Baba (2002 film)

Lore & Background

The film's story follows Baba, a carefree young atheist who is the reincarnation of a great saint from the Himalayas. After conflicts with corrupt local politicians, Baba is taken to Mahavatar Babaji, whom he followed in his past life. The deity tests Baba by presenting him with seven wishes, with the condition that using any wish for personal desire would force him to take many more births to shed karma. The narrative explores how Baba uses these wishes while developing spirituality and opposing villains.

Originally released in 2002, the film ran for over 100 days in theatres but received mixed critical reviews and was a box-office failure. Rajinikanth reimbursed distributors for their losses. The film was digitally remastered, re-edited with a shorter duration and an alternate ending, and re-released by Lyca Productions on 10 December 2022, twenty years after its original release, coinciding with Rajinikanth's birthday weekend, and received a favourable response.

The film sparked controversy: politician Ramadoss condemned Rajinikanth for portraying a chain smoker, leading PMK volunteers to attack theatres and burn film rolls. The Dravidar Kazhagam objected to lyrics perceived as unfair commentary on Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, resulting in partial deletion of a song.

Reader's Guide

Baba is significant for its ambitious blend of spiritual themes and Rajinikanth's signature style, though it was a commercial disappointment. The film's high-budget production was sold at a record price of ₹17 crore to distributors but yielded only ₹13 crore worldwide, prompting Rajinikanth to voluntarily return nearly 25% of the investment. In Coimbatore, the film was sold for ₹1.5 crore, a record unbroken until Chandramukhi. The film made RM 2 million in Malaysia but only broke even due to high distribution costs.

Critical reception was mixed: Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu compared it unfavorably to Rajinikanth's earlier film Baasha, while an IANS critic rated it 2.5/5, calling it a confusing cocktail of spiritualism and Rajini-style mannerisms. A Sify critic rated it 3/5, describing it as a letdown even for die-hard fans and a propaganda movie for the 'Hindutva' brigade. Despite negative criticism, Rajinikanth kept himself away from acting for a time, rejecting scripts from novice directors.

The film's legacy includes the popular dialogue 'Katham Katham' (Finish, Finish), which inspired a 2015 film of the same name. The 2022 re-release, with reduced runtime and enhanced sound, received a favourable response.

Did You Know?

• A. R. Rahman initially declined to compose for Baba due to his busy schedule with Bombay Dreams in London, but accepted while in Ajmer.
• The film's soundtrack was recorded in June 2002, with Rahman supervising recordings online.
• Rajinikanth reimbursed distributors for losses after the film was a box-office failure.
• The 2022 re-release had its running time reduced by half an hour and an alternate ending.

Production & Musical Vision

Baba was a high-budget production written and produced by Rajinikanth himself under his Lotus International banner, with Suresh Krissna directing and Chota K. Naidu handling cinematography. The film paired Rajinikanth in the title role with Manisha Koirala and notably marked the second and final Tamil-language appearance of veteran actor Amrish Puri, who had previously worked alongside Rajinikanth on Thalapathi in 1991. The musical landscape was shaped by A. R. Rahman, who initially turned down the project due to his commitments in London on Bombay Dreams but ultimately accepted while in Ajmer. Rahman aimed to push beyond the conventional jingoistic scoring typical of Rajinikanth vehicles, introducing novel sonic innovations. Several tracks were shot in Europe, and recordings took place in June 2002, with Rahman supervising remotely. The album hit shelves in Chennai in July 2002. However, Rahman drew criticism from industry peers for scheduling delays, and the Dravidar Kazhagam party forced the partial removal of a song whose lyrics they deemed an unfair commentary on Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and his political philosophy.

Spiritual Narrative & The Seven Wishes

At its core, Baba tells the story of a laid-back young man who rejects the existence of any supreme power, only to discover he is the reincarnation of a great Himalayan saint. His carefree life is upended when corrupt local politicians create a cascade of troubles, ultimately leading him to Mahavatar Babaji—the very deity he served as a devoted follower in his previous incarnation. Babaji subjects Baba to a series of trials designed to strip away the illusions of materialistic existence. Upon passing these tests, Baba is granted seven wishes, but with a severe caveat: should he spend even a single wish on personal desire, he would be condemned to endure countless further births before shedding the accumulated karma. The remainder of the narrative follows Baba as he navigates the tension between wielding these wishes to combat his adversaries and simultaneously deepening his spiritual awakening, all while maintaining his trademark irreverent charm.

Box Office Setback & Political Controversy

Despite being sold to distributors at a record-breaking ₹17 crore, Baba returned only ₹13 crore in worldwide share, making it a commercial disappointment. In the Coimbatore territory alone, the film had been sold for ₹1.5 crore—a record that stood until Chandramukhi surpassed it. Faced with these losses, Rajinikanth personally reimbursed distributors, returning roughly 25 percent of the investment. In Malaysia, the film grossed two million ringgit but merely broke even after distribution costs. Critical reception was equally divided: Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu compared it unfavorably to Badsha, while an IANS reviewer called it a confusing cocktail of spiritualism and Rajinikanth's signature style. A Sify critic dismissed it as a letdown and a propaganda movie for the Hindutva brigade. The controversy escalated when PMK politician Ramadoss condemned Rajinikanth for portraying a chain smoker, and PMK volunteers attacked screening theatres, seizing and burning film reels.

Legacy & The 2022 Re-release

Twenty years after its original 2002 theatrical run of over 100 days, Baba found new life when Lyca Productions digitally remastered and re-edited the film, trimming its runtime by half an hour and adding an alternate ending. The re-release landed on 10 December 2022, timed to coincide with Rajinikanth's birthday weekend, and was met with a noticeably warmer audience response. The re-release was limited to Tamil Nadu and select cities across India, with enhanced sound quality elevating the viewing experience. Beyond the re-release, the film left a lasting cultural imprint through Rajinikanth's iconic 'Katham Katham' (Finish, Finish) dialogue, which became a widely quoted catchphrase and even inspired a 2015 film bearing the same title. The production also holds a quiet place in Indian cinema history as the final Tamil-language project for Amrish Puri, capping a collaboration with Rajinikanth that had begun with Thalapathi in 1991.