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Written by Danish Bagdadi
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Friday, 04 December 2009 00:00 |
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.jpg) Vidya Balan & Amitabh Bachchan excel in an otherwise mediorce movie.
Grade: B-
Paa
Indian Release Date: 04/12/09
CBFC Classification: U
Running Length: 2 Hours 18 Minutes
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal, Arundhati Naag, Pratik Katare
Director: R. Balki
Screenplay: R. Balki
Cinematography: P.C. Sreeram
Music: Ilaiyaraja
R. Balki’s directorial debut 'Cheeni Kum' had some interesting ideas even if it fell short in a few places; the same can be said of his follow-up, 'Paa'. 'Paa' had been heavily promoted on the strength of two factors, one being the transformation of the 67 year old Amitabh Bachchan into a 13 year old kid afflicted with progeria & the other being the fact that Bachchan junior plays his father in the film. Neither factor however is utilized to the fullest resulting in the feeling that the entire episode comes off as a gimmick more than anything else.
Auro (Amitabh Bachchan) is a gifted 13 year old who also happens to be suffering from a rare genetic disorder known as a progeria. Due to his affliction Auro’s body ages much quicker than normal thus giving him the physical appearance & ailments of a sixty year old man. He’s been raised by his mother Vidya (Vidya Balan) & grandmother (Arundhati Naag) & a brief flashback provides us with the information why it is so? He was conceived during a summer romance between Vidya & Amol (Abhishek Bachchan) while they were studying abroad. Amol who had huge dreams of becoming a politician & making a real difference didn’t want the responsibility of a father at such an early age & hence left the pregnant Vidya under the impression that she’d have an abortion. Around the time of his 13th birthday Auro a strange twist of fate brings him & Amol together without either having the knowledge of their relationship. The rest of the movie’s plot deals mainly with Auro connecting with his father/paa all the while his body gives away slowly to his illness.
The central theme of the father-son relationship works in bits & pieces but never really clicks on the whole simply because it never moves beyond simple clichés which plague most of these tales. It’s a real shame that this relationship remains half-baked cause towards the end when R. Balki tries real hard to make you reach for your handkerchiefs by creating an emotional crescendo; the effect is greatly blunted by the lack of a real connection between Auro & Amol.
The relationship which really tugs at your heart strings is that of the mother & the son & that has a lot to do with Vidya Balan’s acting & her characterization. Even the relationship between the grandmother & Auro will leave a far deeper impact than that of the father & son.
The additional sub-plot about Amol’s political career is preposterous to say the least, especially the stunt he pulls off on national television & the only thing remaining was Abhishek Bachchan turning around & saying “What an IDEA sirjee?”
As for the whole progeria part, though the make-up artists do a stupendous job of Amitabh Bachchan’s transformation, the disease by itself means little in the scheme of things other than to act as the perennial sword hanging over Auro’s neck. The psychological effects of such a devastating affliction are barely visible on Auro or those around him. In spite of his physical age being constantly told as being near 80 he displays little physical limitations of that age bracket, his arthritic fingers can play video games with aplomb & he can still manage to dance & travel with ease. It could easily have been any other life threatening disease & Auro's role could have been played by an actual kid but then the gimmick of the movie would be lost completely resulting in a far tamer product to sell.
The dialogues are a mixed bag; while few are sure to make you smile others might make your cringe with their immatureness. There’s a howler of a regressive statement when Auro’s grandmother tells Amol how a single mother’s heart turns to stone taking care of her kid. I mean come on! Do you mean to tell me that every single mother across the globe turns cold towards the world because she has to or chooses to raise a child by herself?
Ilaiyaraja’s theme music which plays throughout the movie is soothing to the ears even if it’s overdone at times. The rest of the songs are forgettable at best but well shot.
Amitabh Bachchan accentuates the heavy makeup well with an amazing performance. It’s good to see something different & worthwhile from him after a very long time. Abhishek Bachchan is adequate enough while Paresh Rawal who plays his father in the movie seems to have nothing better to do throughout other than to lecture about the role of media in politics. Vidya Balan pretty much owns the movie when it comes to acting, her controlled performance is a treat to watch & a few scenes like when she breaks the news of her pregnancy to her mother or the one in which she stares blankly while being briefed about Auro’s medical condition are very convincingly essayed. Arundhati Naag & Pratik Katare who plays Auro’s best friend Vishnu, are effortlessly natural in their interactions with Auro.
'Paa' works best in the smaller individual scenes. It’s a neatly packaged product with enough technical expertise to gloss over most of its other shortcomings. The acting really helps the movie overcome it’s sluggish pace & spotty characterizations at times. It tries real hard to be a tear-jerker but the best it might do is leave you with a bitter-sweet feeling.
Final Verdict: Look beyond the advertising gimmicks & Paa is worth a watch once at least for Vidya Balan’s & Amitabh Bachchan’s amazing performances.
Grade: B-
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