A story about a father-daughter relationship, the upcoming film Haati Haati Paa Paa revolves around the predicament of a young woman and the challenges she encounters while taking care of her ageing parent. Starring Chiranjeet Chakraborty and Rukmini Maitra as the father-daughter duo, the film is also expected to focus on real problems faced by elderly parents in dealing with their adult offspring.
Dropped on Sunday, the film’s teaser is composed of moments that indicate it will offer an interesting insight into modern familial relationships in a contemporary, urban, nuclear family setup. Haati Haati Paa Paa discusses themes related to love, loyalty and loneliness but in an entertaining and engaging manner. Addressing emotional concerns of both the young and older generations, it promises to be a sweet and endearing tale full of humorous incidents and situations that audiences will easily relate to and identify with. The title suggests that the film may be about how the duo learn to take baby steps towards a happy reconciliation of their childish conflicts.
Providing glimpses of everyday tiffs between Rukmini and Chiranjeet’s characters, the teaser hints at the complex nature of their relationship, which the audience later learns stems from the tragic story of their shared past. Having lost her mother early, Rukmini’s character nurtures a deep-seated grief that finds expression in her behaviour with her father. She loves him dearly and is greatly concerned about his well-being. Unable to bear the idea of losing him as well, she is extra-protective of him and almost micro-manages the elderly man’s daily activities. This curbs her father’s natural freedom and he refuses to abide by her strict rules, leading to her frustration and subsequent meltdowns. Her irritability and impatience with her father and her numerous complaints against him are found to be actually a sign of her concern for him. The teaser includes scenes that prove that the daughter has a stable, loving relationship with her boyfriend but is prickly around her ‘disobedient’ father, who, according to her, tests her nerves constantly. Rukmini essays her role to perfection in Haati Haati Paa Paa, showcasing both sides of a character that is confident, free-spirited and uninhibited on the one hand, and on the other, tense, afraid and vulnerable.
Her father’s inability to understand the cause of his daughter’s behaviour or to attempt to give her the emotional support she needs can be attributed to a generation gap. Chiranjeet’s character is shown to have a conservative mindset, with old-school, traditional values. The teaser reveals that he has a short temper, is uncompromising and has pre-conceived notions about everything. The teaser also hints that his so-called eccentricities may be his way of coping with his wife’s absence or even his method of persuading his daughter to get married, a responsibility that bogs him down like any other typical Indian father. Chiranjeet’s experience shines through in the teaser, suggesting a well-calibrated performance that allows Rukmini’s character to take centre stage.
Directed by Arnab K Middya, Haati Haati Paa Paa also stars Anjana Basu, Sandip Bhattacharjee, Tulika Basu and others in key roles and has a winter 2025 release date.