The trailers told us what to expect, and the film definitely lives up to what it endorses. Piku may have taken the subject of constipation quite too seriously, but it really is a realistic depiction of (familial) relationships.

Story of a septuagenarian Bhaskor (Bachchan) who is more concerned about his health issues, especially his holiday tummy, has a daughter named Piku (Padukone). Piku takes care of Bhaskor like a child SHOULD take care of her parent. And that is what the primary theme of the film is, and it slightly preaches that towards the end. Although one cannot call the film preachy, it does convey a message or two.

The plot begins with Bhaskor diagnosing his Delhi belly and ends when he finally empties his bowels, literally. His violent relationship with his digestive system is the reason he acts temperamental, which has far-reaching effects, mostly on Piku. How Piku tackles his snappiness forms the essential part of the film. It is appealing to watch the story unfold, and if one concentrates on the natural dialogs that are delivered by the characters, one is sure to lay back and enjoy a hearty chuckle. The humor is natural and the family ambiance is ideal for an afternoon watch with your family.

How old age has to be handled the same way infancy is handled should be learned by the titular character, played beautifully by gorgeous Padukone. She is shimmering throughout the frames, but for me personally, Bachchan takes the pie. His portrayal is simply fantastic. That brings the attention to the perfect casting done by the makers; Irrfan is phenomenal and so are the pillaring cast. The subject of constipation is so comprehensively addressed one doubts if it is a guide for dummies. The soundtrack and score by newcomer Anupam Roy sounds repetitive, but strictly complements the theme of the film, which is part road drama.

BOTTOM LINE: Soojit Sircar has carved something essential in Bollywood with Piku - a fine story whose effect may not stay for long, but its themes and performances certainly remembered in years to come. 7/10 - recommended.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Anything shot with a movie camera cannot be called a film if it is simply loaded with television aesthetics. Hindi film 'Piku' is one good example of an atrociously horrible piece of junk shot on a film camera. This so called 'film' is nothing but a vulgar collection of crude scatological jokes and references about an old man suffering from constipation. It is not only the theme of the film which would afflict the viewers but also the bad performances by its so called 'stars'. Amitabh Bachchan is a complete disaster as an eccentric old man who tries hard to imitate a Bengali man's accent but fails miserably. He is causing irreparable damage to his iconic image by doing roles which do not do any justice to his personality. The Amitabh Bachchan factor is surely missing in this film as nobody would bother to applaud actor Amitabh Bachchan playing an old man's role. To add insult to the injury,there is also icing on the cake in the form of mediocre overacting by Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan. This Bollywood disaster has been promoted as a work of art about a father/daughter relationship. However, the truth is that it tries to mix elements from different genres and fails miserably. For this reason, audiences are visually tortured in the name of a drama to watch a flop film which also shows an insipid road movie and a drama about ancient versus modern in the form of the sale of an old house. Lastly, if your staple diet of entertainment revolves around insipid comedy shows shown on Indian television, Piku is the ideal piece of nonsense for you. Those who worship cinema as an integral form of art are advised to stay away from this piece of inane, puerile madness.

If you are looking to be a part of an endearing journey of a father and daughter, do watch this movie at the very earliest. If you are looking for make-up laden actors, designer costumes, over the top acting, actors bursting in a song & dance sequence at the drop of a hat, this movie is not for you.

Shoojit Sircar has once again made a film that touches a chord in each one of us, and entertains us at the same time. The movie revolves around the love-hate relationship of a daughter, with her father. Mostly love, and a very very slight hint of hate towards each others idiosyncrasies. I won't disclose the details of this beautiful story, but you know it's going to be a fun ride, when the most talked about topic in the entire movie is the bowel movements of the protagonist of the film, Mr Amitabh Bachchan :)

Kudos to the casting department, for choosing the finest actors in the industry. A movie like Piku reminds us of why Amitabh Bachchan, is Amitabh Bachchan!! He is an absolute delight to watch. I am tempted to say, his acting was impeccable..but that would not be doing him justice. Not once throughout the movie did i feel that he was 'acting' - it just felt so REAL, so relatable, so genuine, so simple! And i think that's the best compliment any actor can garner from the viewers. His expressions and mannerisms were so cute, that sometimes you just felt like leaping into the screen, and giving him a warm bear hug :D

This movie would not have been what it is, without two more of the finest actors from the current crop - the effervescent Deepika Padukone and the ever-so-versatile Irrfan Khan. They too were extremely natural - their look, dialogue delivery, emotions, expressions were all so real, you could actually feel what they were feeling.. their frustrations, their ire, their subtle chemistry, their happy moments and the quiet understanding and rapport they built over their journey from Delhi to Kolkata.. Deepika Padukone, as always, looked absolutely stunning, but this time sans the heavy make-up and blingy costumes.

Another thing that stood out for me in the movie was the absence of song and dance sequences. The songs played only as background scores and blended in beautifully with the story. The beautiful words and soulful music is definitely something you will carry with you, as you walk out the theatre.

Kudos to everyone who put this movie together - the artists, the director, the producers, the costume department, the make-up team, the set designers, the script writers, the music directors, the cinematographers :) Thank you for not just giving us a movie, but giving us an EXPERIENCE!! We sure enjoyed our time with the endearing Banerjee family :D

Go, watch! :)