Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Class 3 student Sabari lives in a locality where everybody dreads a gangster called Baththa, so much so that even the kids in his class gossip about the man’s exploits, which include allegedly keeping a pet lion. So when Sabari accidentally locks Baththa in his school bathroom, an unexpected chain of events causes both the boy and the gangster plenty of tension, anxiety, and a transformation nobody is prepared for.
Written and directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, the 2026 film stars Vijay Sethupathi (‘Maharaja‘, ‘Jawan‘) as the titular Baththa, a hot-headed gangster who’s quick to beat anybody to a pulp on the streets. At home, he blows hot and cold with his wife Kannima (Lijo Mol Jose), but absolutely dotes on his daughter Thenmozhi (Sahasra Sree). Child actor Sai Prithviraj plays Sabari, the real protagonist of this story, a meek, fearful boy who trembles when he realises he’s locked up the infamous Baththa. Sacred he’d be murdered if he opens the door, he essentially becomes the reluctant master of a caged lion, unsure what to do with his captive.
Vijay Sethupathi isn’t new to gangster roles, but this was the first time I noticed him visibly struggling to simply move in his introductory action scene. In fact, his movements are awkward in nearly all his violent/action scenes, making it difficult to believe he’s the kind of goon capable of taking on a bunch of rowdies. Those scenes become unintentionally comical. Was it intentional? I don’t think so.
At its heart, the film is about an egotistical criminal being humbled by getting locked inside a school bathroom. And since the school is closed for vacation, nobody except Sabari knows about Baththa’s predicament. The gangster assumes he has been deliberately trapped by a cunning opponent or enemy, while the truth is beyond his wildest imagination. What the two were doing on campus during the holidays is something I’ll leave for you to find out if you decide to watch the film, since both their reasons are hilarious and crucial to the drama.
The second half focuses on the gangster finally escaping from the bathroom as a changed man and striking up a friendship with Sabari, unaware that the boy was responsible for his traumatic captivity. Poor Sabari continues to live in constant fear of being exposed, but also warms up to this new side of the older man, who isn’t quite the monster neighbourhood tales make him out to be. An excellent soundtrack, mixing retro ’80s-style beats with modern musical energy, accompanies the film.
Sai Prithviraj, as the perpetually anxious little Sabari, draws the most laughs in this offbeat film. He’s easily frightened but is a kind, thoughtful child, quickly overcome with guilt over his actions, yet too terrified to confide in anybody or seek help. When he finally realises he cannot keep the gangster locked up forever, it takes plenty of courage, some smarts and a little luck to free Baththa without being identified as the culprit. But how long can he keep the secret becomes the primary suspense.
The biggest challenge of watching Baththa is its bloated runtime of 2 hours and 37 minutes, which, of course, is standard for many Indian films, but here, it’s simply too much. Sabari’s misadventures would’ve been perfect as part of an anthology film like Vijay Sethupathi’s Super Deluxe, but as a standalone theatrical production, the pacing is patience-testing. It took me three days to finish it. Yes, several fun moments had me laughing heartily, but the overextended slow-motion shots, which do nothing to push the story forward, also make you sigh out loud in frustration.
But well, for patient viewers looking for a family-friendly gangster film, this is a good pick for the weekend.
Watch Baththa on Netflix.
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