'I am learning something each day'

Deepika Padukone talks about enjoying her craft and why she immediately agreed to play Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter in Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Piku’.

Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan in 'Piku'.

Director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chaturvedi met Deepika Padukone and narrated a scene that takes place between the characters of Baba (played by Amitabh Bachchan) and his daughter Piku (Deepika) and Deepika immediately knew she wanted to do the film. “I said yes on the same day they pitched the story to me. I could relate to the situation as a woman, as a daughter. It was so true to life,” the actress tells us, as Piku gears up for a nationwide release on May 8. She says she’s been admiring Sircar’s work since Vicky Donor , “He handled a sensitive theme so well and there was always an element of humour.”

Deepika had worked with Amitabh Bachchan with Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan but knew Piku was going to be a different ball game. “I was relatively new when I did Aarakshan . This time, I was more excited than nervous to work with Bachchan saab . I was also looking forward to learning from the hugely talented Irrfan Khan. I had an impression that Irrfan is a stern, serious person but he turned out to be the opposite — sensitive, perceptive to people and situations,” says Deepika.

Piku narrates the story of a father coping with age-related issues and his daughter, working as an architect in Delhi.

A lot has been said and written about the different looks Deepika designed for her role but the actress maintains that behind the cosmetic changes, the film’s crux is the bond shared by the father and daughter and what happens when they take a road trip to Kolkata with the help of Irrfan.

“In the film, the fact that I am a Bengali gives my character a certain background. But the setting and appeal is universal. I didn’t have to speak much Bengali. It’s a story of a family that could happen in any part of the country,” she elaborates.

The father-daughter equation portrayed in this film, involves two characters with their eccentricities, she says, and addresses larger issues one faces in a household. “The finer equation that Baba and Piku share is unlike any other father-daughter portrayal you would have seen in recent times. Piku has a lot of love and respect for Baba, though she might have her way of doing things. While I was doing this film, I was constantly thinking of the equation I share with my dad (Prakash Padukone). Of course, Baba and my dad are two different personalities. My dad is younger and fitter, touchwood,” she smiles.

Deepika says she’s happy with the way things have worked out for her, with the commercial hits and appreciation she’s been receiving. “I started really enjoying my craft in the last two to three years and that’s made me confident.”

It’s been nine years since she debuted in the Kannada film Aishwarya and then featured in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om . “I had no knowledge about acting or cinema. I came from a sports background and each day I was and am learning something new. I think that’s what life is all about — understanding, learning and enjoying what you do. I like what I am doing now and Piku is part of my growth as an actress.”