Total time 'Paa'ss!

Film: Paa (U)
Director: R Balki
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal and others
Rating: ***

R Balki has done it again – an unusual plot deftly treated, entertaining moments and some real good performances, all come together in his second directorial venture, Paa. In Cheeni Kum, Balki got Amitabh Bachchan to romance a younger woman. In Paa, he presents the actor in a role that’s a complete opposite of the mature, control freak character he played in Cheeni Kum.

Auro (Bachchan) is a child born out of wedlock and suffers from Progeria – a rare genetic disorder due to which he ages at five times the normal rate. His parents, Alok (Abhishek Bachchan) and Vidya (Balan) met in London, as students, and fell in love. However, when Alok found out that Vidya was going to have his baby, he refused to take the responsibility of turning father at 22.

Vidya, hurt with his behaviour, came back to India and gave birth to Auro. She never informed Alok about Auro and he remained under the impression that she had aborted the child. Years later, Alok, who’s a member of parliament now, meets Auro at a school function. The two develop a friendship without knowing that they are father and son.

The story in itself isn’t entirely novel, frankly, unless you factor in the Progeria bit. But the best part about the film is that no big deal is made about the disorder. Paa does not introduce you to the ‘difficulties’ faced by kids with Progeria or ways to tackle it, or how society can be more sympathetic towards such kids. The disorder’s rare and that’s how Balki chooses to keep it.

The lifetime of a child with Progeria is limited to 13-14 years, and Auro’s death is imminent. But the treatment isn’t morose or trying-too-hard to tug at your heart strings. Instead, the film has some witty writing, genuinely funny sequences and Amitabh Bachchan to keep you entertained.

Paa is what you could call a ‘moments’ film. There are many sequences that stay with you much after you’ve seen the film, and moments that linger in your mind. The interaction between Auro and his friends in school are outstanding. The phone conversation Auro has with his best friend brings the house down. Balki’s an expert with kids (remember Sexy in Cheeni Kum?) and extracts some really good performances out of the kiddie cast in Paa too.

The mother-son bonding is also cute. In fact, even though the film’s been titled Paa because a good part of the second half is devoted to the relationship between Auro and Alok, it’s the equation Vidya is shown to share with Auro that really appeals to you. She’s aware that Auro won’t live long, but is not shown to be crying or moping around, or because she’s a single mother. The scene where she explains to another woman how Auro is actually more special than most other people is among the best in the film.

Balan gives a great account of herself. Not intimidated by the senior Bachchan, or the Bachchans rather, she delivers a performance that might just bring her back in the reckoning, post-Parineeta.

Abhishek delivers a restrained performance and keeps it simple. The parallel track about his political career, though, could easily have been shortened. Although the effort is to add a ‘highlight’ sequence, where Alok takes on the might of the media, the scenes come across as unconvincing and also make the film unduly long.

Paresh Rawal, as Alok’s politician dad, is good. Arundhati Nag as Auro’s grandmom — he calls her Bums — is a refreshing change from the usual ‘mom’, and the scenes between the nani-pota are very real.

Amitabh, of course, is the life of the film. The voice modulation’s good (the deep baritone’s gone), the body language apt and the performance measured. The makeup artists have done a great job of transforming the actor into a 12-year-old with Progeria. Balki truly presents the actor in a new light, just like he did in his debut film. Illaiyaraja’s music and PC Sreeram’s cinematography lend themselves well to Balki’s vision.

Paa is testimony to the fact that a novel idea, if presented in an entertaining manner, makes for some great viewing. Balki seems to follow the mantra and is doing a helluva job of it.

Watch Paa for Balki’s fresh treatment and storytelling skills and to see the senior Bachchan in a new light.