Superstar Rajinikanth 1995 film, ‘Baashha’ remains one of the most iconic films in Tamil cinema. Directed by Suresh Krissna, the film turned the legendary star into a memorable gangster character upon its Pongal release. Let’s take a look back at the time when the idea of the film ‘Baashha’ was born several years earlier on the sets of the Hindi film ‘Hum’.‘Hum’, directed by Mukul S Anand, starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Govinda in the lead roles. The film was shot in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, and it was during the shoot that the three actors discussed a scene that later became the starting point for ‘Baashha’.
Amitabh, Rajinikanth and Govinda discussed a scene
The scene discussed by Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Govinda involved Govinda trying to become a police officer. However, he gets rejected during the interview. Amitabh’s character then enters the room and delivers a powerful monologue to convince the authorities. Govinda eventually gets the job.The three actors narrated the idea to director Mukul S Anand. While the filmmaker liked the scene, he felt that it did not fit into the screenplay of ‘Hum’ and decided to drop it. The idea, however, stayed with Rajinikanth.
Rajinikanth shared the idea with Suresh Krissna
In 1992, Rajinikanth casually recalled the conversation while he was working with Suresh Krissna on ‘Annamalai’. Suresh Krissna immediately liked the idea and felt that it would suit Rajinikanth.Nothing happened immediately, but the director continued thinking about the idea. After ‘Veera’ released in 1994, Rajinikanth and Suresh Krissna decided it was time to start working on a new film. They did not have a complete story at that point. Rajinikanth suggested the title ‘Baashha’, after which Suresh Krissna began developing the story around the idea.
‘Baashha’ became a Rajinikanth classic
The team had only around five to six months to complete the film as they wanted to release it in 1995. They managed to finish the project and released it during Pongal.
About ‘Baashha’
The film followed Manickam, an auto-rickshaw driver who stays away from violence but has a dangerous past. When his younger brother, a police officer, gets into trouble with criminals, Manickam is forced to reveal his real identity.‘Baashha’ went on to become one of the biggest hits of Rajinikanth’s career and reportedly ran for nearly 15 months in theatres. It remains a cult favourite among Rajinikanth fans.
