Posted:
Now that Piku is on Netflix, I finally had a chance to watch this much talked about movie. While I did like the movie, I was quite disappointed by some aspects of it.
On the positive side, it was refreshing to see a movie that was different and focused on family ties rather than romance, action, drama or all that jazz. The acting was top notch. Also props for making poop jokes that were not as crass or juvenile.
Now for the negatives.
The script sadly was nothing. It just meanders along the way. I get that it was about family and caretaking. There was no overarching theme though other than consistent. No real a-ha moment at the end that ties the story together. The story was not bad. It had a great feel good thing going. But I feel I expected a little more.
Piku is not a role model. It is cool that she is a strong independent woman. I appreciate the fact that a single leading lady was widely accepted by the audience. But she lacks the qualities India needs in a female role model. She is not a nice person. She is frustrated with her caretaking responsibilities and vents it on others. Her rudeness to the taxi drivers is unacceptable. She overreacts to many situations. I get the need to avoid too good to be true characters who feel unrealistic and unrelatable. But you can deliver flaws in a manner the audience can embrace. For example Katniss Everdeen is rude and aloof, Lizzie Bennet is quite rude to Mr. Darcy, but the characters are developed in a manner to digest the rudeness and understand it. Piku had me thinking "bitch don't be taking your frustrations out on everyone"
Bhaskor is not a feminist. He is a pompous person who believes he is a feminist so he can feel good about himself. I was looking forward to his character because people raved about him being progressive and feminist. Sadly, I did not see anything progressive about him. He still entrenches himself as a patriarch. His bragging about Piku being independent is less about his pride in her but more in his selfish need to have Piku around at his beck and call. Personally, I am against traditional marriage where women sacrifice themselves for their husband but I found his commentary against women who do so distasteful. It showed complete insensitivity to the fact that women may choose differently. But worse it was bullishly ignorant about Indian society that does not afford women choices all the time. His constant tirades against women in Low IQ marriages were grating and anti-feminist at best if not downright misogynist.
Watching Bhaskor espouse his progressive feminist thoughts was akin to watching a sheltered and privileged white heterosexual male sell himself as the poster child of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Watching Bhaskor espouse his progressive feminist thoughts was akin to watching a sheltered and privileged white heterosexual male sell himself as the poster child of the Black Lives Matter movement.
OK rant over. 😆 Its a good movie. But I could not get why people raved about Piku and Bhaskor's characters so much. 😕
3