Piku turns 9: Reuniting Irrfan Khan-Amitabh Bachchan was the ‘Robert De Niro-Al Pacino moment’ for Shoojit Sircar

Shoojit Sircar’s 2015 film Piku has found a special place in our hearts. The film takes us through a sea of ​​emotions in its 2 hours of duration and we can’t help but love the impact it leaves on us. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan in the lead, Piku turns 9 today.

Why was Shoojit Sircar skeptical about casting Irrfan Khan and Amitabh Bachchan together in Piku?

While the film focused on Deepika’s character juggling her relationship with her father (Big B), who is overly obsessed with her age-related issues, Irrfan Khan’s character was just a third wheel. However, the chemistry between the two male leads turned out to be one of the highlights of Piku.

In 2015, Shoojit Sircar told PTI: “I tell everyone that Irrfan is the only international star we have. I was skeptical the first day he and Mr Bachchan met on the set, it was a Robert De Niro moment and Al Pacino for me. But everything turned out well… Apart from the pairing of Deepika and Irrfan, it is also a pleasure to see Irrfan and Mr. Bachchan together.”

Shoojit, who called the film a one-of-a-kind experience, revealed that by the end of the shoot, Irrfan Khan had become Big B’s biggest fan and was mesmerized by his acting style. Irrfan told Sircar that if anyone wants to learn the best bits of acting, he should work with Amitabh Bachchan.

For director Sardar Udham too, the set of Piku was a melting pot of three different acting styles. He shared, “The three of them are absolute opposites. Bachchan sir rehearses constantly and then he does one take and that will be the final take. Deepika will do the rehearsals but while he is doing it he will try to capture his movements.” and performances.”

Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29, 2020 due to cancer-related complications. Talking about him back then, Shoojit said, “Irrfan is very different. When he acts and when he doesn’t, it’s hard to tell.”

What has inspired Piku’s story?

The Vicky Donor director revealed that the basic idea of ​​the film came from Piku writer Juhi Chaturvedi, whose grandfather was somewhat similar to Big B’s character in Piku. He shared, “Then we brought in our experience, like I brought in a lot of footage from my family… It’s been a personal journey for me and it will be for people too because the characters are relatable.”

Shoojit said that he was so relatable to the characters that in any other house there could have been a Piku and any old man could have been like Bhashkor Banerjee.

Deepika Padukone remembers Irrfan Khan on Piku’s 9th anniversary

The 38-year-old, who has called Piku her “favorite movie” in several interviews, took to her Instagram earlier in the day and shared a photo of BTS from the sets. The snap showed someone serving fruit to the three actors – Deepika, Irrfan and Big B. She captioned it: “He loves telling everyone how much I eat! 🙄🤷🏽‍♀️ @amitabhbachchan.” Deepika Padukone ended her post by adding, “@irrfan Oh how we miss you.”

Piku enjoys an IMDb rating of 7.6/10 and is available to stream on SonyLIV.