Father Figure

In his first film,Cheeni Kum (2007) advertising professional-turned-filmmaker R Balki did the improbable: he made Amitabh Bachchan don a chef’s hat for one of his most memorable performances in recent times. After a gap of two years,Balki is again re-creating a fresh character for his favourite performer,senior Bachchan in his upcoming film. In Paa,which releases on December 4,the veteran actor plays a 13-year old kid named Auro,who is diagnosed with Progeria (a condition where a kid ages three times faster than normal).

Eerily similar to the Brad Pitt-starrer The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button,there is a twist in Balki’s version: son Abhishek Bachchan,cast as a politician in the movie,plays senior Bachchan’s father,while Vidya Balan is the dutiful wife.

While there has been enough talk about Bachchan’s amazing five-hour prosthetic work during make-up,Balki,who is also the scriptwriter of the film,is quick to add,“The film is not meant to be an awareness building exercise about Progeria; rather its about the bond between father and son.”

With shooting schedules in London,Malaysia and India,the most challenging task,explains the director,was ensuring that Big B’s larger than life on-screen persona didn’t creep into the film. “I worked hard to prevent his overawing presence from overshadowing the movie,” says Balki.