Baththa film review: A gangster’s journey from rage to redemption

CHENNAI: Set against a 1980s backdrop, the film opens by introducing Baththa, played by Vijay Sethupathi, as a ruthless gangster who is feared not only by the people around him but also by children, including a young boy who witnesses one of his violent encounters.

Baththa’s relationship with his family is equally troubled. Even as his wife Kannima (Lijomol Jose) and daughter Thenmozhi (Baby Sahasra Shree) care for him, he remains distant and harsh towards them. His involvement in the arrack trade further establishes him as a man committed to a life of wrongdoing.

The film then takes an unexpected turn when an innocent act by a child Sabari (Sai Prithviraj) leaves Baththa accidentally locked inside a school bathroom. The director turns this situation into a turning point in Baththa’s life, going on to explore the eventual transformation of the man. Instead of presenting an overnight change, he is made to slowly rediscover the value of the relationships he had taken for granted.

As the days pass in confinement, Baththa's anger and aggression begin to fade. The film effectively uses visual symbolism to depict how he begins to shed his old self, with him removing his shirt on the first day, followed by his banian. Sethupathi carries the character through its different shades, moving from being an intimidating gangster in the opening portions to a man trapped in a situation beyond his control. His vulnerability comes through in the moment when he pleads, “Snehidha, please don’t leave,” a line that visibly affected the audience.

Lijomol particularly shines in the scene where she thanks the boy for saving Sethupathi, telling him, “Nee Sabari illa, Saami.” Another emotionally effective moment comes during a conversation between the couple where he acknowledges how badly he treated his family and apologises. Sethupathi brings considerable emotional weight to this scene without overplaying it. There is another great scene where he shaves his beard and then sees Lijomol’s reflection in an old wedding photograph, suggesting that he has shed his anger and bitterness and is rediscovering the love he once had for her.

Baththa also adds a layer of humour to the mystery surrounding how Baththa gets locked inside the bathroom, eventually leading to an emotional confession from the child. Baththa’s acceptance of this confession gives their relationship a fitting resolution. The film also briefly explores Baththa’s backstory, showing him being bullied during his schooldays. The climax is particularly moving with the final song ‘Chellame Magale’ evoking the emotional culmination of his journey, which drew spontaneous applause from the audience.

The music by Sai Abhyankkar is another major strength. Unlike the fast-paced musical approach of his earlier work, the score and songs complement the film and elevate several of its key sequences.

Baththa works because it doesn’t make the transformation of its eponymous character overly complicated: it places a violent man in a simple survival situation and gives him time to confront his demons, managing to derive humour, emotion and warmth from this premise.

It is ultimately a light-hearted film that manages to make the audience laugh, think, and feel genuinely moved, towards the end