Phonearl
Good start, but then it gets ruined
Geraldine
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
vikee vj
An 66 year old man as a 12 year old boy, very difficult to think but he makes it so simple . The plot of the movie is so simple but the cast and the situations and episodes of the movie is interesting and emotional . Bgm elevates every scene of the film , P.c sriram have again shows what can he do with his camera ..The major plus point of the movie is the whole movie gives you a musical journey . that is where shows the commanding strength of balki. Movie would have been even more shorter. on the whole definitely a different and a brave attempt by a superstar of India ...shows that he is not only a star but also an brilliant actor.
braddugg
Loving simple tale of unison of estranged parentsThe movie is full of witty, kid dish conversations between a 12 year old boy and others, the others range from his own dad to his toy. Splendid camera captured the entire emotions, funny things and also the love so refreshingly. Editing is precise except for a couple of sequences (both are related to politics), where it seemed that the director is enforcing his idea of 'cool' politician.Now, the acting is one thing that has to be surely appreciated by almost all who have acted except one, that's Abhishek Bachchan, I request him to learn acting or do it or just get off the screen and give screen space to better actors. The acting of Vidya Balan is top notch but the real stealer is Amitabh, agreed, that the makeup, voice, teeth, eyes were deliberate attempts to make him look like a progeria affected child, but the performance delivered is one that is surely world class. Full marks to Amitabh for bringing the actor from within and becoming a child at 68 years of his life and giving a wonderful treat of performance.The characterization was simple, but some incidents were surely stretched out. Father is a politician who denies becoming a father as he seeks his personal aspirations over becoming a father, its fine. Mom is gynecologist is also fine. Son is a progeria affected child. Now, these are characters existing in reality But, the point is how father meets the child and learns the truth and how, he is united with his lost love. Simple, but the meeting was a deliberate and amateurish attempt to begin such a story, nevertheless it had to start at some point and so it did, and once the protagonist was introduced, the entire thing was an engaging watch full of humor (it's not cynical or sarcastic but plain and dry) that's the stand out selling point. One dialogue in which the kid is asked 'What does your mom and do?" to which he replies "Bas bachhe paida karte hai" is worth the money.Despite the evident flaws in the movie, it is worth a watch just for it's simplicity and no nonsense method. Director Balki, I wish sticks to such stuff and keeps churning these kind of movies more and kudos for trying this in an earnest way. Highly recommended - 4/5.
Peter Young
R Balki directs 'Paa', a film I was very interested to watch. At first, the promos did not impress me and I expected to see a pretentious film at best, but the positive reviews and several recommendations made me finally catch this one. The film was a pleasant surprise: nice and simple, but somehow I still expected something else. R Balki did a very good job in terms of both writing and direction. The film's story is well-written and told, the execution is steady, and the dialogues are witty and light. But at some point I did feel that something was missing there. Don't know what. Maybe something in the portrayal of Auro's relationship with his mother could have been better done, though I liked how Balki portrayed his friendship with school kids, particularly a boy named Vishnu.Bachchan's casting in the role of Auro, which created a lot of buzz and curiosity pre-release, was brave and bold, but frankly speaking, it would have been more interesting to see a child actor playing Auro. I say that while considering the many young talents in the industry who could have easily been suitable for the part. Bachchan is somewhat overly tall for the role and since all of us know Auro is played by the great Amitabh Bachchan, it reduces the level of credibility in the film's authenticity, and many may feel it was made to showcase his greatness and to evoke such reactions as "wow! He plays his son's son!"But Bachchan does not disappoint. He manages to make Auro a likable character with his under-toned line delivery, expressive eyes and simplicity. A lesser actor of his age could have played the role in an overly childish manner with exaggerated mannerisms and noticeable attempts to overdo and emphasise the character's young age and disease symptoms. But not Bachchan. Hardly recognisable under this heavy mask of make-up, he naturally transforms into a little, intelligent kid of our times and is thoroughly convincing.Abhishek Bachchan, playing his real-life father's father is strictly okay in a role that is not very deep or demanding but still contributes to the film significantly. Vidya Balan is excellent as Vidya, the caring and loving mother who is also an assertive and independent career woman. Balan acts with grace and restraint and she is natural and compelling throughout. And she is absolutely stunning in her traditional Indian looks. Arudhati Nag is fine and effective as Vidya's supportive mother. The child who plays Auro's best friend Vishnu is simply adorable. I particularly liked a scene in which Auro and Vishnu have a phone conversation, and Vishnu sharply criticises his father. That was hilarious!Coming to the music, Ilayaraja composes a lovely, classical and joyful soundtrack for the film which gives it a very light and feel-good mood. The editing and the cinematography are well-done. Towards the end, 'Paa' is a bit emotional. It neither made me shiver nor tear, but it still was efficient and moving. I recommend you to watch 'Paa' with family or friends. Do not plan to either hate or love it. If you watch the film trying to ignore this wow factor, you will definitely enjoy it and will probably be able to appreciate Balki's efforts to make a lightly dramatic episode about one young boy and his relationships rather than a socially educative film on progeria. Just enjoy this witty, interesting and refreshing piece.
the_weirdo
1. Poor Poor Script. I couldn't find the theme, the concept behind the "story". I felt as if a story is made fit to showcase the greatness of the actors.2. Unnecessary sub-plots. The story drifts from the actual subject so much that I got confused what the director wanted to show. In a movie dealing with progeria and father-son relationship why spend 30 minutes or more showing the media-politician imbroglio. What makes 'Taare Zameen Par' a better movie of that genre is that not a single moment in the movie drifts away from the main subject.3. Missing the meaning of tagline's worth. There was no father-son relationship that was highlighted. Hence 'father-son son-father' thingy was just a marketing gimmick.4. Songs. Not the music or melody of them, but where they are placed. Especially the 'Hichiki' song was put at a point where I least expected it.5. The very reason why the movie was made. In an interview R Balki, the director of the movie, had boasted that when he was in the office of Amitabh Bachchan one day he saw the banter between Abhishek and his father as the role reversal. And hence he wanted to cast the real father-son duo as reel son-father. When he heard about the disease Progeria, he shouted 'Eureka'. In my opinion, it is a very poor way to conceive a movie. May be that is the reason for the poor script.You might argue this as one of the best performances of Amitabh. Of course, he acts well that's why he is so great and I am one of his biggest fans. But one thing we must not forget that it is not that great actors make great movies. It is the great movies that make the actors great.(Originally posted at weirdo-on-movies.blogspot.com/)
