Paa - Review

No, this is not Benjamin Button.
Paa is about Progeria, about relations, about awareness & above all, about Auro. Does it manage to impress?
While the movie might be just above average, its a dazzling performance by Auro that shall be remembered for times to come.

The story involves 12 year old Auro (Amitabh Bachchan) who has progeria, a rare condition that causes accelerated physical growth, hence making a mentally 12 year old child look like he's 70. His life revolves around his doctor mother Vidya (Vidya Balan) & his school friends. Visionary MP Amol Arte (Abhishek Bachchan) is his father, but neither know the relation, as Amol had parted ways with Vidya years ago.
The film delves with Auro's everyday life on one side & Amole's political ideologies & want to make a difference on the other. An incident makes them cross paths & Paa is about how they change each others lives.

First & foremost, the narrative of the film is extremely weak. It is poorly scripted & the political angle is blown out of proportion. The film tends to drag & gets preachy very often.
Secondly, the editing of the film disappoints & the camera work too, leaves a lot to be desired.
Director R.Balki, who impressed with Cheeni Kum falters. The movie impacts not because of him, but because of the actors.
Of the songs, maestro Illayaraja takes 1 song & spins multiple versions of the same.

But Paa is only about one man Amitabh Bachchan. AB delivers a stupendous performance, making him the heart of this film He makes you forget that it is him & creates a different world around Auro. After 40 years, this is a first for him, surely a feather in his cap. Take a bow Big.B.
Of the othersAbhishek Bachchan gives a very good performance. Vidya Balan looks beautiful & this movie can be considered as her best work yet. Paresh Rawal in his short role is fantastic & child actor Pratik is brilliant.

The length of this film is a tad bit long & the film does tend to drift at times, moving into morality & unnecessary sermons. While it is not a tear-jerker, it has its emotional moments.

All in all, Paa is a film that rides on its performances. Take away Amitabh Bachchan & Paa would fall flat, face first. At the box office, the film doesn't look too promising, but the low budget would greatly help its cause.
If you want to watch a never-before-seen AB, do go for Paa.....but if you don't fancy him much, you can give Paa a miss.

Critical: 2.5/5
Commercial: 3/5