After a decade of its release, the Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and late Irrfan Khan-starrer ‘Piku’ is re-releasing in cinemas. The Shoojit Sircar directorial first hit the big screen on 8 May 2015 and quickly became one of Bollywood’s most loved films. A perfect mix of emotional depth, humour and simplicity, ‘Piku’ told the story of a daughter juggling her work life and responsibilities towards her ageing father, with a little help from a rather unexpected travel partner.As the film returns to cinemas, it brings with it a wave of nostalgia, not just for audiences but also for those who were closely connected to it.Among them is Babli Khan, son of the late Irrfan Khan, who shared what the film means to him and how it still shapes his life.‘Piku is a masterpiece’, says BabilBabil, who has now stepped into acting himself, opened up about how ‘Piku’ holds a very special place in his heart. In an interview with News18, he shared his deep emotional connection with one of the film’s key dialogues, delivered by his father.“I think Piku is a masterpiece. In the film, there’s a dialogue that baba says to Deepika’s character. He asks her, who’re you without your roots and if you lose your roots, then who’re you? As I go along with my life, that line becomes truer for me. That’s why I say that Shoojit da takes me back to my roots.”From set intern to finding his own pathBabil’s bond with ‘Piku’ is more than just emotional. He was part of the film’s journey right from the start, having worked as an intern. It was during this time that he also developed a close relationship with director Shoojit Sircar. Talking about this special connection, he said, “Shoojit da is a father figure to me. He has been a very, very important part of my sanity and in a very practical way.”The ‘Qala’ actor described how Shoojit still visits him and gives him thoughtful life advice in his unique style. “He comes to visit me and tells me, ‘Clean your room first and then we’ll talk.’ So, I clean my room quickly because I really want to talk to him. After that, he tells me that since I’ve enough space to play football, I should start dribbling the ball.”
