Review: Paa

By: Parimal M. Rohit WP

December 6, 2009

Auro probably never knew Benjamin Button. After all, a meeting would be kind of difficult, considering both fictional characters live half a world away from each other and are on opposite ends of the space-time continuum.

Yet Auro has a lot more in common with Mr. Button than he realizes – just like the character played by Hollywood stud Brad Pitt, the young kid portrayed by Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan in Paa also has a rare genetic disease that affects his aging process. Except, unlike Benjamin who aged in reverse, Auro was born just like any other newborn infant, save for the fact that he aged much faster than his counterparts – so much so, that at age 12, the kid looked like he was 65 years old.

Under the guise of heavy makeup and a large prosthetic head, Bachchan plays one of his most unique roles ever – a 67-year-old actor portraying a 12-year-old schoolboy with a degenerative disease known as Progeria. Oh, and the man playing Aero’s father is none other than Bachchan’s real-life son Abhishek.

Interestingly enough, Paa is less about the tale of father and son and more a story about Aero and his mother (played by Vidya Balan). Nonetheless, the movie, despite its 145-minute running time, is quite predictable: end of the day, the moviegoer can pretty much figure out how each of the film’s peaks and valleys will play out, with Paa ultimately delving into the evolving relationship between handicapped child, his parents, and his peers.

The film starts off with Amol (Abhishek Bachchan) meeting Vidya (Balan) in a university setting in London. Both fall in love and start to date, yet things go awry when Vidya is pregnant and Amol shies away from marriage.

Leaving London and returning to India to pursue a career in politics just like his father did, Amole leaves Vidya to raise the child on her own with her mother. Years later, Amole is a Member of Parliament and meets Auro at a school event – neither aware they are father/son.

Then the story unfolds with Amol, Vidya and Auro all trying to figure out how to balance their relationship with their individual struggles. What transpires is quite an endearing story, though, at times, Paa does seem a bit drawn and stretched, as there are a few scenes that are a tad too long.

Yet, overall, what makes Paa quite the heartwarming tale is a charming lead character played by Amitabh Bachchan and the bond that unfolds between the 12-year-old Auro and his parents, Vidya and Amol.

Balan plays a convincing mother and romantic interest, showing just the right amount of emotion and grace. Her performance is strong enough to give Bachchan a chance to shine as Auro.

Her counterpart, Abhishek Bachchan, is quite the opposite, playing a smug, arrogant Amol who seems heartless and more concerned with himself and his career than the people in his life. Of course, Amol needs to be externally rough in order for Auro to work his magic and soften his father.

The heart of the story is, of course, Auro, convincingly played by Big B. It is not at all easy for a 67-year-old to play a character 55 years his younger, but Amitabh pulls it off in such a way that the moviegoer cannot help but fall in love with the spirited, aloof, gregarious yet simultaneously shy Auro.

Also starring Arundhati Naag as the lovably feisty grandmother, Paa is a pleasant watch and an endearingly heartwarming story of how three people learn to grow together despite individual obstacles. With a unique story and solid overall dialogue, the story, written and directed by R. Balakrishnan, is now playing in theaters worldwide.