XEHER ONLINE caught up with Amitabh Bachchan for an imtimate talk about his daring new look in Paa and why Abhishek was chosen to play his father in the film
BY SUPRIYA DAVDA | DEC 22, 2009
Amitabh Bachchan’s accomplishment is in his ability and expression to re-invent himself every time he embarks on a new mission. Be it playing a Genie or playing a 13 year old boy. He always wants to add that something special to everything he does. His eye for detailing be it a film or an interview could be over-powering at time but once the results are out you can comprehend the purpose behind his meticulousness. Supriya Davda talks to the man known in Bollywood as Big B, Amitabh Bachchan.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your experiences on Paa?
AB: Balki who made "Cheeni Kum" with Tabu and me was very a lovely exciting film. He wrote the entire screenplay, it was unusual it was different. And suddenly one day he came across with this idea, “Paa”. And obviously as an artiste you feel very challenged when something like this comes your way, playing the role of a 13 year old. As an artiste it's very exciting, but then you start wondering, "how am I going to pull this off?" and "how am I going to be made to look thirteen years old?" That’s when the entire make up, and the ideas of the look came about. Balki wanted the kid to be a victim of progeria.
Q. Progeria is a disease that affect 1 in 2 million kids, and they age incredibly quickly. Can you tell us abit more about how you worked on your look for the film and the process?
AB: After a lot of research and finding kids that were suffering with this, we looked into the entire history and talked to many people within the medical profession. After several discussions we finally came up with the look of me in the film. We deployed make up artists from Los Angeles, Hollywood, one of the artists Christian being an Oscar winner.
What the make – up artists wanted as far as the face was concerned was sent across. What they needed was a mould of my face, portions of my body and chest, my hands and my feet. Christian then designed the face through prosthetics, and once that face was designed the prosthetics were then sent to India to another team. We in fact had to do this twice, because one of the alignments didn’t come out right. But because the prosthetics has to look like real skin and match the real contour of your face, it’s important that you remain steady.
The patients who developed this unfortunate diseases loose all there hair and there head becomes larger than normal. But despite all the goodness of all the make-up and the look it really is a happy film. Balki may have desired to make a film, knowing he has a character that is physically challenged and focused on that, nevertheless he has made a very happy film.
I would give the maximum benefit to the make-up, that’s what made me behave in that manner, I had dentures on, hence my speech is impaired, Bakli wanted me to walk in particular manner, wear particular clothes and it creates this atmosphere for this kid. Despite all of this, he was a normal kid, behaved in a normal way, people around him treated him normally. The story isn’t about the kid, Auro he is just part of the story, the story is much bigger really, and that you will see once you see the film.
Q. Why did you choose Abhishek to play "Paa" in the film?
AB. Well I actually didn’t, the director Balki did. I am sure that somewhere at the back of his mind he thought it would make an interesting casting, the father-son, son-father relationship. It’s a very rare relationship, about a child who has been inflicted with this disease and about the father, especially now that Abhishek and I are playing reverse roles. But I think that if I may say so, Balki felt that he needed a performance,which he had noticed in Abhishek’s films. It’s very tough to give a title to the kind of roles that Abhishek has been playing in his career. He has been doing different kinds of films; there is a Dostana at one end and a Guru at the other end. I think in Balki’s mind he required an actor who had a certain amount of maturity.
Q. Did you ever meet any of the children who suffer from progeria?
AB. No I didn’t meet any of them; I watched DVDs and was given reading material about the children who suffered from this disease. Thereafter I just followed what Balki wanted me to do. He never ever insisted that I be conscious of the fact I had this disease. The beauty of this screen-play is that, Balki could have easily turned it into a very emotional story about this kid. But he has shown him to be very normal, very intelligent, extremely witty and playful. He has his gang of friends in school, and in the house he is treated like any 13 year old would be.
Q. Have cases of progeria been seen in India?
AB. Actually there are, in fact after running the first promo, we have had a stupendous reaction thanks to you, all the media, which am very grateful for. There have been a number of cases that have suddenly sprung up. I am aware now that there is a family in Kolkata, where there are five kids from the same family, same mother and father who have progeria.
Q. It is known that Abhishek addresses you as Paa off-screen, so was it his idea for you to call him Paa in the film?
AB. No that was completely Balki’s idea. Balki in the past has spent a lot of time with us making ad films. And on several occasions he has observed Abhishek making calls to me and interacting with me.
Q. AB Corp has produced this film,what was that like?
AB. Everything in the process of film-making has become very departmentalised. Even the actual producer’s work can be leased out to someone. Producing a film nowadays is a collective effort. If Abhishek and I are working on set, we are not too worried about whether the food was alright or have the cars arrived? Or are we getting these dates?
Q. What was it like working with Vidya Balan?
AB. She is an extraordinary actress and I have been a fan of hers since the release of "Parineeta" and I have told her that too. We have also worked in "Eklavya" together. She is a very consummate artist. I have always been a fan of Dilip Saab’s and Waheeda Rahamanji’s since I started watching films and I find that the same sensitivity that Waheedaji has, Vidya has today.
Q. Lastly, why should the audiences go and see "Paa"?
AB. Because it has Abhishek and I in it (he laughs) Films have been very identifiable these days. I believe, that with the progression of television and various mediums of communication, the world is becoming very accessible. In India itself we have hundreds of channels from all over the world, be it good or bad. And because the world is at our foot-steps we are able to make different films, rather than the usual formatted type. This is beneficial for us all, we are able to see and learn different things. "Paa", although is a family film, it’s a different family story, simple, but there are parts which will attract you.
