About Paa and Progeria
R. Balki: The idea of Paa was not triggered off by Progeria. In fact, one day I was in their office and was watching Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan together. I saw Abhishek in a serious mood while Amitji was the one laughing playfully. I noticed that Abhishek was behaving like the father and Amitji like a child. I wanted to capture that role reversal, of the father and son. For that, I need a strong excuse and after research, I found out that there is a condition, real and rare, called Progeria. That is where the idea came from.
Abhishek Bachchan: Paa is a wonderfully-made film. But I still haven’t read the script. When Balki said, “I have an idea for a film and you play the father,” it was an opportunity I could not miss. I enjoyed playing Pa’s Paa!
Balki: Paa is not only about Progeria. We are trying to portray the child as normal as possible. We are not harping on his condition. That is how we have treated the child who in spite of a condition, is a normal child and has a normal relationship with his parents.
Abhishek: Because at home I call my father Pa and in the film, he calls me Pa, we decided to call the film Paa.

On the sets
Abhishek : My dad does not eat chocolates. For the role he had to have some though. Once the camera rolled, he was the character. He was very casual. Like in Cheeni Kum, there was an casual air. Dad believes in himself and Balki makes films that he believes in. While on the sets, we didn’t feel like we were working as we wanted it to be very relaxed atmosphere. Dad was very happy and laughing all the time. He also had to change a lot of clothes.
Balki: And you didn’t have to.
Abhishek: Yes. I did not have to change my costumes in Paa.
Vidya: He still hasn’t. Changed, that is.
Abhishek: Yes. It was a welcome change since in Dostana we were only changing costumes as Karan Johar was very particular about clothes. He would keep saying, “Run down the corridor and change.” Ask Vidya, she had to change many times in Paa and for a change, she has also read the script many times.
Vidya: Many times over. And I am still reading it. It was been an unusual and unexpected opportunity - of a lifetime. When Balki came to me with the narration, I was very excited. When he told me that it had Mr Bachchan, I was secretly hoping that it would be Cheeni Kum 2. In that film Balki had an older man and younger woman and I thought, with me it would be an even younger love story so I got excited. But when he said that I was to be paired opposite Junior Bachchan, my hopes was dashed, to the ground. (Looking at Abhishek and laughing) When he told me I had to play mother to Mr Bachchan. I really didn’t know whether I could pull it off. I have never thought of myself as someone with maternal instinct so far and playing a mother to a special child was unexpected. There are times when you just pat your child or slap him for his mistakes. And I was like, how can I do this with Mr Bachchan?
To get things rolling, we actually did a photo- shoot and I was quite stressed out before the shooting of the film started. But Mr Bachchan was incredible. He was there, getting his make-up done. When he came out of the room, I did not know what to expect. He had completely transformed into a child. In that get- up, he was my son and I was his mother. I can’t describe that moment. It is something that I will cherish forever.
Abhishek: I did not react when I saw him in the get-up. I did not react because I did not know it was him. I was in my office because Balki was to come and I walked into the room and was chatting with people and socialising generally. Then I asked where dad was. He looked up and said, “I am here”. I didn’t recognise him. We were told about the make-up but I did not expect it to be anything like this.
When we were shooting in Kuala Lumpur, producer Sunil Manchanda came with some people and spent an entire day on the sets. He left very upset. “You said we could meet Mr Bachchan, where is he?” he asked. Nobody recognised dad.
After the first day of shooting for the people associated with the film, it didn’t matter any more because he was just a character in the film. His look is not the driving force but the character and the emotions are. I guarantee you that after ten minutes of watching the film, you will forget that this is a child with a condition. He is just a child.
Balki: Amitji just had to undo everything about himself, including those things that people really like him for. Because the character of Auro that he plays, is so unlike the way we are used to seeing Mr Bachchan. We just wanted to make sure that nobody called him Amitabh Bachchan. We also made sure that he didn’t do things like Amitabh Bachchan; He was told - control yourself, not be yourself, to be like a child.
We did not have any special effects for Auro’s look. We just used camera angles that would project his head bigger in comparison to the rest of the body because that is how most Progeria patients are. But otherwise, there were no specific shoot techniques.

Role-reversal
Abhishek: When you are an actor and when you have to play Amitabh Bachchan’s father, you have to put in a lot of effort. You have to work on the characteristics and other things. The relationship in the film is not that of a father and son. The whole concept was of working to be a good father who is actually my best friend. So we thought why not bring that aspect in the film? I am not saying I borrowed from my personal life but I borrowed aspects like Paa is my best friend and I confide everything in him, do everything with him. Traditionally in Indian cinema, we portray the father as the patriarch. But we don’t show that they share a special relationship. For this film, we wanted to bring out the emotion of a father-son. I think Balki had observed that very closely with us. And here they are friends. I don’t need to convince the audience that this is my father. And as father-son, we didn’t have to bring out the relationship. People know. We tried to be as realistic as we could.
Vidya: There is a basic sensitivity in all of us but sometimes that sensitivity borders on sympathy and Balki was very clear that he did not want any element of sympathy. He wanted to deal with it in a normal way. Abhishek said, “You deal with it very normally and naturally and you take pride in the child and you love him as much because he is your child, whether he has got a special condition or not.”
I did not have to really draw up on any kind of reference as such. Yes I did read up on Progeria because I was eager to understand what the disease was about. But there was no particular reference point.
Balki: It was a complex process and it took five hours each day to put on the make-up and then another two to get rid of it. Also, the head gets less oxygen and so it becomes difficult to stay in the get-up for more than four hours. But Mr Bachchan was extremely supportive and shot for longer.
Abhishek: We took minor creative liberties.
Vidya: I think that the most difficult things I faced as a mother is to let go. When my child takes his first step I will have a heart attack, a mini-attack for sure because I felt that. I realise how my parents feel now because I constantly turn back and say “Why are your stressing? I am okay.” Any questions my parents would ask I would say that, but now I know it is so difficult to let go. Hats off to every parent in the world, really!

Working with Amitabh Bachchan
Vidya : I have worked with them individually. And I don’t think it was daunting in any way. I was eager to see how both of them are together in a frame, but besides that the daunting thing was the role itself, but it was amazing to say the least.
Abhishek: It was not daunting for me to be in the same frame with her and dad. I have worked with Vidya before and I think she is absolutely brilliant. I appreciate her as an actor. She has a very rare quality. She has a perfect blend of maturity and youthfulness. I would be very keen to get back in front of the camera with her. With dad, one is actually overwhelmed to be in front of him. If we are doing a film like, say Sarkar, where he gives those dirty looks, you get scared. He has that kind of look. But if you are working in a fun film you know that he would be casual and fun to be with. He would be in a great mood. It was fun.
Balki : I think Vidya’s role was quite difficult. But she handled it an awesome way. She had to play a friend and a mother. And when a mother acts as a friend, she still has that subtle line between the two roles. And Vidya pulled this off with great conviction.
Abhishek : I have done so many films with my father and it has always been a pleasure to work with him. It is an honour to be in the same frame and the same place with him. He is just great fun to watch and you get to learn so much from him.
Balki: That’s right. I don’t think working with someone of his caliber one can get overshadowed.

Playing a politician
Balki: The film required Abhishek to be a politician. His character had to be someone ambitious, someone with a goal, a character who is more than a regular family person.
Abhishek: That is what the character required to be; to have a life larger than his personal life. I have friends who are politicians. Milind Deora and I have known each other since college. I have always admired Milind - his appearance, what he does and how he presents himself. Sachin Pilot is a childhood friend. We were in Delhi together. My look in the film is loosely based on these two people.
Vidya: Costumes are just tools that we use. It probably explains a certain stage of life; you are trying to visually fit into the character and create a different stage of life whether you’re playing someone’s wife or girlfriend.
For the film, I loved the clothes Sabyasachi has done. He was very understated and has used a lot of interesting fabrics, colours, cuts and everything. I asked him whether he would do Paa and he was one of the few designers who said, “But can I meet the director first and get the script?” So I asked Balki to give a narration to Sabya, They worked it on between themselves.
There is a certain careful casualness about my two looks. It’s very carefully put together. As a college student, she would pick up anything from her wardrobe but then there is a nice sense of style there too. And she is very much her own person and that reflects in the story. In the parts with Mr Bachchan, you will see her in a lot of cotton sarees. Not too many actresses wear sarees anymore which is such a pity. It’s so simple yet so beautiful. I am glad I got to do that.

Similarity to The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Balki : About 500 people must have watched The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. And Paa has nothing to do with it. That film dealt with a fantasy condition of reverse aging while Paa is about a real condition. The only common factor is the ‘bald’ head of the protagonists. I would love to remake Benjamin but I’d rather watch it on DVD. No one should waste so much time and energy telling a story that has already been told. A lot of people have tried to draw comparisons because I guess it is fashionable to do so.

Favourite scenes
Balki : The shot where Jaya Bachchan presents the titles. It’s a two-minute scene but that makes the film all the more special. I have been a big fan of hers.
Abhishek: There are some wonderful moments between Vidya and dad. There were emotions and actions. I even find the scenes with Arundhatiji and Vidya very cute.
Vidya: I think the first scene that I shot for the film with Mr Bachchan and Arundhati Nag, who plays the grandmother. It is a lovely scene. It established the relationship between the characters, even for us. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and I couldn’t believe what it was bringing forth within me.
Balki: I also think Abhishek’s role was the most difficult for an actor; not because he is playing the father of a son with a rare condition, but also because he was also playing a politician. His character is of a person who makes a mistake; he is a nice person at heart, an emotional man. There are these moments when he wants to say something but throughout the film, he is controlled. While Auro goes about doing his things, the father just stands by his side. His is a character that actors will enjoy watching. A character which actors will understand better.
Vidya: I hate saying this in front of him but Abhishek is by far the best co-star I could hope for. He is never serious on the sets, you don’t know what to expect and what he will do when the director calls for action. He brings out unexpected things from you as an actor and that is very exciting. I enjoyed that even in Guru.

Memorable moments
Abhishek: Paa jumped on to my back. I didn’t expect it. He was like an actual kid. He would run around and do things like kids do.
Vidya: For me, he is this towering personality - he literally transforms himself into this child; for such a tall man, purely physically, to be portraying a child with an awkward body language was so amazing. Yet I will never get tired of working with him. There will never be another Amitabh Bachchan and thank god for it.

On being a producer
Abhishek: Being a producer is not fun at all. I didn’t enjoy it. I am so used to being an actor. Being a producer, I was always torn between being actor and production. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I took it as a challenge and I did it only for my father. It is not about reviving AB Corp. Every decision was taken on emotionally. Balki has been fantastic and AB Corp would not have been able to work without his support. I have not done much except look official.

Moving on
Abhishek: It is a good question and I know where it is leading. But right now, my only child is Paa. What I learnt from Balki during the film is just be yourself - you can learn and imbibe. And if your son is Amitabh Bachchan, trust me you are going to be a very proud parent.

Anyways, Balki is making his next film with my mom and Aishwarya called Maa.

Good work
Abhishek: That is dad’s great quality - that he never brings home his work. Ever since I can recall, I don’t remember Pa ever bringing his characters home. We would have loved to watch him portraying a character like Shahenshah or Deewaar. But he never did. He was so good at leaving his work behind and when he was at home, he was just our Pa rather then this great actor. I think it is a great quality. But when you are doing a film it can be infectious. It is an amazing ability. I don’t think I have mastered that yet.