I did Piku because it was being directed by Shoojit: Deepika Padukone

It's a very quirky story about a father-daughter relationship. Shoojit Sircar has tried to look into some of the simplest aspects of life and has weaved a very sweet story. It is the story of a father, who wants attention from his daughter.

Deepika Padukone is undoubtedly having a dream run in Bollywood. She barely had a flop in the last two and half years and has quite a few big projects up her sleeve. The actor, who will be seen alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan in Shoojit Sircar's upcoming film, Piku, considers herself to be fortunate to have managed to impress the audience with her body of work. Deepika speaks to HT City on her upcoming film and more.

Deepika-Padukone-plays-the-role-of-a-Bengali-girl-in-Piku-Photo-AFP

This is your second release alongside Amitabh Bachchan and the film's trailer has already generated good response.
(Smiles) I hope the film too manages to impress the audience. A lot of hard work goes behind making a film and every actor wants his or her film to work. I hope everyone will like the film, more so because it has a very interesting storyline. This is my second film with Bachchan sir, Arakshan being my first, but that was quite some time ago. This film gave me a chance to know him closely. It's always a pleasure working with him but when I did Arakshan, I was still quite new to the industry. I too have matured a lot as an actress in the last few years. So, working with Bachchan sir was a new experience this time. There is so such to learn from him.

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Amitabh Bachchan is also known to be very punctual and disciplined.
Absolutely. That's what has kept him going. Discipline is just one of the things one needs to learn from him. We had a very hectic shooting schedule in Kolkata. We used to start shooting from 5 am and would wrap up around 6 pm. He would be the first one to reach the set and shoot for the entire day. He had to ride a bicycle on the streets of Kolkata for the film and he would do it with so much ease. He is always brimming with energy.

Piku is a quirky story about a father-daughter relationship.

The film has been extensively shot on the streets of Kolkata.
(Laughs) I was a bit worried that we would get mobbed but I was wrong. It's always a great relief shooting outside Mumbai. We actors always look for such opportunities. In fact, the best part of being an actor is that we get to visit a lot of places. Unlike Bachchan sir and Irrfan, I was shooting in Kolkata for the first time and I had this idea that the shooting unit would get mobbed. But that did not happen! Kolkata has the most enthusiastic crowd. There were around 1,000 people watching the shooting at any given time but they were so well behaved that the shooting never got disrupted.

This is your first film with Shoojit Sircar. What attracted you to the script?
The only reason I wanted to do this film was because of Shoojit Sircar. He comes up with really quirky stories. Vicky Donor is one of the best examples of his craftsmanship. The film had such a simple subject but no one thought of exploring it. I feel after Vicky Donor everyone today wants to work with him. He has this very strong quality of experimenting with the simplest of ideas but in a very interesting way. Piku is a very simple story but has been told in a very interesting style.

Piku is not a comedy. Though there are certainly comic elements in the film, the genre can’t be defined.

The trailers have generated a good response.
It's a very quirky story about a father-daughter relationship. Shoojit Sircar has tried to look into some of the simplest aspects of life. It is the story of a father, who wants attention from his daughter. He complains of indigestion, irregular bowels some of the most common things that happen to all of us. (Laughs)

The film shows a typical Bengali household and you play a Bengali career woman and a doting daughter. Did you do any research for the role?
I play a Bengali but the role didn't demand me to spend time with Bengalis or learn the language. The story is very simple and could have been set anywhere in India. However, Shoojit Sircar being a Bengali has written the story and has touched upon the Bengali sentiments in the best possible way. I went by his briefing and he is very particular when it comes to performing a particular scene. So, whatever I learnt about the Bengali culture was from him.

Your pairing with Irrfan too has been well accepted by audience?
In fact it's a very unconventional but fresh pairing. So far people have liked us. He is a very committed actor and he too understands the Bengali culture well. Irfaan is one of the finest actors in Bollywood today and it was a learning experience for me. I am happy that the audience is trying to find different layers in our pairing.

The last few years have been great for you. Is this one of the best phases of your career so far?
I don't know what future has in store for me but I am really happy with the kind of work I am getting. I am happy that the audience is appreciating my work. I don't know if this is the best phase of my career but I feel this is a great phase for Bollywood. There are some really good films being made and it's the filmmakers who are showing the courage to experiment. It's because of them that we actors are getting good roles. So, I am happy with the way Bollywood is doing because I feel proud to be part of an industry where so many new things are happening.