Paa, Did You Preach?
The much awaited film – did it work a miracle at the box office? Did it live upto the audience’s expectations? Did “Paa” preach?
Sahil Khan
07.12.2009
Movies
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal, Arundhati Nag
Director: R. Balakrishnan
Music: Ilaiyaraja
TTS Rating: 4/5
Verdict: A must watch for everyone. Total paisa vasool.
A film becomes a monumental success, not just by the script, the screenplay or the cast, but by those working behind the scenes too. Paa had three such people responsible for Auro. Stephan Dupius and Christien Tinsley and Dominie Till, who not only the international make-up artists who designed the clay pieces for Amitabh Bachchan, but also handled the prosthetic make-up on the sets, respectively.
It has taken him decades to leave an indelible imprint on the industry. Yet to be able to put that behind and deliver a performance such as this one, to forget the Amitabh Bachchan in oneself and to play Auro, the 13 year old child afflicted by Progeria; is something only a legend of Bachchan’s stature can manage.
Balki, who had also directed Cheeni Kum, is able to make the best out of the cast and crew. Not only does he carve out a film that speaks about a rare disease and also single parenthood, but the current, prevalent state of affairs regarding politics and the media as well. With the hilarious dialogue exchange between Auro and his best friend, the smart children now seem a trademark of sorts with Balki.
Abhishek Bachchan stands out as the young politician in crisp white. His performance too, is worth a notice. Yet, he does get carried away with his self-righteous, media- bashing dialogues; a homily that seems somewhat a misfit. Vidya Balan too, seems to have moved past her wardrobe malfunctions. Her look is simplistic and very next-door. As the mother stand up to speak for her child, one can’t help but feel in-sync with her as well.
Paresh and Arundhati aka Bum, also add a nice dimension to the film and lend support to Abhishek and Vidya’s characters along with the kids who play Auro’s school friends.
All in all, Balki’s direction, the on- screen family that weaves magic and Illaiyaraja’s music with PC Sreeram’s cinematography wrap up the well executed film with a soft finesse.
Sahil Khan
[ratings]
[image courtesy: http://wikipedia.com]
