The overwhelming response to Amitabh Bachchan’s performance in Paa has triggered off a whole new chain of thought processes among those who are involved with the project. It is now felt that the film’s theme of age-acceleration by progeria and its muted dramatic depiction through Amitabh’s performance as Auro deserves a global platform. Consequently, an international version of Paa is now being put together.
Paa director R Balki says, “The version for a non-Indian audience will have to be edited very differently but the connectivity with Auro’s character will remain unchanged.” A lot of Abhishek’s character’s activities as a young politician will have to be edited for the international version. However, without those scenes Abhishek’s role will become shadowy. What will remain is the central conflict involving the progeric child’s search for his biological father. Read more…
The theme of progeria is obviously a huge incentive to market the film internationally. Balki reveals, “I have a friend in the US who drove down 70 miles to a theatre in Miami to see Paa yesterday and the hall was packed. But let me tell you, I’m not the first filmmaker to tackle the subject. I thought I was embarking on a revolutionary mission by making a film on progeria but when I checked on the net I discovered there were nearly 40 films on progeria across the world.”
