In August 2002, Tamil Nadu erupted in anticipation. Baba wasn't just another Rajinikanth film. In more ways than one, it was entirely his film. Story, screenplay, dialogues, his fingerprints were everywhere. Fans lit camphor outside theatres, milk abhishekam-drenched cutouts, crackers tore through the streets. The arrival of Baba felt less like cinema and more like prophecy.But within days, the mood collapsed. Critics tore it apart. Audiences walked out confused. Box office numbers dipped. A Superstar had stumbled.And yet-two decades later-the film still breathes.