Kiran Shah, a 53 year old actor of Indian origin who has acted in several Hollywood films since the 1970s, has been chosen to play the five-year old Amitabh Bachchan in Paa. In the movie, Amitabh Bachchan plays a character who suffers from Progeria because of which he ages at an alarming rate. Kiran or as he is better know, Little Kiran was brought all the way from London to play the younger Amitabh.
According to director Balki, Kiran is an experienced actor with great sensibility. With the help of international make-up artists, Dominique and Kristen Timble and prosthetics, they were able to perfect his look.
Kiran, who stands tall at just 3 feet is not a dwarf, informs Balki. He walks like a normal child. Kiran was seen in many big budget Hollywood movies like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in which he played Ginarrbrik, Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi in which he played Ewok and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Kiran loved the Bollywood experience. He enjoyed working with everyone and was taken care of very well. He has seen Amitabh Bachchan’s Sholay and liked it. He would like to act in more Bollywood movies if he gets the offers. He hopes to be present at the premiere of Paa if he isn’t working at the time.
