Baashha

Baashha is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language gangster action film written and directed by Suresh Krissna.The film stars Rajinikanth, Nagma and Raghuvaran, with Janagaraj, Devan, Shashi Kumar, Vijayakumar, Anandaraj, Charan Raj, Kitty, Sathyapriya, Shenbaga and Yuvarani in supporting roles.It revolves around an auto-driver who maintains a humble exterior and avoids violence but conceals a dark past from his family.Baashha was released on 12 January 1995 with positive feedback and became one of the most successful films in Rajinikanth's career, running for nearly 15 months in theatres.Manikam is a humble auto rickshaw driver who lives in Madras with his mother Vijayalakshmi, brother Shiva, and sisters Geetha and Kavitha, and would go to any extent for their well-being.On learning that Baashha is alive, Antony escapes from prison, kills Kesavan for betraying him, and also kidnaps Manikam's family members.During the making of the Hindi film Hum (1991), its director Mukul S. Anand had considered and discussed with Rajinikanth a potential scene, where Shekhar (Amitabh Bachchan) would help his younger brother Vijay (Govinda) get a seat in the Police Academy.Anand discarded the scene because he did not find it suitable, but Rajinikanth felt it had the potential to develop into a script for a feature film.[15] The discarded scene from Hum became the foundation for Baashha where Rajinikanth's character in the film, Manikkam, helps his sister Geetha (Yuvarani) get admission to the medical college she had applied for.[18] R. M. Veerappan, who had earlier collaborated with Rajinikanth in Ranuva Veeran (1981), Moondru Mugam (1982), Thanga Magan (1983), Oorkavalan (1987) and Panakkaran (1990), was the film's co-producer,[19] along with V. Rajammal and V.Eighty percent of the script, including the flashback portions of Rajinikanth as Baashha, was ready in ten days.Tarun completed the choreography in five days and the entire sequence was rehearsed at AVM Studios with fifty backup dancers.[28] As in the song "Vandhenda Paalakaaran" from Annaamalai, the sequence was shot with Rajinikanth looking into the lens with a smile, which was intended to make the audience feel that he was looking directly at them and then putting his hands together to greet them.Krissna had finished shooting the sequence where Manikkam gets beaten up by Indiran after trying to protect his younger brother Shiva (Shashi Kumar).Later, Krissna, Raju, the choreographer for the stunt sequence, and cameraman Prakash concluded that the scene would be tweaked in such a way that it would be as if Mother Nature is angry at the treatment being meted out to a peace-loving person like Manikkam; it was also planned that backlighting and a poignant background music would be used as well.[38] Twenty-five scenes, including those which show Manikkam's house and neighbourhood were shot at Vijaya Vauhini Studios.[40][41] Due to the popularity of the rap genre at that time, Deva and Krissna wanted the introduction song to be in the Boney M. group style of music, but the method was not successful.A special function was held at Hotel Chola Sheraton to celebrate the success of the film's soundtrack.[54] On 13 January 1995, a review from The Hindu said, "Rajini blossoms fully to portray two different characters, a former dada of Bombay and a docile peace-loving auto driver in Tamil Nadu, trying not to fall back on his old ways and finding it difficult to do so when force of circumstances pressure him" and that Suresh Krishna "has fashioned his screenplay to suit the image of Rajini and the taste of his fans and the songs and sequences are fashioned to boost the image of the hero".[62] When stand-up comedian and television anchor Bosskey launched a play titled Dada (Don) in October 2005, he named the cast after famous characters in Tamil films.[72] The rivalry between Manik Baasha and Mark Antony became iconic, and was referenced in the song "Engadi Porandha" from Vanakkam Chennai (2013).[73] These changes were received with ridicule by some netizens due to being perceived as anachronistic, while others viewed it as a "smart marketing move".