Piku”, a Bollywood film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Ifran is a must-see movie for Goans, specially, those who have or are thinking of keeping their aged parents in the old-age homes. Many Goans specially those belonging to the Catholic faith have abandoned their parents in the home for the aged and have probably settled abroad or are living in Goa but consider their parents a burden to the family.
The movie is about Piku played by Deepika Padukone who gives up a promising career and stalls every marriage proposal just to look after her 70-year old father the role which is played by Big B. Old people are very health conscious and tend to think that they are suffering from several imaginary ailments when in reality they are quite fit. This psychological effect on the old mind of her father keeps the 30-year old Piku on her toes at all times as she cares for him day in and day out with a lot of love, even though there is a lot of exchange of words between the two. The biggest health problem that her ageing father possesses is incidentally that of constipation.
Piku has along the way learnt the finer aspects of monitoring the health of her father by learning to check the blood pressure, pulse, etc. It’s like having a doctor in the house. In the process Piku is not able to concentrate on her work as she accompanies him to her ancestral home in Kolkota. Her father dies a happy man in his ancestral house. There is a lot to learn from the love and dedication Piku shows towards her ageing father.
However in today’s world one is quick to enroll one’s ageing parents in the home for the aged and pay the fees regularly. Some children who have settled abroad even go to the extent of keeping some money with the authorities of the old-age home with the instructions to carry out the funeral as and when the parents die. Old people do not wish to live far away from their children. More than anything, they look for love from their children. The worst thing that can happen to old people is to die a lonely death far away from their loved ones. Just as our parents have taken care of us when we were small, it is our duty to look after them in their old age as old-age is considered as a second childhood. Elders need a few kind words, an occasional hug and love from their children. This is more precious for them at this age than all the wealth in the world. Pope Francis has condemned the practice of abandoning the elderly in institutions as a kind of “hidden Euthanasia”.
Old people may suffer from Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It is the duty of the children to look after their ageing parents till the very end of their parents lives. Old people may have to be spoon-fed. Some may be bed-ridden. They may need help to change their clothes or to have a bath. Some may have difficulty in walking and may need help. These are probably the reasons why children prefer to keep their ageing parents in old age homes. We need to be like Piku in the movie who sacrificed her career and ever the marriage prospects to look after ageing father. We may not have to make such huge sacrifices but could do our old parents a big favour by not sending them to the old-age homes.
