Shoojit Sircar's daughter makes acting debut in Piku

Not many outside the film's crew know this, but Piku director Shoojit Sircar has given his daughter her first role.

Shoojit reveals the details: "It's that scene where Bachchansaab is cycling through Kolkata and he sees through a window, a girl playing the harmonium. That girl is my daughter."

Shoojit's daughter Anannya is nine years old. She's keenly interested in music, and is a fan of her father's cinema.

Shoojit, who is presently in Kolkata, says he is overwhelmed by the response to Piku. "We expected we'd touch a chord in every parent and child's heart. But we didn't expect the film would create such an impact," he says.

What Shoojit was most apprehensive about was how the younger viewers and critics would react to a film so Indian and so wedded to Bengali culture.

"To my relief and joy, the film has connected with every section of viewers. I find this gratifying. We had set out to make an honest, intimate film on a father-daughter relationship. We hadn't bargained for such widespread acceptance," says Shoojit.

In the picture: Shoojit Sircar with daughter Anannya and Amitabh Bachchan.