The Hindu : Karnataka News : Right ingredients lost in wrong measures

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Sunday, Dec 06, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Right ingredients lost in wrong measures

FAMILY TIES: In a reversal of roles, the father and the son have a blast in Paa

Paa (Hindi)

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan

Director: R. Balki

One more feather in Amitabh Bachchan’s much-decorated cap even as directors explore ways to exploit his undeniable talent. Here the gifted R. Balki has made him lose age by five decades to play Auro. It is a complex character who is a 13-year-old but ages five times faster.

But when the master is at work, the layers are effortlessly in place. He is not duly helped by the prosthetics as the cosmetic experts seem to have erred on the side of authenticity to establish Auro’s progeria, leaving little scope for facial expressions. Also despite cinematographer P.C. Sreeram’s credible efforts and Bachchan’s stooping posture, his rangy frame does leave one with the niggling doubt: why Bachchan? Because it is the Bachchans’ vehicle to return to mainstream film production.

Nevertheless, Amitabh masterfully gets past the limitations by modulating his voice and body language. The last time he worked on his trademark voice was in Agnipath and it fetched him a national award. Auro’s impish giggle is enough to make you fall in love with the new Amitabh, introduced by a self-conscious Jaya Bachchan in the opening credits. Rightfully so, because this Amitabh has very little what we expect from the superstar.

His pranks on his friends, his witty repartees, his sensitivity towards his single mother (Vidya Balan), his bonding with his grandmother (a masterly portrayal in realism by Arundhati Nag) keeps you fresh and eager for more. Watch for the way he establishes the futility of guards his MP father (Abhishek Bachchan) flaunts. In this role reversal, the father and the son have a blast.

But characters don’t make a film. Smart lines are not enough to keep you hooked all through. They have to be knitted in an engaging screenplay. Here Balki falters. He has got the moments and despite provocation doesn’t resort to melodrama. If Abhishek is the new-age politician ready to accept his mistakes, Vidya is the no-nonsense girl who goes ahead with the pregnancy when he refuses to commit. However, despite getting the tone and ingredients right, Balki is unable to use them in the right measure.

He rushes through the love story of a budding politician (Abhishek) and a medical student (Vidya) in a song which leads to the birth of Auro. It amounts to hara-kiri, for Vidya has seldom looked so fetching before. Instead of developing on the couple’s raging chemistry backed by maestro Ilaiyaraaja, Balki settles for politics of development, which has shades of Rahul Gandhi’s agenda. A fresh look at young politicians is commendable and Abhishek looks the part; but his relentless rant against the media is out of place and distracts from the central plot where Auro has to get his parents together. Balki then takes time to change gears, and this leads to tedious stretches. Watch the film for Auro and let the monkey in you dance!

ANUJ KUMAR

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