Deepika celebrates two years of being a Bengali

Deepika Padukone has just celebrated the second anniversary of her acclaimed film Piku, in which she played a Bengali career woman living in south Delhi with her fussy father, a role played magnificently by Amitabh Bachchan. The film became something of a landmark, picking up a string of awards for acting, direction and script.

The journey of Piku, which showed an inexplicable bond between the father and the daughter — she remained devoted to him even when she felt exasperated with him — has been a memorable one for Deepika. It is a character that’s extremely close to her heart. The actor celebrated the anniversary two days ago.

A source says, “Deepika, who got nostalgic about the shooting days of the film, celebrated the anniversary of Piku by relishing her favourite Bengali delicacies.

“The film not only featured a Bengali family, but was also shot partly in Kolkata. So while shooting for Piku, Deepika discovered her love for Bengali food. As she stayed in Kolkata for a while for the shoot, the actor explored the various dishes that the city is famous for.

“Deepika savoured Bengali sweets, especially sandesh, one of the most-loved and best-known desserts of Bengali cuisine. Therefore, she decided to relive those days by indulging in a Bengali sweet treat.”

The source adds that during her Kolkata stay, the actor developed a keen interest in Bengali culture as well.

When contacted, Deepika remained unavailable for a comment. But the actor posted a video on Instagram recalling her shoot days that captured some of the moments from the film, and captioned it: “2 years and countless memories... I miss you PIKU #2YearsOfPiku”

PHOTO: PRASAD NAIK