By Subhash K Jha

Spurred by the poignant story of “Auro’ in Balki’s “Paa’ Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar has announced financial aid for the two Bihari Progeria brothers Eqramul and Ali Hussein.

Balki is delighted by the impact of the film. “Now that’s the kind of story one likes to hear about “Paa’. But let me repeat we did not make “Paa’ to spotlight Progeria.”

However distancing the film and its content from the disease seems to be getting progressively difficult.

The Progeria Research Foundation in the US is now showing a keen interest in “Paa’. Says Balki, “I’d be only too happy for them to watch the film and decide how “Paa’ could spread awareness about Progeria.”

Once members of the Progeria Research Foundation watch “Paa’, later this month, the director intends to take his film further as a Progeria vehicle.

Balki is amused by all the attacks on the Progeria theme that have come from within the industry.

A very prominent director says, “That isn’t how a Progeria patient looks. Balki has made Mr. Bachchan look like a rubber doll.”

Balki can’t stop laughing. “I’m glad my film has made the whole industry an expert on Progeria overnight. But the fact of the matter is, we know exactly what kids suffering Progeria look like. Amit ji and I watched dozens of film clippings to understand the way Progeric children look and behave. And Amit ji got it dead-on.”

-Sampurn Media