Vijay Sethupathi shines as a trapped gangster in Balaji Tharaneetharan's new Tamil film Baththa

Tamil movie Baththa tells the story of a feared local don who gets accidentally locked inside a deserted school restroom by an eight-year-old boy. Directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan and set in 1986 Madras, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi as the gangster Baththa, a man who runs a section of the city with violence and intimidation before losing his weapons, men, and freedom.

The Plot And Friendship

The narrative centers on the unexpected friendship that develops between the trapped criminal and the timid schoolboy, Sai. The school portions feature the gangster stuck inside the toilet while the boy keeps returning to it, creating humorous and organic moments of vulnerability. The cast also features Lijomol Jose as Baththa's wife, along with supporting actors Ajay Ghosh, Arjun Chidambaram, Santhy Balachandran, and Hari Krishnan.

Cast And Crew

Vijay Sethupathi delivers a strong lead performance that shifts between menace and vulnerability, marking a return to the caliber of his earlier work in films like Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, Super Deluxe, and Vikram Vedha. Child actor Sai matches Sethupathi's naturalism, while Lijomol Jose grounds the domestic scenes. The technical crew includes music and background score by Sai Abhyankkar, cinematography by Selvakumar SK capturing 1986 Madras, editing by R Kalaivanan, and production design by T Muthuraj.

Context

Period dramas set in past decades often rely on nostalgia and detailed set designs to recreate historical eras like 1986 Madras. Tamil cinema has a long tradition of character-driven stories where unexpected pairings and confined settings create intense emotional and humorous narratives.