-rk-would-call-to-wish-her-763018?utm_source=ndtv&utm_medium=top-stories-widget&utm_campaign=story-10-http%3a%2f%2fwww.ndtv.com%2findia-news%2fshes-got-rs-2-crores-to-study-at-cornell-now-if-only-rk-would-call-to-wish-her-763018
Waiting for Ranbir’s call!
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May 14, 2015 at 6:20 AM
http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/ranveer-singhs-shark-ad-that-outraged-peta-to-carry-a-disclaimer-763030?utm_source=ndtv&utm_medium=top-stories-widget&utm_campaign=story-5-http%3a%2f%2fmovies.ndtv.com%2fbollywood%2franveer-singhs-shark-ad-that-outraged-peta-to-carry-a-disclaimer-763030
All for beating a rubber shark!
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