Exclusive: Writer Juhi Chaturvedi On 10 Years Of Piku, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, And Missing Irrfan

Piku re-released in theatres on May 9, 2025

Exclusive: Writer Juhi Chaturvedi On 10 Years Of <i>Piku</i>, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, And Missing Irrfan
2025 marks 10 years since Piku first hit the theatres. Photo: X/Sony Official

"A story about life, loss, and bowel movements," read IMDB's post for the re-release of Shoojit Sircar's Piku. The internet couldn't agree more.

The 2015 comedy-drama ensues a fresh waft of homeliness, a sense of belonging, and family ties in a modern setting.

The story of a hypochondriac widowed father Bhashkor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) and his stubborn daughter, architect Piku (Deepika Padukone), and their bittersweet disagreements ranging from petty to extreme, daily. The chef's kiss here was of course, the taxi-business owner Rana Chaudhary played by Irrfan, who came with his palette of quirks and witty comebacks.

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One of the major highlights of Piku was undoubtedly the carefully sifted cast. Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Irrfan, who fit their assigned characters like a glove. Today, the film celebrates a decade with a re-release.

In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Juhi Chaturvedi, the script writer, revisits Piku and the trio that created big-screen magic.

Were Deepika, Big B, And Irrfan Always The First Choice?

Irrfan and Amitabh Bachchan were indeed the first choices for their respective characters, Rana and Bhashkor. "No second thoughts, no dilemma there," writer Juhi Chaturvedi tells NDTV.

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Piku, being the titular character, was a very complex blend of sensitivity, eccentricities, and softness that wasn't typical of a Hindi film heroine. However, Shoojit Sircar was very sure of his instinctive choices.

Juhi elaborates, "You know as people, Irrfan and Mr Bachchan have had that kind of grip and understanding of life. Their knowledge would help make the characters richer. Piku's character also didn't come from the typical tropes of a Hindi film heroine. It had to be felt, lived in, and performed with all its complexities and nuances."

Juhi adds, "Small things that irritate Piku, her sense of self-worth, her frustration, her body language, her regular-ness, we needed someone who'd get that depth. Shoojit had that absolute clarity right from the time he read the script that Deepika was the one even though he did meet others, but that only made him more sure of his instinct. And the magic and realism that she brought into Piku's character, no one really could have done that."

"Piku's Story Came From A Vicky Donor Inspiration"

The writer reveals that the very soul of Piku erupted from her longing to write a heartfelt father-daughter story, and that evoked from the bond she saw between the characters Ashima (Yami Gautam) and her father, Mr Roy (Jayanta Das), in Vicky Donor, the film that helped Chaturvedi shoot to fame.

Chaturvedi shares, "Vicky Donor had stayed in my mind and also the observation that with families becoming more and more nuclear with just one or two children, the set up that provided elderly people with a comfortable independent old age, has also disappeared. The responsibility is solely on the children. From here, it was just getting deeper and deeper understanding of Piku's life."

Piku not being flawless is what made her character so real, tangible, and lovable. All this while she constantly grappled with losing her own identity, while responsibilities took over her life.

Juhi says, "Piku's relationships, career, immense sense of responsibility, her idiosyncrasies. An ageing father who refuses to let go of the control. The emotional requirements, the insecurities, health issues...there is a lot that needs to be attended to and in all of that if you are also trying to find a stable relationship, god bless you!"

And what are the soaring points amidst all this chaos, how does one pick the right moment?

The writer says, "And to put it all in perspective, it was the dining table scene that I wrote first. The chaos and craziness that Piku and Bhashkor have created around themselves, this scene set that up for me. I'd say there is beauty in the 'kalesh' of every household and with Piku, I tried to explore that with as much soul as I could."

Writing The Most Difficult Scene Of Piku

While Piku is a film coursing through the highs and lows of a deranged family, the humorous moments truly leave you in splits, while the emotional sequences reduce you to a pool of tears.

Piku and Rana's conversation on constipation makes you cackle. On the contrary, as Bhashkor comes back after a day of cycling down Chowringhee Lane in Kolkata, picking up fried munchies, faces the wrath of his daughter, leads to building up the intensity.

Juhi Chaturvedi too recalls the one scene that was the most difficult to envision and then to put to paper.

She says, "The scene where Bhashkor is no more. I remember I typed that and shut my laptop. I couldn't believe that he had died. It was silly because it was still on paper and no one knew that he wasn't there anymore; I had the power to not kill him, but it naturally went there; and to me, it became a real death. There is no way I could undo typing or rewrite the scene. Three days later, I was still grieving."

Juhi goes to the opposite bar of the storytelling and mentions that when Bhashkor returns after cycling with jalebi-kachori, Piku loses it. But, here's where the writer uses the power of words in a subtle yet impactful manner. 

Juhi adds to it, "In that scene, Piku says many things to him. That was also one scene that needed just the right words to express her frustration, her fear, her caregiving. She is like a mother. I had thought a lot about this scene. On the set, Deepika or Irrfan or Mr Bachchan would discuss every scene, the craving that they had to make it just perfect; it was gratifying to be a part of it. The soul came from everyone's absolute need to take to the depths that life itself breathes in."

A Reminder On Why Irrfan Was Better Than The Best

There could not have been a better way to celebrate a decade of the film than on the big screen.

The only missing feeling is, however, Rana Chaudhary AKA Irrfan, forever alive on screen but not around anymore.

Deepika had taken to Instagram to share the news of Piku's re-releasing. The caption read, "Irrfan we miss you! And think of you every so often..."

Juhi says, "Irrfan's going away is of course a huge loss to the industry but even as a person, a magnificent thinker, a reader that he was, people who knew him closely know that the conversations he could have with you would only enrich your life. He was a seeker. But he could also quench your own thirst if you were looking for a meaningful, crazy, profound, witty, and wise take on life. Through his ideas and his philosophy, he will stay forever. His art is eternal."

Deepika And Irrfan As A Romantic Pair

Piku, other than being a comedy family drama, was also about the unexpected romance brewing between Piku (Deepika) and Rana (Irrfan).

Juhi reacts, "Rana came with his baggage. He didn't engage with Piku expecting a romance. His honesty is too harsh for Piku but at the same time, she is the same. Not the one who'd mince her words. They were two good people who found themselves in each other's company." 

And where does the writer think the two are today, as the curtain draws on them having a game of badminton?

A decade later, Juhi says, "Around each other."

Piku is running in theatres once again, and it's time to brush up on the motion and the emotion once again that began with, "Motion se hi emotion."

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