Vijay Sethupathi shines in a moving tale of an unlikely friendship
‘Baththa’
Movie Review
There is an intriguing contradiction at the heart of ‘Baththa’. The film introduces us to a man who has built his reputation on fear, only to place him in a situation where the person who holds the key to his freedom is an eight-year-old boy.
Set in 1986 Madras, Balaji Tharaneetharan’s film follows Baththa, played by Vijay Sethupathi, a local gangster whose authority is maintained through intimidation. He has his own circle of men, a family and a reputation that ensures people think twice before crossing his path.
Away from this world of violence is a young schoolboy whose concerns are far more ordinary. His days revolve around classes, homework and the fears that come with growing up in an environment where the adults around him can seem intimidating.
Their lives unexpectedly intersect when the boy accidentally ends up locking Baththa inside an abandoned school restroom. What begins as an unusual predicament gradually becomes the foundation for a relationship neither of them could have anticipated.
The film takes its time establishing this friendship, and that restraint works in its favour. Rather than forcing an emotional connection, Tharaneetharan allows it to emerge through conversations, awkward silences, humour and moments when both characters reveal sides of themselves they normally keep hidden.
The school sequences are particularly effective. There is an inherent comic quality in seeing a feared gangster reduced to being stuck inside a restroom, but the director never pushes the premise into broad comedy. The humour comes naturally from the situation and, more importantly, from the growing familiarity between the two characters.
Vijay Sethupathi is perfectly at home in the role. Baththa requires the actor to move between intimidation and tenderness without making either side feel artificial. His physical presence establishes the gangster’s authority, while his expressions gradually reveal the insecurities and vulnerability beneath it.
The performance is strongest when Sethupathi does less. A look, a pause or a subtle change in tone often conveys what Baththa cannot bring himself to say. His chemistry with the young actor playing the boy becomes the emotional centre of the film.
Sai Prithiv Raj is a major discovery. Playing opposite an experienced performer like Sethupathi can be daunting, but the young actor remains remarkably natural. His performance avoids exaggerated cuteness and instead captures the curiosity, fear and emotional honesty of a child encountering someone far outside his world.
Lijomol Jose also makes a strong impression in the family portions. Her presence gives Baththa’s domestic life a sense of credibility and prevents these scenes from functioning merely as transitions between the central school episodes.
Ajay Ghosh, Arjun Chidambaram, Santhy Balachandran and Hari Krishnan contribute to the supporting cast, adding texture to the film’s wider world.
The screenplay is one of the film’s significant strengths. What initially appear to be small incidents gradually acquire greater meaning as the narrative progresses. Tharaneetharan carefully plants details and relationships, allowing them to return later with emotional or dramatic significance.
That construction becomes particularly rewarding in the latter stages. Instead of relying on a series of convenient twists, the film makes earlier events part of a larger emotional design. The payoff works because the audience has been given enough time to understand the characters.
Sai Abhyankkar’s music complements this approach. The background score adds emotional weight to key scenes without constantly announcing what the viewer should feel. The songs fit reasonably well into the period setting, even if some of them feel less essential to the narrative.
Selvakumar SK’s cinematography gives 1986 Madras a distinctive visual identity. The warm, muted imagery evokes the period without turning the film into an exercise in nostalgia. The school environment is especially well captured, with the framing and lighting reinforcing both the confinement of Baththa’s predicament and the intimacy developing between the two characters.
R Kalaivanan’s editing maintains a measured rhythm throughout. Despite the deliberately unhurried storytelling, the film rarely feels stretched. T Muthuraj’s production design deserves equal credit for creating a convincing period setting through carefully chosen locations and details.
Ultimately, ‘Baththa’ succeeds because it understands that its central relationship needs time. The film could have easily turned its premise into a conventional comedy or gangster drama, but Tharaneetharan chooses something more intimate.
At its core, this is a story about two people from completely different worlds finding an unexpected connection. One has grown accustomed to being feared; the other is still learning how to understand the adults around him. Their friendship gradually strips away those labels.
‘Baththa’ is at its most effective when it simply observes these two characters together. The result is a warm, often funny and ultimately emotional film anchored by Vijay Sethupathi’s assured performance and Sai Prithiv Raj’s impressive work.
Rating: 4 out of 5
By Naveen
***
