Rajinikanth’s intuition about audience expectations was rare: 'Baasha' Director

Suresh Krissna spoke to DH’s ETB Sivapriyan about working with Rajinikanth, who completes 50 years in cinema next week.

Suresh Krissna, who delivered superhit films like Annamalai and Baasha - films that elevated Rajinikanth’s superstardom - says the actor brought a completely new style to Tamil cinema and that audiences saw him as the next-door neighbour.

He spoke to DH’s ETB Sivapriyan about working with Rajinikanth, who completes 50 years in cinema next week.

Excerpts:

Q: You had a key role in maintaining Rajinikanth’s superstardom. What is one distinct quality you noticed in Rajinikanth, as an actor, from your perspective as a director?

A: I was just one among many directors who worked with Rajinikanth during his rise to superstardom. Greats like K Balachander, S P Muthuraman, and Mahendran played crucial roles in shaping him into the icon he is today. I was like the squirrel in the Ramayana -- just contributing my small part to something much bigger. By the time I worked with him, his image was already larger than life.

There were many unique factors that contributed to his appeal. The fact that he was not Tamil by origin, yet spoke Tamil in such a distinct way, gave him a unique identity. He didn’t fit the conventional image of a film hero --his looks, his background, everything was different. But he turned those differences into strengths.

He introduced a completely new style -- his rapid dialogue delivery, his body language, and signature mannerisms. No one had done that before. He was relatable; many in the audience felt he was “our man,” the common man, the next-door neighbour. That connection was very real.

From a director’s perspective, what struck me most about him, despite all the fame and success, was his constant urge to do better. When I worked with him on the sets of Annamalai, he had already completed over 100 films. Yet, he didn’t carry the attitude of a superstar. He always pushed himself and the film, striving for excellence.

Nothing was ever taken for granted. No scene was ever dismissed with a casual “this is fine.” He would always say, “Let’s make it better.” That kind of dedication, even at the peak of his glory, was truly remarkable.

Q: Annamalai and Baasha were massive commercial hits. Baasha is still cited as the ultimate Rajinikanth mass film. How was it directing a superstar? Did you have to make compromises as a director or write scripts with his image in mind?

A: It is not easy to write a script for a superstar, especially someone with the towering image of Rajinikanth. The expectations are enormous. For the producers, distributors, theatre owners, and most importantly, the audience, every Rajinikanth release is like Diwali. It’s a celebration, a thiruvizha.

Once that reality sinks in as a writer and director, the truth becomes very clear: people are investing in the film because it is Rajinikanth. Audiences come to the theatre because it is Rajinikanth. His past films, songs, distinctive walk, fights, dialogue delivery -- nothing is forgotten.

People still reenact those scenes at functions, children imitate him, and the craze is unmatched. With that kind of love and expectation, I knew I couldn’t experiment for the sake of being different. But that doesn’t mean you can just repeat the same formula. Everything still needs to feel fresh --the style, yes, but in a new way.

Punch dialogues, yes, but they have to be different. Fights, songs, dance steps, costumes -- the audience expects them all, but they must come in a new package, with new energy and dimension.

The script has to be rooted in something fresh and relevant. That is the real challenge. I was fortunate to do that in Annamalai, Veera, and Baasha -- a sort of hat-trick. What made it all possible was Rajini sir himself. He is very clear about what his audience wants.

He often says, “My fans will come to the theatre on day one, scream, whistle, dance. I need to make them happy.”

He knows what is at stake, and he backs it completely. He gives it his all. He is truly a director’s actor -- there are no compromises from his side. Our only job is to give it our best.

And when we do, the love from the audience is overwhelming. Take Baasha for instance -- it has been 30 years, and even now it’s being re-released and running for two weeks straight. Watching the audience today feels like time travel. There is no difference between 1995 and 2025, and that’s the magic of Rajinikanth.

Q: There is a view that after the late 1980s, Rajinikanth’s true potential as an actor wasn’t fully explored because of his superstardom. What are your thoughts?

A: Rajini sir often used to say, “I loved playing the villain because there were no limits or boundaries. I could keep creating new styles, new dialogue deliveries, and connect with the masses far more than the hero.”

In his view, the hero had certain restrictions: he had to romance, sing, dance, do comedy, fight, and deliver long dialogues. But the villain allowed him more freedom to experiment and express himself.

In Baasha, you can clearly see shades of that old, charismatic villain Rajinikanth -- especially in the second half. He delivered an outstanding performance, and as we know, the film became iconic. Even in Annamalai, the second half showed a completely different side of him. From the energetic and lively man in the first half, he transforms into a calm, mature figure in the second half.

That character arc gave him a lot of scope as a performer, and he handled it with great class. Yes, he’s an all-rounder. Comedy, action, emotion, and villainy -- he can do it all.

So, it is only fair that the audience gets to enjoy every dimension of Rajinikanth when they come to the theatre. That is what they come for -- to enjoy Rajinikanth. He always had a keen instinct for script selection.

That is one of the reasons for his enduring superstardom. And, more importantly, he always knew what the audience wanted from Rajinikanth at that particular time. That intuition is rare.