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{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}

{{Infobox film
| name = B.A.Pass
| image = B A Pass Theatrical Poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| director = Ajay Bahl
| producer = Narendra Singh<br/>Ajay Bahl
| writer = [[Ritesh Shah]]
| based_on = {{based on|''The Railway Aunty''|Mohan Sikka}}
| starring = [[Shilpa Shukla]]<br />Shadab Kamal<br />[[Rajesh Sharma (actor)|Rajesh Sharma]]<br />[[Dibyendu Bhattacharya]]
| music = [[Alokananda Dasgupta]]
| cinematography = Ajay Bahl
| editing = Pravin Angre
| studio = Filmybox n Tonga Talkies
| distributor = VIP Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2012|08|30|Montreal World Film Festival|2013|08|02|India}}
| runtime = 95 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = 
| gross = {{INR}}8.4 crore<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/boxoffice/id/589806 |title=B.A. Pass (2013) | Box Office Earnings |publisher=Bollywood Hungama |accessdate=4 November 2013}}</ref>
}}

'''''B.A. Pass''''' is a 2012 [[Hindi film|Hindi]] [[neo noir]] [[erotic thriller]] film, produced by Narendra Singh and directed by Ajay Bahl, and starring [[Shilpa Shukla]], Shadab Kamal, [[Rajesh Sharma (actor)|Rajesh Sharma]], and [[Dibyendu Bhattacharya]] in lead roles. It is distributed by [[Bharat Shah]]'s VIP films banner. The film is based on the 2009 short story "The Railway Aunty" by Mohan Sikka.<ref name=mint/>

The movie was earlier scheduled to be released on 12 July 2013 but was eventually released on 2 August 2013. The date was postponed because of a major release, ''[[Bhaag Milkha Bhaag]]'', on 12 July 2013. Upon release, the movie received universal critical acclaim.

==Plot==

The story begins with the death of the parents of Mukesh, a teenager who has just graduated from senior high school. Mukesh is put into the care of an unfriendly aunt. He struggles to get along with his aunt's family who refuses to provide him with any money. As he struggles to study in the first year of his BA, he also worries for his two sisters who have been sent to live in an orphanage for girls. Mukesh bonds with an undertaker named Johnny over their mutual love of chess. Johnny has a brother in [[Mauritius]] who has invited him to live there, but Johnny has no money to get to Mauritius. He tells Mukesh of his dream to leave the country one day.

One day Mukesh is introduced to a [[cougar (slang)|cougar]] named Sarika, a woman much older than him, at a kitty party in his aunt's place. He happens to go to Sarika's home to get apples, only to be seduced by Sarika. She pays him for his services as a [[gigolo]] and the two routinely have [[sexual intercourse|sex]]. Sarika introduces Mukesh to many older women who finally make him a male [[prostitute]]. On one occasion Sarika and Mukesh are caught having sex by her husband. He complains to Mukesh's aunt that Mukesh had been seeking a loan from Sarika, and tried to [[kiss]] her. This makes Mukesh's aunt throw him out of the house.

Mukesh comes to Johnny's house and stays with him. Sarika refuses to stay in touch with him, and makes sure that none of her female friends who were Mukesh's clients entertain him. Frustrated, Mukesh asks Johnny to visit Sarika and ask for the money she owes him. Johnny returns to say that she refused to do so and threatened to call the police.

Meanwhile, Mukesh's sisters are having a hard time at the orphanage. Out of desperation, Mukesh decides to offer his sexual services to men. In the process, he is [[rape]]d and beaten up by a gang.

Feeling betrayed by Sarika and holding her responsible for his misery, Mukesh barges into her home and demands the money that is due to him. Sarika says she gave the money to Johnny, but Mukesh refuses to believe her. Sarika's husband, Ashok, arrives suddenly, and to prove her innocence Sarika makes an unsuspecting Mukesh stab her lightly to make it look like he attacked her. In a state of shock, Mukesh stabs her three more times till she dies, in front of Ashok. Mukesh then runs away to Johnny's house.

Shortly, he receives a call from his sisters who have run away from the orphanage, and need his help. Mukesh realises that Sarika told the truth, and Johnny has packed up and left the country with his money. He receives another call from his sisters to pick them up at the railway station. Mukesh tells them to wait till he arrives. On his way, he is seen by the police who chase him to the top of a building's balcony. As the police point a gun at him, he gets yet another call from his sisters. Mukesh while trapped, commits [[suicide]] by jumping off the balcony and dies on the spot.

==Cast==
* [[Shilpa Shukla]] as Sarika
* [[Shadab Kamal]] as Mukesh
* [[Rajesh Sharma (actor)|Rajesh Sharma]] as Khanna
* [[Deepti Naval]] as Mrs.Suhasini
* Vicky Daware as smuggler
* [[Dibyendu Bhattacharya]] as Johnny
* Vanya Joshi
* [[Shikha Joshi]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Who was Shikha Joshi?|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2015/05/who-was-shikha-joshi/|accessdate=18 May 2015|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|date=18 May 2015}}</ref>
* Vijay Kaushik as Phupha ji
* Anula Navlekar as Chotti
* Happy Ranjit as Phd
* Amit Sharma as Amit
* Geeta Aggarwal Sharma as Bua Ji
* Raveena Sharma as Sonu

==Production==
The screenplay was written by Ritesh Shah, based on a short story, ''The Railway Aunty'' by Mohan Sikka, published in 2009 anthology, ''Delhi Noir'' edited by Hirsh Sawhney.<ref name=mint/>

Director Ajay Bahl had two choices for the lead role, [[Richa Chadda]] and [[Shilpa Shukla]], whose work he had liked in ''[[Khamosh Pani]]''. Shukla had recently done ''[[Chak De! India]]'', and since he didn't want to go with a known face, he opted for Chaddha. However, when she was asked to act in ''[[Gangs of Wasseypur]]'', he then suggested that she do that film instead of B.A. Pass, and casted Shukla in the lead role.<ref name=mint/>

This film was mostly shot in the city of [[Delhi]]. It was shot by director-cinematographer Ajay Bahl in the bylanes of [[Paharganj]], [[Barakhamba Road]] and the [[Sarai Rohilla]] area of Delhi, and the principal photography which started in July 2011 in Delhi, after two months devoted to look test, was completed in January 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-17news-interviews/29665938_1_sociology-delhi-social-work |title=Shilpa's BA Pass In Delhi |accessdate=2016-06-27 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=2011-06-17}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The background score was composed by Alokananda Dasgupta.

==Release==
The film was premiered at the 2012 [[Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema]] in Delhi, it was commercially released all over India on 2 August 2013.<ref name=mint>{{cite news |title=Ajay Bahl: 'B.A. Pass' notes:How a short story became a full-length movie|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/HRlchr9Inva54bnin3xbAN/Ajay-Bahl--BA-Pass-notes.html |publisher=Mint |date= 1 June 2013 |accessdate=1 June 2013}}</ref>

==Awards==
At the 2012 [[Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema]], the film won the Best Film Award in the 'Indian competition' section, while debutante Shadab Kamal won the Best Actor award.<ref>{{cite news |title='BA Pass' wins best film award at Osian's-Cinefan festival|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/DontMiss/BA-Pass-wins-best-film-award-at-Osian-s-Cinefan-festival/Article1-908754.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806050211/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/DontMiss/BA-Pass-wins-best-film-award-at-Osian-s-Cinefan-festival/Article1-908754.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 August 2012 |work=Hindustan Times|date=5 August 2012 |accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title="BA Pass" wins best film award at Osian's-Cinefan festival|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ba-pass-wins-best-film-award-at-osianscinefan-festival/984452 |work=Indian Express|date=6 August 2012 |accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref> Later at the 2012 [[Montreal World Film Festival]] the film was part of the 'First Films World Competition',<ref name=mon12>{{cite news |title=B. A. Pass: Dark, racy tale explores the world of male prostitution|author= T’Cha Dunlevy, GAZETTE FILM CRITIC|url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Pass+Dark+racy+tale+explores+world+male+prostitution/7174036/story.html|work=Montreal Gazette|date=31 August 2012 |accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref> where it was nominated for the Golden Zenith for the Best First Fiction Feature Film.

In January 2013, at the first South Asian Film Festival held in Paris it won The Prix Du Public (voted best film by the French Audience).<ref>{{cite news|title=Vazhakku Enn 18/9: Tamil movie wins best film award in Paris |url=http://dearcinema.com/news/ajay-bahl-wins-audience-award-at-saaff-france/1838 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125012258/http://dearcinema.com/news/ajay-bahl-wins-audience-award-at-saaff-france/1838 |archivedate=25 January 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>

*2014 [[Filmfare Awards]]: [[Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress|Best Actress (Critics)]] for ''B.A. Pass'' – [[Shilpa Shukla]]
*2014 Screen Awards: [[Screen Award for Best Villain|Best Actor in a Negative Role (Female)]] for ''B.A. Pass'' – [[Shilpa Shukla]]
*2014 [[Screen Awards]]: [[Screen Award for Best Story]] for ''B.A. Pass'' – Mohan Sikka

==See also==
* [[Prostitution in India]]
==Sequels==
The film has two indirect sequels:
* ''[[B.A. Pass 2]]'' (2017)
* ''[[B.A. Pass 3]]'' (2021)

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* ''Delhi Noir (Akashic noir series)'', ed. Hirsh Sawhney. Akashic Books, 2009. {{ISBN|193335478X}}.

==External links==
* {{IMDb movie}}
* {{BH movie|b-a-pass}}

[[Category:2012 films]]
[[Category:Indian erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Delhi]]
[[Category:Films about prostitution in India]]
[[Category:Films set in Delhi]]
[[Category:Films about male prostitution]]
[[Category:Films based on short fiction]]
[[Category:Indian neo-noir films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ritesh Shah]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2012 directorial debut films]]

B.A. Pass - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot at 00:56, 9 August 2021