20 years ago, I watched Rajinikanth’s Baba at Chennai’s Thyagaraja Theatre.
It was an experience filled with drama. I happened to be at my father’s friend’s place a day before the release, and he happened to mention that he had an extra ticket for Baba later that night.
I pleaded, and got it. Those were the days of late night special fans shows — and these played out at 1.30am or so before the release. Before the first day first show. Because, well, it was Rajinikanth.
As a youngster who had just gotten into college, I remember jostling my way into the theatre along with several Rajinikanth fans, all of whom were excited to catch a glimpse of their Thalaivar before the rest of the world got to. Between squatting on the floor and a seat whenever there was space, we — a group of much older people, mostly strangers, and I — whistled and cheered as Rajinikanth shook a leg to ‘Baba, Cinema Cinema.’
Three hours later, we walked back, discussing the film, and feeling mostly disappointed.
Today, I watched Rajinikanth’s Baba at the same Thyagaraja Theatre, now christened S2 Thyagaraja. Yet again.
It was an experience filled with drama, yet again. Chennai had been ravaged by cyclone Mandous and there were trees strewn everywhere. But that wasn’t going to deter people — atleast the Rajinikanth fans out there — from making a trip to the cinema hall to experience the re-mastered Baba for its re-release.
So, how is the film this time around?
Rajinikanth dubbing for the ‘Baba’ re-release | Photo Credit: Raghul
The introduction sequence — the most important one in any Rajinikanth film — wasn’t surely the greatest in Baba, but I reckon the makers have missed a trick by editing that out, and instead, zooming straight to the Superstar. That, and all the other editing, has been done to make it crisper, in the words of the film’s director, Suresh Krissna himself.
Indeed, the new Baba is quicker. It removes a lot of flab that was in the 2002 version; AR Rahman’s interludes in the songs are cut out, and the tracks come and go like how you would hear them on a modern radio channel.
Whenever Rajinikanth isn’t setting the screen or fire with his dialogues or fights, it is Goundamani who gets the applause — it is fantastic to watch the comedian on the big screen after a while.
The punch dialogues, though, come across as outdated, which they actually are. Many Rajinikanth punch dialogues in the film were written basis the political and cultural milleu of that time, and I doubt if people now, especially first-time watchers, would relate to them. The computer graphics, though, and the final fantasy portions, might be a drawing factor for children.
Baba might not have been the best Rajinikanth film when it hit screens in 2002. In 2022, it still isn’t. But it’s still worth a trip to the cinema hall just for the sheer nostalgia; there’s Rajinikanth goofing around, not taking himself seriously and trying out incredulous action sequences.
Baba is bound to be a trip down memory lane, especially if you, like me, have an emotional connect with the film.
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