Paa - Movie Review

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal and Arundhati Nag

 

Rating: **** 

 

Director: R Balakrishnan

 

Background: R Balki has earlier made the Amitabh-Tabu starrer Cheeni Kum as his debut film and Amitabh Bachchan has changed his voice earlier in the film Agneepath, like the voice of gangster Manya Surve on whom the film was based - a feat he repeats in Paa.

 

Synopsis: A gynaecologist Vidya (Vidya Balan) and her mother raise her progeny - a 12-year-old child called Auro who has been afflicted with Progeria. Auro is a smart witty kid who once gets an award in school from a young politician Amol Arte (Abhishek Bachchan). When Vidya watches the telecast, she realises that her son has got an award from his father – a man who she broke off with over the decision whether to keep the child or abort it because Amol wanted to pursue his political ambitions. Auro soon comes to know about Amol and spends some time with him… he soon wants his estranged parents to get back. But then, Auro doesn’t have much time left … Progeria affected children don’t live beyond 13 or 14 years.

 

Progeria: Progeria is a rare genetic condition wherein aging manifests at an early age. Progeria affected children typically live for about 13 years, although many have been known to live into their late teens. The filmmaker in a prelude note has maintained that he has taken come cinematic liberties with the disease in his film.

 

Critique: There is nothing new in the script barring the treatment of the subject and the inclusion of progeria. But Balki’s passionate handling of the subject sets it above the rest. The prosthetic make-up by Christien Tinsley and Dominic Till helps the character rise above the rest.

 

One does not want to take the Balki-khaal out of the script, but the extremely witty lines salvage an average story – a scene where Auro chats on the phone with his friend Vishnu (Prateik) is hilarious.

 

The difference between Auro and auron (others) is none other than Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan packs in a powerhouse performance justifying his stature as the Paa of Bollywood. Amitabh’s real life condition could be the exact opposite of the character he plays in the film. The enthusiasm with which he has played the character tells that he is a child trapped in the body of a 67-year-old.

 

A very sincere Abhishek Bachchan matches him frame to frame. Vidya Balan’s face and body language describe the pathos of a single mother whose son is dying.  In fact the father-son relationship only develops closer to the climax as Vidya packs in her second big ticket performance after Parineeta. South actress Arundhati Nag as Vidya Balan’s mother lends credible support.

 

Balki’s first film was Cheeni Kum, but this film has a lot more cheeni and the result is a very sweet Auro and his Cheeni friend King Kong - a stuffed toy of the character whom he chats with. Amitabh Bachchan surely seems to have helped Balki grow as a filmmaker and his son Abhishek Bachchan as an actor. Indeed… the child is the father of man.

 

Spoiler: Jaya Bachchan makes an appearance announcing the title credits of the film.