Amitabh, of course, is the life of the film. The man/boy playing Auro is not the Amitabh Bachchan we have known for the last four decades. The face is unrecognizable, the baritone stolen and the famed height shrunk, thanks to cinematographer P.C. Sreeram framing him from atop most of the time.
The voice modulation's good (the deep baritone's gone), the body language apt and the performance measured. The makeup artists have done a great job of transforming the actor into a 12-year-old with Progeria. Unrecognizable under mounds of make-up, Amitabh Bachchan is astounding as Auro. His height is a bit jarring but his slouching shoulders and mischievous eyes more than make up for it. There isn't a discordant note in this performance.
Amitabh plays Auro as a sharp, pesky fellow, who loves video games, is conscious of his ‘image’ and shy of girls. As a child he has the right to use words like potty and bum, which he abuses to the hilt. Finally, Auro has a special delightful gawky dance, reminiscent of a lanky Amitabh from his younger days, which the kids of today and yesterday are sure to love.
Get the most famous face in India and cover him in a large shower cap which looks like an upturned pregnant belly. Yet it pays off big time.
Ratings:
4 / 5