Shoojit Sircar calls late star Irrfan Khan ‘spine’ of ‘Piku’

Mumbai:  National Award-winning filmmaker Shoojit Sircar has called the late acclaimed star Irrfan Khan the backbone of their 2015 blockbuster “Piku”. His portrayal of Rana continues to resonate deeply, making the film unforgettable even after his passing.

“Piku” is set for a re-release on May 9. The comedy drama, which is set to clock 10 years since its release, stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan along with Moushumi Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta and Raghubir Yadav. It revolved around Piku, an architect and her ageing but nagging father Bhaskor Banerjee, who come close via a road trip to Kolkata despite their disparate ideologies and fights over trivial issues.

Asked about how he thinks Irrfan’s contribution to Piku has shaped the legacy of the film and does he think his portrayal of Rana continues to inspire audiences in the same way, even after this passing, Shoojit told IANS: “Oh, yes, of course.”

“When we were conceiving the film, he was always there before the script, because we knew the kind of character that we were writing. So, there was no way that we could imagine Piku without him.

“So, he was always part of the game. Because of him, this film stands. He’s the spine of the film, actually. He’s the observer. He’s the one who is the audience for me in the film, between the father and the daughter, this chaotic family. He’s the one who’s raising questions. So, he’s also absolutely the spine of the film.”

Shoojit, who was a good friend to Irrfan, said without the late star, “this film is impossible.”

It was in 2018, when Irrfan Khan shared that he had been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. He sought treatment in the UK for a year, and returned to India in February 2019.

He passed away aged 53-years-old on April 29 after he was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai, where he started receiving treatment for a colon infection caused by the disease.

How has “Piku” stood the test of time and has he noticed any new interpretations or reactions to the films from newer generations of viewers?

“Yes, the film, I think, has matured a lot, I think, I would say. Even the present generation have also related to the film, and there are many things that they have pointed out, they go through, that have not changed, especially Piku’s life,” said Shoojit.

He added: “And a lot of the youngsters, possibly, for example, who then didn’t watch Piku, but for them, it’s a kind of a love story, I think, romance, where it is not so straightforward, there is so much subtlety, and there is so much depth in there, so much undertones.”

–IANS