What Is Baba About?
The premise of Baba in 300 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In bustling Chennai, where the clamor of street hawkers mingles with the reverent chants of temples, a man who has built his identity on doubt is thrust into the impossible. Baba, a hot‑tempered atheist whose life has revolved around booze, tobacco and a stubborn independence, suddenly discovers that he has been granted powers that seem to belong to a higher realm. The film opens with his world tilted on its axis, forcing him to reconcile a skeptical mind with abilities that hint at something far beyond ordinary life.
Around him swirl figures who embody both devotion and worldly ambition. His mother, a steadfast follower of an ancient saint, anchors him with quiet faith, while his uncle offers a bridge between tradition and the modern hustle of the city. Chamundeeswari, a spirited woman whose sharp tongue initially clashes with Baba’s reckless ways, becomes a catalyst for a deeper examination of love, duty, and the limits of personal freedom. Adding a mystic layer, the wandering sage Divyananda Bharathi arrives, hinting at a path that could lead Baba toward enlightenment among the Himalayas.
The tone balances gritty realism with mythic wonder, painting a cityscape that feels both familiar and larger‑than‑life. The narrative is laced with humor and raw emotion, capturing the tension between a society that reveres ancient deities and a world that often rewards raw, material power. As Baba begins to test the limits of his newfound gifts, the audience is invited to wonder whether he will become a reluctant guardian for those around him or retreat further into cynicism.
Through its vivid characters and richly textured setting, the story promises a journey that explores the fragile line between skepticism and faith, individuality and responsibility, all while hinting at the transformative potential that can arise when the divine unexpectedly touches the everyday.
What Happens in Baba?
The complete story of Baba, from the first scene to the last, in 1,047 words (about 5 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 5 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
The film follows Baba, Rajinikanth, the dramatic reincarnation of a saint who had once served Mahavatar Babaji. Raised as an atheist and a hotheaded young man, Baba nonetheless carries a deep undercurrent of kindness, and his actions gradually reveal a generous, if imperfect, moral compass. He lives a boisterous life marked by alcohol, smoking beedi, and chewing tobacco, yet his mother and his maternal uncle remain devout followers of Babaji, shaping the spiritual thread that threads through his journey. Nearby, Chamundeeswari, Manisha Koirala, initially clashes with Baba but is pulled toward the rhythm of his unorthodox, fearless way of living, and a complicated affection begins to bloom between them.
Trouble erupts when Baba interferes in a land sale involving the son of the Deputy Chief Minister, Ippo Ramaswamy, a powerful political figure at the helm of a party in the ruling coalition. The clash escalates as Ramaswamy’s forces retaliate, demolishing Baba’s neighborhood in a calculated statement. When Baba contemplates a showdown, his mother urges restraint, steering him toward a path of rebuilding rather than revenge. To prove his new priorities, Baba starts working as a laborer in a neighboring shop, earning money to reconstruct the decimated colony. This turn of fate puts Chamundeeswari in a painful position; her mother warns her that marriage to a daily laborer would invite ruin, and Chamundeeswari ultimately tells Baba she cannot marry him as things stand. The revelation hits Baba hard: he has long defined himself by resisting expectations, yet he now faces the realization that he must live for a wife and children—and thus answer to others—if he chooses marriage. In that moment, he questions whether prema (love) is maya (illusion) and ends the relationship, choosing a path of greater responsibility.
A disheveled sadhu, Divyananda Bharathi, arrives with a revelation: it is time for Baba to seek enlightenment. He guides Baba to the Himalayas, where Baba meets Mahavatar Babaji, who tests him by granting seven mantras (five in the remastered version). These wishes can be used at will, but there is a sharp warning: if Baba uses them for personal gain, the karma of rebirth will bind him forever. Baba is sent back to Chennai and, initially, remains skeptical. He tries a small experiment—wishing for a kite to land in his hand—but it seems like a trick of fate. Yet the kite stubbornly follows him to his home, landing in his palm. Thinking it a coincidence, he tests a second kite’s fall, and again the same uncanny result occurs. Chamundeeswari learns from his mother that Baba is the reincarnation of a saint who defied Babaji, and she tries to reconcile with him, only to be met with Baba’s insistence that his heart has changed. This marks a turning point: despite the miraculous appearances of the mantras, Baba remains cautious and tests the others sparingly for ordinary, harmless things. His uncle, who had warned him with his dying breath, urges him to use a mantra to renovate his surroundings—a change that will finally prove the truth of Babaji, and, as predicted, the area flourishes.
Emboldened by these signs, Baba renounces alcohol and adopts a more spiritual life. He reserves the last two mantras for his mother, yet uses the penultimate one to rescue a newlywed Japanese neighbor stricken by food poisoning. News of Baba’s extraordinary power leaks to Ippo Ramaswamy, who senses an opportunity to bend events to his political advantage.
Purushottaman, the sitting Chief Minister, seeks to harness Baba’s power to secure a permanent hold on Tamil Nadu. Baba rebuffs this pressure, even as his friends Annamalai, Perusu, Samundi, and Kathirika press him to claim the state for himself using the final wish. Instead, Baba uses the final wish to elevate Kanthan, a trusted, older party member, to the Chief Minister’s seat, ensuring a majority. This move shifts the political landscape and invites a stern test: Ramaswamy’s father—an elder statesman who once led the party—wants to prove that the older generation still knows best. The stage is set for a dramatic confrontation as Guruji—an orchestrator of dark counter-magic—joins the fray, demanding Baba’s necklace and backbone to nullify the mantras’ effects.
A brutal struggle ensues. Baba’s mother is mortally wounded by Ramaswamy’s men, and Baba himself is knocked unconscious. The attackers set a pyre to finish him, but a temple elephant intervenes, extinguishing the flames and allowing Baba to surge back with renewed force. Just as he stands on the brink of delivering fatal judgment, Divyananda Bharathi steps in again, staying his hand. His mother’s dying wisdom—urging Baba to depart this world and ascend to the Himalayas—cements his resolve to live under Babaji’s tutelage rather than remain entangled in a corrupt, material world.
Yet fate takes a sharp turn when Kandhan, the new chief minister, is assassinated by Ippo Ramasamy’s son. In a powerful moment of conscience, Baba chooses not to retreat into the mountains; instead, he remains in Tamil Nadu, hailed by the crowds who still hope for a leader who will guide them with virtue and compassion.
A note from the 2022 re-release reimagines Baba’s final arc: he ascends to the Himalayas and meets Mahavatar Babaji again, who reminds him that serving his mother is a virtue even more essential than aiding others. Baba learns that he will be reincarnated once more to the same mother, after which he will be allowed to return to the Himalayas.
- The arc blends mythic trials with grounded personal growth, blending spirituality with social responsibility.
- The film threads together themes of duty, sacrifice, and the tension between worldly power and spiritual service.
- Across its events, Baba’s journey moves from reckless independence toward a tempered, compassionate leadership that seeks the common good while honoring the bonds of family and kinship.
Manisha Koirala and Ashish Vidhyarthi deliver pivotal turns within the drama, while Sayaji Shinde and Bharat Dabholkar populate the more formidable political and spiritual confrontations with gravity. The score of the film deepens these contrasts, reinforcing the emotional beats as Baba learns to reconcile power with humility, and as a community learns to trust a leader who fights for justice while resisting the temptations of control. And throughout, the memory of a mother’s love—an enduring compass—guides Baba toward a path that honors both family and the people he seeks to serve.
Baba Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Birth of Baba” to “Epilogue: a return to the Himalayas (re-release perspective)”. 12 events name a place, across 3 locations.
- 1
Birth of Baba
The film opens with the birth of Baba, the reincarnation of a saint revered by Mahavatar Babaji. He grows up as an atheist and hotheaded youth, yet moments of kindness hint at a higher calling.
- 2
Devotion in the family and Chamundeswari's arrival
His mother and maternal uncle are ardent devotees of Mahavatar Babaji. Chamundeswari, who lives nearby and often quarrels with Baba, gradually falls in love with his fearless style.
Where:Chennai
- 3
Land dispute sparks a violent feud
Baba interferes with the sale of land, drawing the ire of Ippo Ramaswamy, the Deputy Chief Minister’s son. In retaliation, Ramaswamy demolishes Baba’s colony.
Where:Tamil Nadu
- 4
Choosing restraint and rebuilding
Before facing Ramaswamy, Baba’s mother urges him to stay calm. He decides to rebuild his community and takes a job as a labourer in a neighbour’s shop to earn money.
Where:Chennai
- 5
Love strained by family pressure
Chamundeswari’s mother threatens her daughter with death if she does not marry someone of status. Chamundeswari refuses to marry a daily labourer, and Baba realizes he would be answerable to a wife and children, prompting a heartbreak and breakup.
- 6
Divyananda Bharathi and the ascent toward enlightenment
A dishevelled sadhu, Divyananda Bharathi, guides Baba toward enlightenment. In the Himalayas, Baba meets Mahavatar Babaji, who tests him by granting seven mantras (five in the remastered version) with a warning: using them for personal gain binds him to rebirth karma.
Where:Himalayas
- 7
Testing the power back home
Back in Chennai, Baba tests the mantras on a kite and initially assumes it’s all coincidence. The miracles begin to unfold, but his skepticism remains.
Where:Chennai
- 8
Uncle’s dying wish and a transformative fifth mantra
On his uncle’s deathbed, the elder urges Baba to use a mantra to renovate his surroundings, fulfilling a prophecy. The fifth mantra triggers government renovation of Baba’s area, and he begins to reform, giving up alcohol.
Where:Chennai
- 9
Remaining mantras and a heroic gesture
Baba reserves the last two mantras for his mother. He uses the penultimate mantra to revive a newlywed Japanese neighbor fighting for life after food poisoning, showing the true reach of his powers.
Where:Tamil Nadu
- 10
Political power plays and a moral stand
Purushottaman, the current chief minister hopeful, wants to turn Baba’s boons into political advantage and threatens Baba’s mother. Ramaswamy learns of the mantras from Baba’s two-timing companion, complicating matters.
Where:Tamil Nadu
Show the other 5 events of Baba Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Final wish to steer the state’s future
Baba’s friends urge him to use the final wish to become permanent CM, but he instead uses it to elevate Kanthan, an older, honest party member, to lead with a majority. This sets the stage for a clash with the ruling generation.
Where:Tamil Nadu
- 12
Climax: the assault, the mother’s sacrifice, and restraint
As the power struggle culminates, Guruji’s plan demands Baba’s necklace and backbone to be used against him. Baba’s mother is mortally wounded, and he is knocked unconscious as villains set a fire, only to be thwarted by a temple elephant; Divyananda Bharathi intervenes to stop him and the trauma of family loss weighs on him.
Where:Tamil Nadu
- 13
A near ascent and a turning point
Just as Baba prepares to ascend the Himalayas, Kandhan is assassinated by Ippo Ramasamy’s son, prompting a change of heart. Baba decides to stay in Tamil Nadu and continue serving the people rather than pursuing withdrawal from the world.
Where:Tamil Nadu
- 14
Ending and the 2022 re-release epilogue
In the original ending, Baba remains in Tamil Nadu, living among the people and guiding them. The 2022 re-release adds an epilogue where Mahavatar Babaji tells him he must serve his mother, hints at a future reincarnation, and suggests he will eventually return to the Himalayas.
- 15
Epilogue: a return to the Himalayas (re-release perspective)
The re-release reinforces that Baba would be reincarnated to the same mother before he can return to the Himalayas, underscoring the central importance of filial duty over worldly power.
When:re-release epilogue Where:Himalayas
Who Are the Main Characters in Baba?
8 characters, among them Baba / Mahavatar Babaji (Rajinikanth), Chamundeeswari (Manisha Koirala) and Ippo Ramaswamy (Ashish Vidhyarthi): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- B/
Baba / Mahavatar Babaji (Rajinikanth)
Played by Rajinikanth
Baba is the reincarnation of a saint who follows Mahavatar Babaji, yet he grows into a hotheaded, alcoholic skeptic. He discovers the seven mantras and tests them, learning that misusing their power can bring karmic consequences. Over time, he uses his powers to help others and to confront political and personal threats, ultimately facing a choice between ascetic enlightenment and worldly leadership. The re-edited 2022 version adds a final twist where he ascends to the Himalayas and is told he will be reincarnated to the same mother.
- 🔥 Hero
- 🧭 Spiritual seeker
- C(
Chamundeeswari (Manisha Koirala)
Played by Manisha Koirala
Chamundeeswari starts as a neighbor who clashes with Baba but grows to respect and fall in love with his unconventional style. Her dilemma centers on family duty, tradition, and a marriage proposal while Baba questions what love means beyond pride and status. She embodies the human costs of romance in a changing social landscape.
- 💖 Romance
- 💬 Neighbor
- 👩👧👦 Family
-
Ippo Ramaswamy (Ashish Vidhyarthi)
Played by Ashish Vidhyarthi
Ippo Ramaswamy is the Deputy Chief Minister’s son who uses his political influence to retaliate against Baba by demolishing his colony. He tracks Baba’s growing powers after learning of the mantras, escalating the conflict between personal vendetta and political scheming. His actions anchor the film’s critique of corrupt governance.
- 🎭 Villain
- 🗳️ Political antagonist
- P(
Purushottaman (Bharat Dabholkar)
Played by Bharat Dabholkar
Purushottaman is the chief minister who seeks to consolidate power through Baba’s boon-enabled influence. He threatens Baba’s mother and orchestrates attempts on Baba’s life, highlighting the perilous intersection of state power and magical intervention. His arc exposes the risks of instrumentalizing belief for political gain.
- 🏛️ Authority
- ⚔️ Threats
-
Divyananda Bharathi (Sayaji Shinde)
Played by Sayaji Shinde
Divyananda Bharathi is a disheveled sadhu who reveals the truth behind the mantras and guides Baba’s test of their consequences. He frames the spiritual challenge as a moral imperative, pushing Baba toward a disciplined use of power. His presence anchors the film’s mystical dimension.
- 🧙♂️ Mentor
- 🌀 Spiritual guide
- BM
Baba’s Mother (Sujatha)
Played by Sujatha
Baba’s mother is a devout figure who deeply respects Mahavatar Babaji and acts as the moral center of the family. She urges restraint before Baba confronts the political machine, and she ultimately sacrifices herself, encouraging Baba to ascend or continue his earthly mission. Her love frames the film’s emotional core.
- 👩👦 Mother
- ❤️ Sacrifice
- G(
Guruji (Amrish Puri)
Played by Amrish Puri
Guruji is the tantric mentor who instructs the antagonists to retrieve Baba’s necklace and backbone to nullify his powers. He embodies the ritualistic, mystical counterforce to Baba’s salvation arc, highlighting the dangers inherent in power when wielded by those with ulterior motives.
- 🔮 Mentor
- 🗡️ Antagonist
- RS
Ramaswamy’s Son (Riyaz Khan)
Played by Riyaz Khan
Ramaswamy’s son is the next generation of the political dynasty, whose actions echo his father’s ambition. He becomes tangled in the prophecy-like manipulation of Baba’s powers and is part of the conflict that tests Baba’s resolve and responsibility toward his state and family.
- 👦 Progeny
- 🗺️ Political foil
Where and When Is Baba Set?
Baba is set in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Himalayas (Contemporary era). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Contemporary era
The story unfolds in modern times, with political campaigns, media attention, and social dynamics typical of a present-day Indian state. Baba’s transformation from a rebellious youngster to a godly savior drives the narrative through current-era events. The re-release hints at cycles of reincarnation tied to timeless themes of duty and maternal love.
Where
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Himalayas
The film is set primarily in Chennai and its surrounding urban Tamil Nadu, with pivotal scenes in the Himalayas. It blends everyday city life with a political backdrop where a Deputy Chief Minister's actions shape the fate of Baba's colony. The Himalayas symbolize the spiritual journey that frames Baba's origin and choices.
- 🏙️ Urban Tamil Nadu
- 🗻 Himalayan landscapes
- 🗳️ Politics
- 🙏 Spirituality
What Are the Themes of Baba?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Redemption, Faith & Skepticism and Power & Politics.
-
01
Redemption
Baba’s arc centers on moving from self-centered rebellion to selfless service. His encounters test his morals, forcing choices between personal gain and the greater good. The journey is sparked by personal losses and reinforced by his mother’s guidance, culminating in a spiritually guided reform.
-
02
Faith & Skepticism
Despite being an atheist, Baba is drawn to the promises of the mantras and the Mahavatar Babaji legacy. He tests the miracles against doubt, learning that true power requires belief and restraint. The tension between doubt and faith drives his growth and the story’s moral lessons.
-
03
Power & Politics
The plot weaves political ambition with miracles, as Baba’s powers influence the state’s leadership. Leaders try to exploit him for a permanent CM position, while others resist, leading to climactic confrontations. The narrative critiques corruption and shows how power intersects with virtue and family.
What Kind of Film Is Baba?
Hopeful in tone, with steady pacing and a complex story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Hopeful
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Complex
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A spiritually epic and emotionally taxing journey that follows a skeptical man's transformation into a selfless leader, blending supernatural trials with grounded political struggles and a heavy sense of personal sacrifice.
- spiritual
- epic
- conflicted
- transformative
- uplifting
- morally complex
- spiritual awakening
- political corruption
- divine power
- social responsibility
Content notes: political assassination, mother's death, attempted immolation.
Quiz
How well do you remember Baba? Test yourself on the story.
