The make-up was the difficult part

Director R Balki on his new film Paa,music maestro Ilayaraja and those ads

Director R Balki on his new film Paa,music maestro Ilayaraja and those ads

What made you cast Abhishek as the father in Paa?
It all clicked on the day I had gone to meet Amitji at his house and Abhishek was also around. It was one of those rare days when Abhishek was serious and not playing the joker. I saw the father-son interaction and thought that if I ever make a film with them,I would reverse the roles.

How long did it take to convince Amitabh Bachchan to play the role of a 13-year-old who looks physically five times older?
About .000001 seconds! He was convinced the moment he heard the one line. But I must admit that my earlier draft of Paa was entirely different. I had written a light,humorous father-son film. When I narrated it to Amitji,he nudged me to explore deeper. He said,This is nice but dont you think it can be an emotional tour de force if you see the characters in a different way?
I remember feeling quite affronted with his remark and going back in a sulk. But when I had cooled down,I understood what he was trying to say,ripped apart the initial draft,wove the whole progeria angle in and wrote a fresh screenplay. It took me six months to get the new version out.

How did you research on progeria a rare genetic disease that causes accelerated ageing?
It was intensive research over a couple of months. We met doctors to not misrepresent the disease in the film. The tone throughout Paa is that here is this character,Auro who has an ailment but hes treated normally by all the other characters in the film. In my opinion,the true test of a persons sensitivity is when he/she treats the disabled normally. Youll see that in Paa.

What was the most challenging part of making the film?
Getting Amitjis make-up right. We were lucky to get the expertise of international make-up artistsChristian Kifle and Dominicwho had worked with the team of The Lord of The Rings.
Christian did a lot of research on progeria,especially regarding shooting six-feet Amitji as a child. We had to change the contours of Amitjis face. Children affected by this disease lose all their hair,become bald and their veins begin to show prominently on their head,which enlarges to a size beyond normal. Thus,the egg-shaped skull,small nose and almost no teeth. The make-up was an arduous process. It would take Amitji five hours to put it on and two hours to take it off.

What is it about Amitabh Bachchan that helps you as a director?
Hes extremely intelligent and spontaneous as an actor. He instantly gets what a director wants. By far,hes the easiest actor Ive worked with,compared with all the models Ive worked with in my advertising career.

Why do Paas posters claim the film is introducing Amitabh Bachchan?
The character of Auro is everything Amitabh Bachchan is not and the things he has done in the film are nothing like what he has ever done before.

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Compare Amitabh and Abhishek.
Both are very intense on camera and exhibit extreme sensitivity in understanding a character. Abhishek,especially,is a really spontaneous actor. Hes figured out what works best for him and pitches his performance in his way. His individuality and subtlety are endearing. Amitji,on the other hand,can go anywhere he wants. He can shout,he can cry,he can be silent and he can be soft.
Hes a chameleon.

So,is Paa inspired by Francis Ford Coppolas Jack?
Why only Jack? Arent people saying its similar to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button too? Let me tell you that Paa is neither. First,Jack is a bad movie and you dont ever want to make a bad film. Secondly,if I really want to spend so much money on a bad movie,Id rather buy its DVD. As for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ,the only similarity is in the look of the characters and that too only in the shape of their heads.

But isnt Jack also about progeria?
Yes,but so are ten other films. Paa is a father-son-mother story. Its an emotional film about a child who discovers his father.

You got a lot of flak for the second half of Cheeni Kum. If you were to make it again,will you change it?
Never. I made what I wrote and Ill write the same thing again. A lot of people didnt like the second half but a lot of them liked it too.

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You always work with the maestro Ilayaraja,tell us one quirk of his?
His only quirk is music. Or you can say that he is a child without progeria. In Paa,I was dealing with two 67-years-old who have such childlike enthusiasm for their craft that it refreshed me. Ilayaraja is a fascinating guy. Hes been an inspiration since my childhood. I would like to have his music in all my films.

Name a few recent ads that youve liked.
Not seen many recent ads other than that of my agency,Lowe Lintas. But I like Tata Teas Jaago Re campaign on corruption and Bajaj Discovers Discover India with the power of 1 litre campaign.