Endrendrum Thalaivar Superstar Rajinikanth - News & Updates

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Rajini - Back to 70s



5/ Kurradanukoni from Chilakamma Cheppindi (1977)
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4/ Maanodum Malayile from Kavikkuyil (1977)



3/ Gopurathile from Shankar Salim Simon (1978)



2/ Viliyile Malarnthathu from Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri (1977)



1/ Swing Swing from Vanakkatukuriya Kathaliye (1978)

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Kaala Wall Art



Remember this wall ... ?



I admire the liberty the artist took to change the hair style of Rajini in the above portrayal of the character Kaala Karikalan.

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Kaala - Paint it Black







[Paint it Black by The Rolling Stone (1966) is one of the first rock song (released as a single) that used sitar as the lead string instrument, played by guitarist Brian Jones. Several tracks in their next album Between the Buttons and Their Satanic Majesties Request used sitar.

The instrument was officially recorded by lead guitarist George Harrison of The Beetles on the pop rock song Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (1965) in thier sixth studio album Rubber Soul. The lead guitarist of the band also introduced other Indian Instrumentaion in Pop Music, including tambura and tabla. He released a complete Indian classical style tracks the following years (Love You To, Within You Without You, Tomorrow Never Knows, Across the Universe).

Before George Harrison, The Yardbirds used sitar as the main riff on thier song Heart Full of Soul (1965), but the sitar version did not make to the store. The track was re-recorded without the sitar part (if you are interested to listen to the amazing piece, search for 'heart full of soul yardbirds sitar' on youtube).

Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury, often addressed as Pandit Ravi Shankar, was the Indian sitarist who was influential in bringing sitar into Western orchestre. George Harrison is his student.]

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Recently I watched the film Wind River (Directed by Taylor Sheridan, 2017). There is this particular scene where the FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) asks the cellphone number of the Hunter (Jeremy Renner). She places the call and the Hunter retruns to meet her. It is explained in just 3 shots:

1/ INDOOR, at the morgue: What is the hunter's Phone number ? [CUT]

2/ INTERRIOR, inside the car: The Hunter who is driving the car picks up his ringing phone and answers it. [CUT]

3/ OUTDOOR, on the road: The jeep the hunter is driving makes a U-Turn. [CUT]

In less than a second, the need of the FBI Agent, the call she had made, the matter they spoke and the Hunter on his way to meet her is visually explained.

I was immediately reminded of Baasha - the climax duel where Baasha bests up Anthony before throwing him into the burning vehicle. The Climax sequence summarises the movie within 15 seconds before bringing the resolution to the story.

The effectiveness in the direction makes Baasha the best script in its genre.

Baasha - The Master Script

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
- Ecclesiastes 1:9 [Hebrew Bible]



Through screen-writing the scene could flow from one stage to another by rewriting the whole episode by choosing a narrator. The brilliance of the director made him choose the audience as the narrator by showing them at the exact moment what had happened to Rangasamy and Anwar, constructing the need for the character to avenge Antony.

The major role of Editing is to handle the slowness and convert it to incredible pace [I repeat, editing is not chopping scenes to gain time, it is a technique to integrate the visual narration (the vision of the director in accordance with his understanding towards the script) under a coherent time interval]. If the story is strong, then the process of building it up into a moving picture is fluent, else, the repetition in the writing will be truly visible. Editing is nothing but destroying the writing. It depends more on crispness rather than the detail itself. An editor along with the cameraman, can effectively reproduce the idea of the writer and the vision of the director.

During the climax where Baasha beats up Antony, the crowd around him perform a continuous applause. Their hands - everyone is pointing their fist above their head. The setup creates an illusion making the public (the audience) punching Anthony. The camera angel crops the sky and concentrates on the green fields below, sending a message that it’s not a divine war, but a true battle fought by their messiah Manickam in their world.

When Manickam punches Antony he is shown among the crowd. While it cuts to Baasha, the angle tilts towards the sky, charging him to become a divine intervention. The death of Baasha’s friend Anwar makes him look like he is floating in the sky. The two subjects – Baasha and Anwar – are shot with the same low angle, whereas, Manickam and Antony are captured under Over the Shoulder Shots.

The position of the subjects creates a relationship between various characters.

When Antony shoots Rangasamy in his back, its Baasha who reacts to the gun shot (under Two Shot camera angle). The frame is broken with a blue screen, and Manickam takes Baasha's position while punching Antony. The Match Cut and Cross Dissolve are brilliant.

The framing (Length of a shot), the angle of the shot and every movement involved, bring in the needed purpose and effect. The fantastic direction is the Canted angle on Anwar, where the camera is placed to the ground level, where the movie audience are seated, involving them as the EYE of the entire shot.

Such is the connection between writing, direction, visualisation and editing. And viewing.




The director tells the entire tale of Baasha by moving the action with the camera included inside a series of cuts by going from one shot to another.

Baasha is a Tamil language film released on Pongal 1995. The film is written and directed by Suresh Krissna for Sathya Movies (produced by R. M. Veerappan). P. S. Prakash handled the Cinematography while Ganesh Kumar edited the movie. Baasha has a huge star casting, in which Rajini plays the principal characters Manickam and Manick Baasha.

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Baasha - The Master Script

Few pictures to illustrate the position that creates a connection between the subjects which are basically different characters interlinked in the movie world Baasha:

Reaction shot - Manickam and Antony starring at each other :





Reaction shot : Antony firing at Rangasamy and Baasha yelling





Two different subjects under two different frames, but cropped similarly : Death of Anwar and Baasha punching Antony





Manickam and Baasha Punching Antony [The ground & the Sky]





End of Anwar & Antony

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Baasha - The Master Script

The Movie Clock (part 1/2)



Our films presented Flash Forwards and Flashbacks using a spinning wheel. The directors pointed out the element, the time, inside their story world by either rotating the wheel backwards (flashback) or turning the wheel clockwise (flash forward).

A quick example: A man alters into a kid (flashback) or a boy turns into a Hero (flash forward).

Later, the flashbacks were shown inside a musical expressing the character's emotions; famously addressed as Pathos Song, in which the agony of the character is summed up by pulling random bygone scenes. The events elegantly shifts from past to present within the short period of the songs runtime.


(From Dharma Durai, 1991)

The Pathos Song concentrated on the past and never looked into the future, until, Rajini films started to take a huge leap altering this custom pattern by introducing the future as the main element in a song sequence. Rajini character elegantly upgrades itself from rags to riches. The present status of the character living inside the story world touches the extreme (a pauper becoming a prince) within the song climbing a sort of virtual ladder constructed with courage and determination.


(From Padayappa, 1999)

Recently, Rajini completes building a dam across a river inside a song sequence.


(From Lingaa, 2014)

Also recently, Ajith Kumar survives in the cold weather repairing his physical injuries while recovering from his bullet wounds. He soars back to meet his wife to whom he had promised his return. 'Thalai Viduthalai', is one such song that is a part of the screenplay portraying the Fall-Rise situation that illustrates the journey of the time forward, at the same time highlights the events from the past.


(From Vivegam, 2017)

Baasha redefined the way time can be illustrated in movies. The screenplay is designed to raise both curiosities as well as to fuel the viewer with adrenaline. Using a non-standard linear progression, Baasha, just like GodFather Part 2 (1974, written by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo), tells two stories that run parallel. One story details about Manickam (present) and the other shows Baasha (past). Whatever noise Manickam makes in the present, is the echo from the past sounded by Baasha.

Eventhough Manickam is the narrator, we hear and see a lot about the puzzling character Baasha - a police officer gets shockingly surprised just by hearing the name Baasha; a news from a daily makes the existence of Baasha real; few characters change their behaviour when they hear about Baasha; and then, there is Baasha's foot steps surrounding the screen producing a sound effect to an image that is reversed by the order of lightness and lightlessness.

The first Flashback opens at the door step of the Office of Director General of Police :



When Manickam approaches the desk, the flash is revealed through the eyes of the warranted law employee of the police force, the first image of Baasha appear on the screen:



The dissolve is wonderful. There is a gradual transition from Manickam to Baasha and they both walk towards the viewers:



A series of images - standard negative pulldown for the film and run as a strip of four colour negatives mildly touched with green, red and blue - starts materialising randomly. Two images appears to be burnt and terribly destroyed illustrating the nature of the flashback:





Amidst the firing gunmen and wildly running crowd, Baasha emerges. Again, he is seen quickly approaching the viewer, a sort of communication established in every frame, and when he is closer, a headlines from a daily flashes on the screen, terminating the short flash episode :

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Baasha - The Master Script

The Movie Clock (part 2/2)



The second flashback occurs inside closed doors, and the voice of Manickam is muted while Baasha walks from the right corner of the screen and disappears through the left:



The thematic interpretation is constructed to contrast the similarities and differences between Manickam and Baasha. Through a mid-film twist, the revelation occurs in the story.

The flash back episode, the core plot of the film, it is revealed why Manickam entered into a world of crime, as well as, explains why he choose to exit to become a commoner. Manickam becomes Baasha and Baasha become Manickam in the flashback which is loaded with a flash forward non-standard linear narrative within.

I have already spoken about how colours used in the film build a harmony or tension within a scene while addressing Kabali (2016). The use of colour brings attention without the viewer being aware. It secretly receives a reaction from the viewer. There are many ways colours can influence a story, either by setting a tone to the film or draw focus to significant details or even represent particular character traits.

In Baasha, Red is used to show the arcs of the story.

When his brother asks him about his past, Manickam shuts the door [Note: every flash occurs beside a door - at the DIG Office, inside the college correspondent’s office; door is used as a portal between the present and the past] Manickam shuts the door behind him as though he is shutting himself from reality. The director brings up the Flashback - Baasha: The Tears of an Emperor - by painting Manickam's face red:





The tale shiftily begins with the introduction of Baasha walking out of his mansion (A faded building brightens up as the footsteps of Baasha echoes around) :



The previous shown dark images turn into silhouette while sweeping through the screen:





Baasha is revealed and is seen walking towards the viewer:



The Baasha story is a tricky narration - a flashback narrated as a linear storyline in a non-linear film, which contains a linear sequence within the flashback. Anwar story drops in as a memory of Baasha bent down on one knee at the cemetery before Anwar's tomb. The discourse in the current Flashback (notably with Baasha and Antony), suddenly turns into a monologue while opening the Anwar episode, where Baasha speaks in First Person while addressing Anwar as though he is speaking with the viewer (another direct communication extended from the screen). Rapid introductions to Rangasamy and Baasha's family members are made while establishing the friendship between Anwar and Manickam. After the mishap, Manickam is seen knelt on his right knee with his left hand on his left knee in front of Anwar's coffin - a position similar to the posture taken by Baasha in the principle flashback narrative at the cemetery before the tomb of Anwar:

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Baasha - The Master Script

The Movie Clock (extended)

The flashback ends when Baasha fakes his death to become Manickam. The return to the present sees Manickam trapped inside his own past; shut inside a closed room flashed by a red light reminding him constantly his bloody path:





The Movie Clock starts to spin forward when Manickam answers the door.

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Baasha - The Master Script

Nilanjana samabhasam raviputram yamagrajam.
Chaya martanda sambhutam tam namami shaishcharam.

A blue cloud, the son of the Sun, is the foremost of control; the glorious Sun disappears behind his shadow. To Shani, the emblem of control, we bow down in devotion.

The Shadow of Baasha



The female characters in mythologies are very powerful. Duality in personality appears in Skanda Purana, when illustrating the origins of Shani, the son of the Sun.

Suriya (Sun) is married to Suvarna, daughter of Vishwukurma (the weapons manufacturer) and granddaughter of Brahma. They had three children - Manu, Yama & Yamunadevi. Even though being a devoted wife and a noble mother, Suvarna could not bear the heat of Suriya and the brightness of her husband. She worked upon an alternate to face the brillance of the Sun God that could permit her to stay with Surya while bearing the glory of his rays. She created Chaya (Shadow) out of herself, a form of darkness caused by blocking the light. She designated Chaya to take care of her children, and through Chaya she shared the Sun God.

Chaya was her dual personality, physically coming into existence. Chaya had three kids with Surya - Badra, Shani and Tapti - before the Sun God realised that she was not his real wife (Suvarna). When Shani was born, revelations struck out the brightness of the Sun ... and no, this is not their story ...

Baasha created Manickam, his own Chaya (Shadow), that can freely crawl in the world among the burning chaos. He thought: As Manickam he can tolerate the disorder, turn a blind eye to all the crime and support his family - a mother, two sisters, a brother. Little did he know that during the darkest hour, Chaya fades away and only Baasha has the strength to face his ultimate nemesis.

While being Manickam, Baasha surfaces from time to time - either to exhibit the cunning thought process that is alien to Manickam but nimble for Baasha; or to issue an order to his team who lives disguised as commoners around him; or while tasting a pinch of his own memory where he recollects his father Rangasamy's last spoken words and visualises the double-crossing of Kesavan.

The first eruption occurs when Manickam is informed by his brother about the Police Enquiry. He turns away, his mind working as Baasha threading the needle:



Kesavan's gang comes in search for a lost diamond thinking that it could have been thieved by Manickam. Retaining him, at the same time ordering his men to stay focused on the work of impersonation, Manickam allows the goons to frisk him. But they don't stop there; they tear down his vehicle that fetches his food for living. Baasha jumps out of Manickam for a brief moment, but is quickly subdued by the memory of his father's will:



Manickam warns the college correspondent by revealing the unseen:



Manickam watches Kesavan by the roadside. His face pounds with familiarity when Baasha recollects the inexcusable act of Kesavan:



When his brother indulges in a brawl with the local hooligans, Manickam intervenes and accepts to take the punishment from the mobster on behalf of his brother. While being carried away to be beaten-up, Manickam informs his obedient companion in Baasha's way to fall back:



The mobster is back. Manickam stops his attacked sister from falling. When he sees her blood, Manickam slowly starts to fade away:



The transformation happens when he takes a brief walk towards his brother, who is battered on the floor. He hears a knife snap behind them when he helps his brother to get back to his feet. He asks his brother to move away to safety. When his words go unheard, Baasha takes over Manickam completely as he orders his brother with rigidity to get back inside the house:



Baasha is seen in his fullest form when the darkness surrounds him fading away his own shadow Manickam:



Manickam as Baasha:

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Baba - Mark of Maya



To him who is high-minded,
These teachings will be illuminating.
- Shvetashvatara Upanishad



Maya is that which is not. It does not exist and never has existed. In the ego mind, Maya acts as an instrument by hiding the Truth.

According to Saint Kabir Das, the mystical poet of the fifteenth century, the Truth he experienced is:

In that state there is no air or water,
no creation or creator,
no bud or flower,
no fetus or semen,
no education or Vedas,
no word or taste;
no body or settlement,
no earth, air or space;
no guru or disciple,
and no easy or difficult path.



Maya actually gives forms to everything that hides the Truth. It operates using two power sources; one, to viel the mind; two, to project what it wants to see. While veiling happens to the Atma, the projection is made to the Jivaa; thus, manipulating the sensory data - eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mental consciousness. Maya halts the Self to get its consciousness upgraded and stops it from achieving the deluded awareness. Maya interferes in the promotion of the mind to Eighth Consciousness, the highest state of awareness.



Atma, the soul and Jivaa, the life stream, must be in united state. When asked about God to Sai Baba of Shirdi, the Spiritual Master spoke:

You need not try to bring God and man together, they are already together naturally - Jivaa Atma. But what makes them separate is the ego, the false 'I' form of Maya.



Naradha, the eternal form of consciousness, spoke to Lord Krishna, "I have wandered from Heaven to Earth. I have gathered all knowledge. But my Lord, what is Maya?"

Lord Krishna knew that Naradha is a True Being. His question was True, as he has experienced only Truth. The Lord hesitated, as to understand Maya is to understand an entire life - the cycle of birth & death. Seeing the thoughtful Master, Naradha asked, "Can you enlighten me by breaking the secret of this magic called Maya."

Keeping the devotion of Naradha in his mind, the Lord smiled and said, "Yes. Let us rest in the shade, and I shall apprise about Maya."

Naradha silently sat before Lord Krishna waiting for his Master to shine down wisdom about Maya on him. They were in the middle of a field under the shades of a tree. In the single beat of his eyes, Naradha heard the Lord breaking his silence, "Naradha, I am thirsty. Can you fetch me a glass of cold water please?"



Naradha immediately got up and walked into the fields in search of water - the task given to him by his Master. After getting away from the correct path, Naradha turned in circles of confusion under the scorching sun. The heat was too much for him to bear, and a single thought gathered in his mind as sweat moisted his body, "Let me ask for two glasses of water. One for the Master, and with the second I shall quench my thrist."



As soon as his mind was veiled by the thought, Naradha saw a hut at a distance.

A beautiful young lady responded to the knocks of Naradha and opened the door. Naradha became speechless when he saw her smiling at him. Completely engulfed by her charm, Naradha could only ask for her name.

"Maya", she replied.

Seeing Maya, his mind forgot his task and his body's need for thirst vanished.

"You are so beautiful", Naradha did not hide the truth from her and proposed her, "Will you marry me?"

The couple settled in the same house. Naradha happily told his wife, "Being a husband is the best thing that can happen in life."

After few years, they had children. Naradha happily told his wife, "Being a father is the best thing that can happen in life."

Naradha worked hard for his family in the fields. His only aim was to take care of his wife and children, and for that he was ready to sacrifice anything. His family became his life. Naradha happily told his wife, "To have a family is the best thing in life."

Years passed. His children grew up, settled in thier own life and had thier kids. Naradha grew older and happily told his wife, "Being the grandfather is the best thing that can happen in life."



At that moment, a flood hit the area drowning his fields and immersing his house in water. His cattle were washed away in the strong current. He lost all that he had earned his whole life. The flood did not stop but kept on growing violent. At a point, Naradha became helpless and could only watch his children, grandchildren, his beloved wife - his entire family - being swept away in the flood. Unable to stand the horror, Naradha, after many years, finally yelled, "Krishna! Krishna! Save my family, take me instead."



Naradha opened his eyes that tasted the cool breeze. He was sitting under the shade of a tree empty handed and before him was Lord Krishna looking at the fields. The single beat of his eye seemed as though years had passed.

The Master turned and smiled gently at him and asked softly, "Naradha, where is my glass of water?"