Exploring Issues of Caregiving of an Elderly Parent by an Adult Working Daughter through a Discussion of a Contemporary Hindi Film Piku (2015)

Abstract

Probing into the challenges and pleasures of caregiving of elderly parents by adult children in the Indian context, this paper analyzes the contemporary Hindi commercial film Piku with a focus on the discussion of the difficult and compassionate father-daughter relationship of the main characters within a wider context that includes different stakeholders. This paper also examines the variations that the film offers in terms of characterization and plot compared to its predecessors and contemporaries. For these differences, analysis shows that 1) the film explores the interactions and relationships among characters: focusing on life as a journey rather than a destination; 2) the female character navigates through everyday domestic problems and limiting circumstances by balancing her multiple roles and adapting to unfolding moments, instead of grappling with constant patriarchal opposition or facing drastic obstacles; and 3) the film locates the protagonists within the wider familial relations and social structures, therefore reviving the forgotten pre-1990s cinematic characters such as the extended family and paid helpers. This paper also argues that Piku presents its characters in a uniquely complex manner where they are situated in the liminal space between vulnerability and strength, local and global, and traditional and modern sensibilities.