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NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Father's Day 2025: If Bollywood Dads Were Indian Dishes, This Is Exactly Who They Would Be
In a rush? Can't cook? Dads. They do not always say much. But somehow, they are always there. Standing quietly behind you at the school play. Waiting outside tuition in the heat. Telling you how to change a tyre, or what not to say at a job interview. They are the ones who pack your lunch with an extra paratha, finish your cold fries without complaining, and hug you like they are trying not to. They may not post about it - but love, in their language, is always full-fat and slow-cooked. And if dads had flavours, they would be a proper Indian thali-balanced, layered, sometimes spicy, sometimes sweet, always filling. So, this Father's Day, we cooked up a little tribute to them the only way we know how: through food and films. From tough on the outside and soft within, to flaky but comforting-these iconic Bollywood dad characters remind us of the mighty Indian dishes they unknowingly resemble. Go on, see which one matches your old man, and order them instantly from your favourite food delivery app. 1. Chaudhary Baldev Singh (Bauji) - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Dish: Coconut He is all rituals, rules, and raised eyebrows on the outside. But peel back a layer and Chaudhary Baldev Singh turns out to be a soft-hearted dad who simply wants his daughter to be happy. He is the coconut - tough, traditional, borderline terrifying, but undeniably full of love inside. He may take his sweet time expressing it, but when he does, it is all love and quiet pride. 2. Bhaskor Banerjee - Piku Dish: Begun Pora View this post on Instagram A post shared by दीपिका पादुकोण (@deepikapadukone) A little grumpy, unapologetically blunt, and deeply Bengali, Bhaskor is the dad who worries about his daughter's dating life and bowel movements with equal intensity. Fiercely feminist and rooted in tradition, he is Begun Pora - smoky, pungent, packed with mustard oil, and emotional in all the right ways. If your dad reminds you of Bhaskor, serve him some Begun Pora this Father's Day 2025. Cook it from scratch, or save time and order it from your go-to food delivery app. 3. Dharamvir Malhotra - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Dish: Chaat The fun dad. The "let us talk about love" dad. Dharamvir Malhotra is the cool breeze in a family full of drama. Supportive, quirky, and always ready with a one-liner, he is chaat in human form - tangy, spicy, messy, and mood-lifting. If your dad is the one cracking jokes mid-crisis, there is a good chance he is Bollywood's version of chaat. 4. Viru Sahastrabuddhe a.k.a VIRUS - 3 Idiots Dish: Steamed Veggies Strict, disciplined, and in love with structure, Viru is the kind of dad who tracks your timetable more than you do. Steamed vegetables - basic, healthy, and with zero drama - suit him perfectly. He is all about marks, punctuality, and silent concern that he will never say out loud. He might be cauliflower on the outside, but deep down, he means well. 5. Duggal Saab - Do Dooni Chaar Dish: Aloo Paratha with Butter The scooter-driving, EMI-paying, emotionally reserved dad with the warmest soul. Duggal Saab is comfort food in dad form - flaky aloo parathas, generously buttered, stuffed with warmth and old-school wisdom. He does not always say "I love you", but he definitely means it when he checks if you have eaten. Want to return the favour this Father's Day? Make him this classic aloo paratha recipe, or tap that delivery app and send him a plate with extra butter. 6. Mahavir Singh Phogat - Dangal Dish: Bajra Roti with Gur Tough on the outside, all about early morning runs and strict rules, Mahavir Singh Phogat is not the dad to cry during emotional scenes. But he is also the one who will train you through life with silent support and unsweetened protein shakes. Bajra roti with gur suits him best - rough, hearty, and essential for building champions. For the dad who says less but does more, this is your Father's Day 2025 meal inspiration. 7. Narayan Shankar - Mohabbatein Dish: Bharwa Karela A strict headmaster with a no-nonsense attitude and a deep love for tradition - Narayan Shankar is the human version of stuffed karela. Bitter? Maybe. Rigid? Definitely. But also packed with layers of flavour and depth that not everyone appreciates at first bite. This is the dad who believes in discipline, values, and perfectly tucked-in shirts. Do you think your dad gives similar no-smile energy at family functions? Then maybe he deserves a plate of bharwa karela - made with love, or if you're running low on time and patience, ordered from your favourite food delivery app. 8. Kamal Mehra - Dil Dhadakne Do Dish: Butter Chicken Slick, dramatic, and a little chaotic, Kamal Mehra is the kind of dad who wears cufflinks but also picks fights at dinner. Butter chicken suits his energy - glossy, indulgent, and hiding emotions under a rich, velvety surface. He is messy but lovable, confusing but committed. If your father thrives on drama, this Father's Day 2025, just send him butter chicken. He will get the message. So, this Father's Day 2025, skip the cliched ties and coffee mugs. Pick a dish that suits your dad's mood, plate it with pride (or order it with speed), and serve it with a side of gratitude. Because nothing says "thank you for being you" like food that gets him.
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
10 years of Piku: Shoojit Sircar's slice-of-life film refuses to age
Shoojit Sircar's Piku released in the summer of 2015, and clocked a decade this year. I have this distinct memory of watching the film in a theatre, and coming out of it with a strange mixture of joy and sadness. In the theatre, someone had groaned at the last scene and said it out loud that the film ended just like that. Like a question mark was missing somewhere. How did it have all the answers? Piku and Rana simply play badminton, and she tells the house help start work from the next day. Just that. No grand gestures, no emotional outbursts. Over the years, it is this sense of an ending that has always pulled me towards this intelligent little film, a rare story that feels as fresh now as it felt those years ago. Piku is a father-daughter story. Deepika Padukone's titular protagonist is no heroine, neither does she want to be one. She is just a regular woman trying to do her job and take care of her father. It is a different kind of pain for her that her father Bhaskor (Amitabh Bachchan) is a hypochondriac, and is forever complaining about constipation. The deeply perceptive script by Juhi Chaturvedi is the film's sharpest weapon, as the viewer is instantly placed within the dynamic of these two people without forcing any formal cliches to introduce them first. Her day begins and ends in the worry of whether her baba is doing okay, that he has had his medicines on time. This overt sense of responsibility that Piku has for Bhaskor has turned her into this inevitable mother-figure; fierce and uncompromising. Sircar's film nails this specificity of emotional distance that grows over time in an Indian household; as the child grows up to be an adult, and unexpectedly it is the parent who has now become the unruly child. Bhaskor and Piku's constant bickering may be fodder for many giggles, but the one aspect that has stayed with me even from the first watch is how Piku's anger and general frustration spills over to her other relationships- both personal and professional. It is this indistinguishable sort of temperament that Piku has, which still hits home for me. Piku never accepts- even when Irrfan's Rana spells it out to her later- but Bhaskor has always been overbearing and difficult. Juhi Chaturvedi's fearless script shows how emotionally distant the modern Indian family can be. I do not recall any other Indian film that has been so pointedly specific about how exasperating yet painful it can get to watch a parent age. It is a strange sense of betrayal. When Bhaskor wants to go by road, Piku has to say yes. In a family function, Bhaskor proclaims his daughter is not a virgin in front of a stranger. She doesn't know what to say anymore so she leaves. Bhaskor demands, and Piku always gives in. Piku is also a story about death. Or the anticipation of it. Bhaskor has a horrible medical scare one morning and for one passing moment, Piku imagines the worst. Thankfully he is okay. Later, when the worst does happen- it is a moment captured with understated acceptance. It is this moment that brings me back to the film, as Deepika's Piku simply sits beside the lifeless body of Bhaskor and caress his arm lightly. Her grief is portrayed with immense gentleness in Piku, where the sense of loss is both internal and external. The house feels lifeless and empty, the interiors suddenly so worn out. I think Piku feels more powerful and sensitive now, after 10 years, because I have also grown up with the film. In many ways, I am like Piku in my home now. My parents have also aged, and my relationship with them has undergone a singular transformation. Exasperation is an understatement on some days. But it also breaks my heart to see them age, and occasionally I find myself thinking what will I do when they are no more? What will it feel like? Piku is one film that helped me realise that perhaps there is grace in the acceptance that our parents will eventually leave, and that we have to still continue to live. The other day, my father met with an accident, and arrived home with his feet bandaged. Both of us refused to talk for the entire day. I wonder how long will it take for him to get well. I wonder how long can I remain angry. No one tells Piku how to live life after Bhaskor is no more. Rana's company is the film's last comforting shot, an assertion that she will be okay. In my mind, she and Rana are now settled. Both of them perhaps still make it a point to play badminton in the mornings. But that's secondary. Piku is one such film that reminds its viewer, over and over again, that life goes on. Chances are taken and circumstances change. There's joy and loss and so much more, but thank god there is never a blueprint.
