Baama Vijayam: Omni-relevant classic and crowning glory in KB’s illustrious body of work

Baama Vijayam – Omni-relevant classic and crowning glory in KB’s illustrious body of work

K. Balachander is a beacon of Tamil Cinema. His movies were set pieces of drama that transcended time and place. He had such a profound impact in the way Tamil movies were made. He did not merely change the film industry, his films created ripples of change in broader society as well. KB was a social revolutionary on his own. It is fair to say that Tamil Cinema can be grouped into two distinct time periods, B.KB and A.KB, before K. Balachander and after K. Balachander. Such was his impact.

Film connoisseurs often say that one of cinema’s biggest allure is that cinema is a world onto itself, far detached from the reality that exists outside the movie sets. Make-believe, entertainment for entertainment’s sake, larger-than-life, so on and so forth. In quintessential KB style, his movies broke this imaginary barrier between the reel world and the real world, and provided biting social satire and scrutiny that was a literal eye-opener, covering a wide spectrum of themes from economic and social divide, social pressure on middle-class working women, younger generations’ obsession with film stars, often untold multi-dimensional love stories…

Interspersed amongst such intense dramatic masterpieces is one out-and-out comedy from KB’s stable, which stands ever so tall amongst his Manhattan of towering movie gems. In my humble opinion, it is not just KB’s best movie, but by far the best Tamil movie ever made. Presenting, Baama Vijayam.

Satirical social commentary may seem a new-found fad to most millennials, but Baama Vijayam, released in the late 1960s, had social satire in spades. With an ensemble cast, Baama Vijayam is a laugh-riot from start to end. The humor is fresh, unhinged, and in limitless supply, with every single character having a role to play (pun intended).

Rajasree plays the role of the eponymous Baama, a famous film star. Major Sundararajan, Muthuraman and Nagesh play sons to retired school teacher Baalaiya whose house is next-door to Baama’s new home. Sowcar Janaki, Kanchana and Jayanthi are his daughters-in-law. Sachu and Srikanth round up the brilliant cast. Once the Baalaiya household finds out Baama is their new neighbour, the star-struck sons and their wives fall head over heel wooing Baama, and she agrees to pay a visit to their humble abode. Total mayhem ensues as their entire house is turned upside down in preparation for the superstar’s visit.

What happens next is a series of misadventures and misunderstanding that threaten the very existence of the once-peaceful joint family. How / whether the family overcomes these events forms the rest of the movie. And it is pure comedy gold. Flowing like a beautiful river, the movie traverses a series of brilliantly crafted scenes that educate and entertain in peerless fashion.

The core message of the movie, which is about living within your means, being fiscally responsible, not being vain or showing off an expensive lifestyle, is more relevant today than at any time in the past.

While everyone punches way above their weight, if I had to pick one star of the show, it would undoubtedly be Baalaiya. With his unassuming body language, and pseudo sarcastic tone, Baalaiya provides great life-lessons throughout the movie. In fact, the movie is filed with such fantastic, omni-relevant advice to lead a successful meaningful life, we could do much worse than make this movie mandatory viewing for all high school children.

If you have seen it already, please spread the word amongst the next generation so the glory and legacy of Baama Vijayam can be carried forward. And if you are yet to partake in experiencing this eternal cinematic classic, go watch it and be enlightened. It is available on Youtube to stream for free.