Baasha (film)

Infobox Film
name = Batsha


image_size =
caption =
director = Suresh Krishna
producer =
writer =
narrator =
starring = Rajinikanth
Nagma
Raghuvaran
Janakaraj
Vijayakumar
Charanraj
Yuvarani
Devan
SathyaPriya
music = Deva
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Sathya Movies
released = 12 January 1995
runtime =
country = India
language = Tamil
budget =
gross =
preceded_by = "Veera"
followed_by = "Muthu"
website = [http://www.paadal.com/album/baasha Baasha at Paadal.com]
amg_id =
imdb_id =

"Baashha" is a Tamil movie starring Rajinikanth, with Nagma and Raghuvaran. It was directed by Suresh Krishna, and features music by Deva. Released in 1995, it was Rajinikanth's most commercially successful film with Suresh Krishna, with whom Rajinikanth had previously filmed the hits "Annamalai" and "Veera," and was his biggest hit up until "Padayappa." The music from Baashha, especially the song "Naan Autokaaran", remains popular even today.

Rajinikanth won both a Filmfans Association Award and a Cinema Express Award for the Best Actor for his performance in this movie. [cite web |title=Rajinikanth Awards |url=http://www.rajinikanth.com/awards.htm |accessdate=2007-05-09]

Plot

Manikkam (Rajinikanth) is an auto driver with a glorious past. The movie starts with Manikkam giving money to two auto drivers to help them pay dowry and for an operation. As the movie rolls on, his sister who gets 98% in her exam cannot get into a private medical college because she cannot pay the fees. He then goes and talks to a person in-charge of the admission process and requests him to speak alone. He says something that is not audible to the audience and the admission person suddenly gets scared and says he is willing to give even 100 seats if Manikkam wants.

Based on unexpected twists to the story, like the one above, the movie shows that Manikkam was actually once a Don named Manik Baashha in Bombay (now Mumbai).

Manikkam had a great friend (Anwar Baasha). They were great chums together despite being from different religions. Once Anwar questions the activities of Antony, the Mafia Don(Raghuvaran). Events lead to Antony's men killing Anwar in the main road. Manikkam is saved due to the pleas of his father (Vijayakumar), who works as the personal assistant of Antony.

Manikkam vows to avenge his dear friend's death. He does so by murdering all those responsible before even his friend is laid to rest. The people of Mumbai also come to his support and claim they have not seen any murder occur to the police.

Manikkam soon becomes Manik Baasha, the Don - the "Robin Hood" kind of a Don. He is greatly revered by the people. But situations lead him to direct confrontation with Mark Antony. Dialogues in such confrontations between them have become part of the Tamil folklore.

Antony convinces an assistant of Baasha to murder him on his birthday. But Baasha cleverly recognizes the plot and his foes end up shooting a wax model of him. The assistant is evicted and he later appears in the movie as the father of Manikkam's fiancee(Nagma).

Meanwhile, Antony goes desperate in his attempts to quell the Baasha challenge. The only option left with him is to kill Baasha's father. His loyalty notwithstanding, Antony proceeds with that. Baasha on the other hand aids the police in the arrest of Antony. He also promises his father before his death to forgo all Dondom and return to Chennai to lead a peaceful life. He makes the media and the police believe that he has died in an accident.

Keeping his real identity secret, he starts a new life in Chennai as an auto-rickshaw driver. But in his new life, he meets and falls in love with Priya (Nagma), and marries her. But unfortunately, his old life has followed him when a former member of Mark Antony's gang, recognises Manik Baashha and reports it to Antony, who has escaped from prison.

Antony promptly murders Nagma's father and proceeds to kill Baasha. The climax ends with Baasha brother killing Mark Anthony.

Trivia

Though without an profound storyline, Baasha scores in its music and dialogue. Rajni's immaculate style in this movie is always remembered and cherished by all people.

Baashha movie inspires from Hum (Hindi) film and Rajinikanth was co star for that film. Baasha takes the part of Hum where villain searches the hero for taking the revenge on hero mistaking that hero had killed his family before. But the plot of the two movies are different and generally there is a misconception that Baasha is a remake of Hum but it only inspires Hum for few frames in the movie.

After "Basha" became a superhit, Rajinikanth became very influential -- and commanded more loyalty than the then-current CM of Tamil Nadu state. He had a clash with that state's Chief Minister while he was going for shooting, when the road was blocked for the CM's passage. Rajinikanth himself reportedly came out of his own car and stood on the road, and a crowd gathered around him. As a result, it took almost three hours for the CM to cross the road.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features 6 songs composed by Deva, with lyrics by Vairamuthu.

*Naan Autokaran - S. P. Balasubrahmanyam [http://www.paadal.com/album/baasha Listen]
*Azhagu - Kavita Krishnamurthy [http://www.paadal.com/album/baasha Listen]
*Style Style - S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Kavita Krishnamurthy [http://www.paadal.com/album/baasha Listen]
*Baashha Paaru - S. P. Balasubrahmanyam [http://www.paadal.com/album/baasha Listen]
*Thanga Magan - K.J. Yesudas and Kavita Krishnamurthy [http://www.paadal.com/album/baasha Listen]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0139876|title=Badsha