Bachchan is one brilliant Bachcha...

There are actors and then there is Amitabh Bachchan- India's answer to Clint Eastwood and Ben Kingsley. Mr. Bachchan's talent has been showcased in many directors in many landmark movies of the past. But, R Balki very skilfully brings out the bachcha in Mr. Bachchan through his 2nd directorial venture- "Paa", a sensitive take on Progeria, a rare medical condition, that thankfully does not rely on melodrama.

Paa is the story of Auro (Amitabh Bachchan), a progeria affected 13 year old being brought by his single gynaecologist mother Vidya (Vidya Balan) and feisty grandmother whom he fondly calls "Bum" (Arundhathi Nag). The media starts stalking him when he wins a prize in a school competition presided over by Amol Apte, the young MP (Amitabh Bachchan). Amol takes an instant liking for Auro only to find out later than Auro is his own son who was conceived by Vidya during their student days together in the UK.

Auro's condition worsens and he manages to unite his parents on his deathbed. That is where "Paa" ends. There is nothing new in the storyline except the Progeria angle but the treatment of the narrative is light and entertaining. There are not many cry out loud moments, instead Auro's character is established through a set of humurous incidents and witty one liners that appeals to one and all- notable among those are his telephone conversation with his friend where the friend discusses his dad and his verbal exchange with his paternal grandfather (Paresh Rawal) on the hospital bed.

R Balki comes up with this novel approach to family movies which is enjoyable without slipping into melodrama and manages to succeed with Paa. He is ably supported by P C Sreeram (Camera), Anil Naid (Editing), Aki Narula and Sabyasachi Mukherji (Styling & Costumes) and the brilliant Iliayaraaja (Music score).

He manages to extract brilliant performances from his cast- Arundhathi Nag shines in the role of the grandmother, Abhishek Bachchan is adequately subdued as Amol and Vidya Balan digs her teeth deep into the author backed role that has come her way since "Parineeta".

At the heart of "Paa", however, is the great Amitabh Bachchan who scales even greater heights with his performance and proves to one and all that he is irreplaceable in the history of Indian cinema. "Paa" explores the mother- son bonding more than the father- son bonding and thus, does not justify its title. Also, the much winded media bashing sequences mar the flow of the otherwise brisk narrative. These are but minor glitches in an otherwise enjoyable film- Go for it with your entire family, you will come out in awe of Amitabh Bachchan's performance and Vidya Balan's beauty :-)