Piku
2015 · Directed by Shoojit Sircar
Original language: Hindi
- comedy
- drama
The story
A taxi driver is caught between a dysfunctional relationship between a woman and her father as he drives them to Kolkata.
What it’s like
Warm, unhurried Kolkata daylight and the rattle of an old Ambassador taxi on crowded roads set the mood for this comedy-drama, which plays out mostly in and around that car. Its camera stays close and conversational, catching the bickering faces of a father and daughter in the back seat and the driver's wry glances in the rear-view mirror, while the city's clamor, tea stalls, and monsoon-grey afternoons drift past the windows. The score is light and folksy, with bright acoustic textures that keep the playful energy easy to sit with. The pace is loose and digressive, more like a long road trip than a story with stakes, and the emotional register stays gentle and wry: a prickly, hypochondriac father slowly loosening his grip on his grown daughter, and the two of them finding a tenderness neither expected. Intensity is very low, with no violence and only mild, nonexplicit frankness about bodily matters and family friction. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort watch with a cup of chai, or a long-haul flight. It is for people who like family character comedy, quiet humour, and the feeling of a journey that matters more than its destination.
More films like Piku
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Pikuand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
