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 rickshaw driver who maintains a humble exterior and avoids violence but conceals a dark past from his family.
During the making of Annaamalai (1992), Rajinikanth and Krissna discussed a scene from the former's Hindi film Hum (1991), which was not filmed. The story of Baashha and the film's core plot were adapted from that scene. Principal photography began in August 1994 and was completed in less than five months. P. S. Prakash was the cinematographer, and it was edited by Ganesh Kumar. The dialogues were scripted by Balakumaran. The music was composed by Deva and the lyrics were penned by Vairamuthu.
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. Rajinikanth won the Filmfans Association Award and the Cinema Express Award for Best Actor for his performance. The film was remade in Kannada as Kotigobba (2001) and in Bengali as Guru (2003). A digitally restored version of the film was released in 2017, and a remastered version was in 2025.
Plot Manikam is a humble auto-rickshaw driver living in Madras with his mother, Vijayalakshmi, his sisters, Geetha and Kavitha, and his brother, Shiva. He is deeply committed to his family's welfare, successfully arranging Kavitha's marriage into an affluent family and supporting Shiva in becoming a Sub-Inspector of police. When the interviewing DIG, Dinakar, sees Manikam's photograph, he immediately recognizes him and requests a meeting, though a hesitant Manikam avoids the encounter, raising Dinakar's suspicions. Later, when a corrupt medical college chairman demands sexual favors from Geetha in exchange for admission, Manikam confronts him privately. After a brief, unheard conversation behind closed doors, the terrified chairman unconditionally grants Geetha her seat.
Meanwhile, a wealthy young woman named Priya frequently rides in Manikam's auto-rickshaw and falls in love with his honorable character. After discovering that her father, Kesavan, is a smuggler, she distances herself from her family and proposes to Manikam. He initially declines upon learning she is Kesavan's daughter but eventually accepts her love. Tensions arise in the city due to Indiran, a ruthless gangster who extorts local businesses. When Shiva arrests and beats two of Indiran's henchmen for extortion, Indiran retaliates by threatening the young cop. Manikam intervenes to protect his brother, voluntarily allowing himself to be tied to a pole and brutally beaten by Indiran without fighting back. However, when Shiva locks Indiran up again, the enraged gangster kidnaps Geetha upon his release and attempts to molest her in public. Breaking his vow of non-violence, Manikam savagely decimates Indiran and his entire gang. The sheer ferocity of the beating shocks Shiva, who demands to know the truth about Manikam's mysterious past life in Bombay, forcing Manikam to reflect on his history.
In a flashback, Manikam lives with his parents in Bombay while his siblings study in Madras. His father, Rangasamy, is an honest man bound by absolute loyalty to his employer, the powerful mafia don Mark Antony. When Manikam and his close friend Anwar Baasha begin protesting against the atrocities committed by Antony's syndicate, Antony brutally executes Anwar. Manikam is spared only out of respect for Rangasamy. Enraged by his friend's murder, Manikam chooses the path of violence to dismantle Antony's empire. Rechristening himself as "Manik Baashha," he rises to become a benevolent but feared underworld don, earning the adoration of the public while systematically dismantling Antony's smuggling operations.
Desperate to eliminate his rival, Antony orchestrates an assassination attempt that Baashha survives. In retaliation, Antony murders Rangasamy. A grieving Baashha assists the police in capturing and imprisoning the don, while Antony's treacherous lieutenant, Kesavan, murders Antony's remaining family to inherit his wealth and criminal empire. On his deathbed, Rangasamy begs his son to abandon the underworld and lead a peaceful life. Honoring his father's final wish, Baashha fakes his death and flees to Madras with his mother to live in obscurity as an auto driver.
In the present day, Manikam learns that Kesavan is forcing Priya into an arranged marriage and storms the wedding hall. The moment Kesavan recognizes the auto driver as the legendary Baashha, he panics and instantly allows Priya to leave with him. Word of Baashha's survival spreads, reaching Mark Antony, who executes a daring prison break. Antony murders the treacherous Kesavan and kidnaps Manikam's mother and siblings, demanding Baashha's surrender in exchange for their lives. Manikam rushes to the hideout, single-handedly overpowering Antony's mercenary army and rescuing his family. As Manikam corners the don and prepares to kill him, DIG Dinakar arrives to intervene. Seizing a final opportunity, Antony snatches Dinakar's service weapon to shoot Manikam, but Shiva fires first, shooting Antony dead. With the ghosts of his past finally laid to rest, Manikam safely reunites with Priya.
Cast
Production Development 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. On the sets of Annaamalai (1992), Rajinikanth and its director Suresh Krissna discussed the scene, which Krissna also found to be interesting. The title Baashha was suggested by Rajinikanth to Krissna, who suggested to Rajinikanth that a Muslim connection to the script was needed.
Krissna brought up the subject again to Rajinikanth during the making of Veera (1994), but Rajinikanth wanted to discuss the script only after completing Veera. 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. Krissna planned to weave the rest of the film's story around the scene. Though Manikkam was initially considered to be written as a bus conductor, the "auto driver was the commonest man around. And Rajini liked the idea".
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, along with V. Rajammal and V. Thamilazhagan. Development regarding the film's script commenced in the Taj Banjara hotel in Hyderabad. Eighty percent of the script, including the flashback portions of Rajinikanth as Baashha, was ready in ten days. Balakumaran was selected to write the film's dialogues. The entire team of technicians who had worked with Krissna in Annaamalai, including music composer Deva, returned to work with him for Baashha.
Casting and filming Nagma was the first and only choice for the role of the heroine Priya after Krissna was impressed with her performance in Kaadhalan (1994). Krissna considered some Bollywood names for the role of the antagonist Mark Antony, but nothing worked out. He then thought Raghuvaran would be a good fit, considering his tall height and deep voice. Rajinikanth also readily agreed to this proposal. Krissna met Raghuvaran at his residence and explained the role. Raghuvaran was excited and agreed to play Antony. According to Charan Raj, who played Anwar Baashha, Mammootty was the original choice for that role, but Rajinikanth objected to Mammootty's casting since they both already appeared together in Thalapathi (1991). Anandaraj was approached for an undisclosed role, later revealed to be Indiran; Rajinikanth told him the role required him to beat Manikkam who is tied to a pole, and Anandaraj agreed. According to Anandaraj, he was approached 10 days before filming ended.
Principal photography began in August 1994, and was completed in less than five months. The muhurat shot took place at AVM Studios at the venue which later came to be known as the Rajni Pillaiyar Temple. Fans of Rajinikanth were invited for the shot. Choreography for the song "Naan Autokaaran" was done by Tarun Kumar, whose father Hiralal was also a dance choreographer. Rajinikanth recommended Tarun to Krissna, who had initially wanted Raghuram to choreograph the song. Tarun completed the choreography in five days and the entire sequence was rehearsed at AVM Studios with fifty backup dancers. 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. The gesture, which was already effective in Annaamalai, prompted Krissna to extend the screen time of the shot. Krissna wanted Rajinikanth to sport a dress that would make him look slightly unkempt, but Rajinikanth finished the sequence in a smartly tailored uniform and told Krissna that the audience would not find it odd. The filming of the song took place at the open space at Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Madras, the same area where Hotel Green Park is present; the song was completed with a hundred back-up dancers used for it in four days. Choreographers Kalyan and Ashok Raj were part of the backup dancers for the song.
In one of the action sequences involving the protagonist in a face-off against the antagonist's henchmen, the dialogue Naan oru thadava sonna, nooru thadava sonna madhiri (Saying it once is equal to my saying it a hundred times) is spoken. The first half of the film was shot for twenty-three days at a stretch. Regarding the dialogue's development, Rajinikanth told Balakumaran that the dialogue had to be simple yet effective, as it would be used in a sequence where another side of the protagonist was revealed. On the day when the sequence which featured the dialogue was to be shot, Rajinikanth came up with the dialogue, which was originally spoken by him as Naan oru vaatti sonna, nooru vaatti sonna madhiri, which impressed Balakumaran and Krissna. Before the take, Rajinikanth, who repeatedly rehearsed the dialogue, told Krissna that the word "thadava" sounded more effective than "vaatti", and suggested Krissna use "thadava" instead of "vaatti". Balakumaran initially disagreed with Rajinikanth and Krissna as he felt that "vaatti" was fine and did not need changing. Rajinikanth then spoke both the versions of the dialogue and convinced Balakumaran to change "vaatti" to "thadava". The dialogue had such an impact on everyone present at the set that, in the break that followed, everyone started using it one way or another. The dialogues occur only five times in the film. The scene where Manikkam gets beaten up to protect his sibling and the following sequence where he beats up the antagonist in turn, was suggested to Krissna by Raju, the choreographer for both the stunt sequences.