Tamil Movie Review

Amitabh Bachchan, 67, as Auro, 13, is convincing, compelling, adorable, cocky and will live with us forever. Paa is a touching and delightful story of bright, cute, plucky Auro. Born with progeria, a progressive genetic disorder that causes accelerated aging, Auro is 13 but lives in a 60-70 year-old-body with all its attendant complications and more. Auro lives with his gynaecologist mother Vidya (Vidya Balan), grandmom Bum ("because she has a big bum"), and goes to school where he has several friends.
Auro doesn't know but self righteous MP Amol Arte (Abhishek Bachchan) is his father. We meet Auro when he wins the first prize in a school competition and the trophy is handed over by Amol. Media present at the event is intrigued by the strange-looking Auro and land up in school next day to film the freak. Amol calls to apologise and Auro says he'd like to visit Rashtrapati Bhawan. A date is fixed.

Flashback to Oxford where Vidya is studying to be a doctor, and son-of-politician Amol is studying to be a politician.
The two run into each other and are soon making out in train coupes and restaurants. Condoms, on which Amol will later deliver a speech, aren't close at hand, so they go ahead anyway. Vidya is pregnant.
Vidya takes the next flight home and delivers her baby under her supportive mother's tender love and care.
Amol thinks the baby has been aborted. Full marks to director R.Balki for keeping a sad story low on maudlin and high on fun. It helps that Auro has the funniest dialogues and a cool lingo that's easy to connect with. The in-joke, the knowledge that Amitabh is Abhishek's father, makes their interaction fun.

Paa's problems lie in its second track. Considerable amount of time is spent on Amol and his jung. It's unnecessary, inept and irritates by wasting time that could have been spent in Auro's world.
Amol's character is supremely smug and Abhishek delivers bhashans with one single expression that says: "I look like a dude but what I'm saying is seriously significant and very deep".

Vidya Balan is understated, lovely and sexy. Sabyasachi has done a wonderful job matching her stunning cotton saris with gorgeous blouses. Very desi, very chic. Paresh Rawal hardly has a role, Arundhati Naag is good and the kid who plays Vishnu is great.

Illayaraja's music is fabulous, especially the violin version of Auro Theme.

Though there are moments you feel Auro is behaving and talking like an adult, in the end you don't really care. He is the star of the show.

Mr Balki, could we have a sequel, please. And this time, dump the dad and call it Auro.

Paa is the story of Auro (Amitabh Bachchan), a 13-year-old boy with a rare genetic defect that accelerates ageing. Auro suffers from a progeria-like syndrome. While mentally he is a 13-year-old, but physically he looks five times older. Inspite of his condition Auro is intelligent and witty and is always happy.


Abhishek Bachchan plays the role of Amitabh's father in the film. Abhishek's character in the film, Amol Arte is that a young, progressive and idealistic politician. Amol is out to prove that politics is not a dirty word, and that is his mission.

Vidya Balan plays the role of Vidya, Auro's mother.In the film Vidya is a gynecologist by profession. Paa is the story of Auro and Amol's father-son relationship.

Amitabh's prosthetic makeup in the film was done by Oscar-nominated makeup specialist Christien Tinsley and Dominie Till.
The music for the film has been composed by the legendary Ilaya Raja, who also composed the music for the Big B starrer Cheeni Kum.
Paa has been written and directed by adman-turned-director R.Balki who made his directorial debut with Cheeni Kum.
Balki says, "Paa is a tribute to possibly the greatest actor that Indian cinema has ever produced and an example of how an actor can undo the very things that have made him an icon and still do something iconic."
The film is being produced under Amitabh Bachchan's banner AB Corp. Other films released under the AB Corp banner include Aks, Viruddh and Family - Ties Of Blood.

Amitabh Bachchan says he had to stick on several pieces of specially crafted clay to get the right look for the movie. Big B couldn't wait to upload the first poster of the film on his blog, and wrote at length about what went behind his look of a child suffering from progeria, a rare disease that causes premature ageing among children. The face that you see is the result of deep research. Kids affected by this problem lose all their hair, become bald and their veins begin to show prominently on their heads, which enlarge to a size beyond normal. Their teeth and eyes suffer also..." posted Amitabh.
"The prosthetic process is arduous. Around eight pieces specially designed through laborious clay models are most meticulously stuck on to the face. Once the make-up starts, it is impossible to move even a few centimeters. Eating and drinking has to be avoided and you cannot talk because it displaces the pieces over the contours of the face. Separate pieces form the entire look," he wrote.
"Two small holes are bored into the skull so some sound can go through. Also when you speak it reverberates inside the skull and you constantly feel you are inside a tunnel with pronounced echo," he said.
"Eye lids come on close to the eyes, the forehead is another piece, the nose, the two cheeks, the upper and lower lip, the chin and finally the neck all get stuck on and then blended through an intricate electronic spray which merges all the pieces to look like one cohesive mass," added Amitabh.
The actor says that since they wanted the look to be authentic, he also had to shave off all hair on his hands, arms, chest and legs regularly so they could highlight the veins by colouring them.
Amitabh said that he he had taken cues from his grandchildren to adapt a child's mannerisms for the role. The producers of the film tried to keep Amitabh's look secret, but a few images revealing Amitabh's unusual look appeared in the media. The father-son duo have starred together in a number of films, including Sarkar, Bunty Aur Babli, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Sarkar Raj, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Shootout At Lokhandwala.