Paa

I watched the movie "Paa" with the kids last weekend. Amitabh is excellent as a kid affected with progeria (premature ageing). Dialogues and the support cast are great too. Listening to Bhavatharini singing the remixed version of "Sangathil Padatha Kavithai" (one of my Illayaraja favs) in Hindi was nice.

But what irks me about films of stars like Amitabh or Kamalhaasan is that , even after years of showcasing their talent and having bagged the best awards , these actors are only concentrating on their histrionics when they can actually contribute to the film industry by making much more meaningful cinema. Instead of focusing on the disease and its effects on the family, in this case , progeria, the film focuses on Amitabh's ability to do justice to the role. After years of experience, nobody expects him to actually make a mess of such a role. But being his own production , why couldn't he have dealt with the subject in a more serious way? Why is the focus only on making more money for his production house? When Aamir Khan, through Taare Zameen Par, was successful in bringing out the plight of dyslexic children so well, pushing himself to the background, why aren't stars like Amitabh and Kamalhaasan doing the same ? Why , even after years of making money, are they not involved in serious issues of the society; utilizing their fan following to make something more thought-provoking?