Mr Bharath

Plot

Bharath (Rajinikanth) is a young, educated man unaware of the whereabouts his father. Shanti, (Sharada) his mother tells him the past about his father, but, on her deathbed. Flashback: A young Gopinath (Sathyaraj), educated and a rich man, arrives Paapampatti village (where then-young Shanti resides), for engineering a construction project. Over time, he gains her interest, for being the innocent village girl that she was, working under him as a manual labour at his construction unit, by him - pretending innocent. Smitten over him, she, in turn, entrusts him, wherein he takes the fullest advantage over her. Soon after the construction work Gopinath was engineering for - got over, he goes about to move out of the village. Getting to know his departure, Shanti runs into him. After a brief conversation, Gopinath promises her that he would return back soon to take over her arms lawfully in front of the society. This convinces Shanti and she waves off for him. Months later, Shanti, who eagerly and desperately awaited for Gopinath to return expecting the promise he lent, be fulfilled, but hears from fellow villagers that he was about to get wed to another woman. Disappointed, she travels to Madras with the help of the visiting card that Gopinath had given her earlier to his office. After both having a furious heads-up, Gopinath, who not only displays his original ill-attire but expresses a denial too, to accept her stating she had no proof regarding intimacy that made her conceive and accuses her a 'gold-digger'. Become aware of the innocence as a cloak that he used for exploiting her, which he himself admits at the end, exasperates her, yet Insulted, Shanti swore to Gopinath saying that one day her child will question him on the future of his vile actions and make him forcibly confess the truth about his depraved activity in front of the whole society and leaves. Over the course of time, Shanti faces hardships and raises her son to be what he becomes as now not revealing her past until her final hour.

Back to the Present, She requests Bharath to fulfil her challenge and passes off on her death bed. Bharath, having lost his mother, takes up her vow as a challenge of making Gopinath (his biological father now) confess the truth within a year, precisely at 31 August, the day he lost his mother at her first remembrance.

Bharath leaves for the city and finds his father. He meets Gopinath as some strange man not revealing his true, real identity. After a business dealing, Bharath uses a brilliant, yet criminal strategy, to extricate money out of Gopinath. He uses the same as an investment to start his own business by venturing into the construction field and rises to No 2 company in the construction sector within months. Gopinath's construction company, 'Gopinath constructions', which is the No.1 company in the same construction sector, becomes Bharath's target. This angers Gopinath, as a result of which, Gopinath views Bharath as a business enemy but on a personal rate. Both Bharath and Gopinath try to overtake each other in an illegitimate way. Bharath however, hard working and brilliant, also with the help of Sanjeevi (Goundamani), his local trustee, out cuts all chances and goes to make his company outrank Gopinath constructions to No.2 thus, becoming No 1.

Later Bharath once helps a girl from goons and takes to her home only to find out that the girl is Pushpa, Gopinath's daughter who also happens to be his step-sister. Due to this, Bharath wins the affection of Mrs.Gopinath (Who happens to be Bharath's step mother) who starts to treat her as her own son, similar to Pushpa's own brother, who apparently is his step-brother. He tactically arranges for a marriage of Pushpa with the son of a wealthy man Kumeresa Gounder on August 31, the first remembrance of his mother. Kumaresa Goundar fully is made aware of Bharath's swearing, so he too helps him to fulfil the challenge which he has against his father, Gopinath. Bharath also uses the love relationship between his step-brother and his Sanjeevi's sister to corner Gopinath by arranging the marriage on the same date as well. Bharath uses every possible way to blackmail and torture Gopinath to make him realise his mistake but Gopinath does not reciprocate instead becomes angrier as things go beyond business to personal vengeance. Bharath tactically makes various bottlenecks for Gopinath on Aug-31st, as Gopinath comes to realise that there is more than business Bharath was taking this plight into.

Having lost his clutch with business, wealth and status, Gopinath slowly goes into bankruptcy thus unable to afford to his own daughter's wedding. In the meanwhile, Bharath invites him to inaugurate his orphanage on 31 August, the date when he planned to fulfil his mother's wish. Gopinath, furious with Bharath since he is the reason for Gopinath's slump, hires a local goon Michael (Raghuvaran) who once was his enemy and proposes to kill Bharath at the inaugural function on the same date. Bharath reveals his mother's identity in the function as he waits for Gopinath to accept his mistake.

Does Gopinath recognise who Bharath is and whether he accepts him as his son forms the rest of the story.

Cast

Production

Sathyaraj acted as Rajinikanth's father in the film though he was in fact 4 years younger to Rajinikanth.

Music

The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The track "Ennama Kannu" was later remixed in the film Thiruvilayadal Arambam (2006). The song inspired a 2000 film of same name also starring Sathyaraj.

Release

Mr Bharath got terrific openings but could not sustain at box office. The film was appreciated for Rajini's style of tackling Sathyaraj but the critics gave it a thumbs down for tampering the original script of Trishul and miscasting of Sathyaraj and S. Ve. Sekar in the roles of Sanjeev Kumar and Shashi Kapoor. Rajini's stardom saved the film from becoming flop to making it a 100-day run in few centres.