Note: Has a read-along clip like all the blogposts. Original, like all of them.
I liked many things about the movie - I disliked some. The many things that I liked have already been mentioned in the newspaper reviews. So, even if this review sounds very negative, I haven't disliked the movie as much as I make it sound in this review.
Cutting a long story short, Amitabh Bachhan has delivered a memorable performance in Paa. He is very endearing. Jaya Bachhan at the beginning is a good surprise. Though I really didn't understand why she was sharmaoing with the lihaaz of a naveli dulhan ('newly-wed' for my English medium reader friends) when she was taking names of the team members of the film. Vidya Balan also stands out as the mother. She is amazing in some scenes. The actor who plays the grandmother is very good too.
When I heard the songs for the first time, I thought the "mudi-udi-judi-kudi" series of songs were quite irritating. After watching the movie, the songs sound quite good and they are the kind of songs which you start liking after you have seen them in the context of the film. Paresh Rawal, I really did not quite notice him at all.
The first fifteen minutes are gripping - extremely entertaining. The speed drops towards the end and the climax is very predictable because it comes directly from Kal ho naa ho/Anand or many Ekta Kapoor serials. Overall, the movie is entertaining in parts.
Some dialogues that one will remember come from Auro - the ones like 'kisi ke personal emails nahi padhte...' or the dialogues between Auro and his friend Vishnu. Quite endearing. Some dialogues are outrageously funny. Btw, I thought people needed to be above 18 years of age to have an email address. Auro chats and shares his webcam on the internet - parental discretion ko pack karke maale pe rakh diya kya?
I have one question regarding the movie. Would the 'performance' and the film receive the attention it has had Auro not been a person battling progeria? Because according to me, the movie and its story would not have been any different if Auro had been a patient of some 'conventional' life threatening disease. So, do the story-makers bring in the progeria angle just to gain sympathy/attract attention because of the uniqueness? If it is either, I think it is not a very good thing to have done.
And it would not be a very good thing to happen if filmmakers keep unearthing newer/rarer physical/mental ailments just to repeat the (Bhansali's) Black-like charm.
Apart from this, I don't have any concerns about the movie. It may make a one-time good watch.
If Balki had not given it the progeria angle... Amitabh Bachchan would not have essayed the role and we would have missed out on the genius of the man, who was once the Angry Young Man.
ReplyDeletenice review....but i wld like to say tht years ago a film named Jack was made about a boy whose body ages at a faster rate than this age. the lead of the movie was Robin Williams, and unlike Auro he wasnt physically morphed, which is true in progeria cases. Yet i liked the movie which was a nice blend of all the emotions.
ReplyDeleteNothing agaisnt Paa as such but i feel its sort of exploiting whn such a topic is used in films which is for sure to add sentimental angle and to gain publicity.
I am not sure about Paa as I have yet to waste enough time on it, But otherise Balki is some sort of a crack. His last take "Less Chinese" was crap stuff. Showing grandmotherly/fatherly children who are, guess what, "Dieing" is cheap potboiler stuff. I think Amitabh would have been able to do the role of a Healthy child as well ( with all the modern makeup techniques ). But this "Progeria Stuff" is all put i to make money. Thats all I think.
ReplyDeletei agree with the progeria angle!!.. good aadi!!.. nice watch!!.. i hated the movie way too much.. amitabh wasnt acting too great either!!..
ReplyDeletei appreciate the progeria angle!!.. nice watch buddy!!.. i hated the movie!!..
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