Vaa Vaathiyaar
Vaa Vaathiyaar is a 2026 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Nalan Kumarasamy. Produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under Studio Green, the film stars Karthi as a man who finds himself clashing with his grandfather's expectations of him after being raised as the reincarnation of M. G. Ramachandran. The cast also includes Krithi Shetty, Sathyaraj, Rajkiran, Anandaraj, Shilpa Manjunath, Karunakaran, G. M. Sundar, Ramesh Thilak, P. L. Thenappan and Nivas Adithan.
The film was officially announced in October 2023 under the tentative title Karthi 26, as it is the actor's 26th film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced in May 2024. Principal photography took place across almost two years from March 2023 to February 2025, predominantly in Chennai. The film has music composed by Santhosh Narayanan, cinematography handled by George C. Williams and editing by Vetre Krishnan.
After facing several delays due to legal and financial issues, Vaa Vaathiyaar was released on 14 January 2026, on the occasion of Pongal. The film received mixed to negative reviews.
Plot
Vaa Vaathiyaar revolves around Rameshwaran "Ramu", a man believed by his grandfather to be the spiritual successor of legendary Tamil actor and former Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran, fondly called Vaathiyaar. Ramu is born on the very day MGR dies, which convinces his grandfather that the child carries the soul and responsibility of the iconic leader. From a young age, Ramu is raised on MGR's ideals of justice, compassion, discipline, and service to the common people.As Ramu grows up, the burden of this imposed legacy begins to weigh heavily on him. Despite his reluctance, he follows a path of authority and becomes a police officer, initially attempting to live up to the values instilled in him. However, exposure to systemic corruption, political manipulation, and personal ambition gradually lead him astray. He begins compromising his principles, aligning himself with powerful but morally questionable figures, and indulging in the very practices he once despised.
Parallel to Ramu's moral decline is the rise of a mysterious hacker collective that disrupts public systems and exposes corruption, creating chaos across the city. While the group claims to act in the public interest, their methods are reckless and dangerous. Ramu is assigned to investigate them, placing him at the center of a conflict that mirrors his own internal struggle between righteousness and self-interest.
Ramu's personal life further complicates matters. His grandfather grows increasingly disillusioned as he witnesses Ramu drifting away from the ideals of Vaathiyaar. The emotional distance between them becomes symbolic of Ramu's betrayal of the legacy he was meant to uphold. Meanwhile, events force Ramu to confront the uncomfortable truth that he has become no different from the corrupt forces he once fought against.
As the story progresses, the hacker group's actions unintentionally lead to civilian harm, triggering a turning point for Ramu. Realizing that both blind vigilantism and corrupt authority can destroy society, he finally acknowledges his moral failure. A series of confrontations — both physical and emotional — push him toward redemption.
In the climax, Ramu exposes the corrupt nexus within the system while also dismantling the hacker group, choosing accountability over power. He publicly accepts responsibility for his own wrongdoing, even at the cost of his career. In doing so, he finally honors the spirit — rather than the myth — of Vaathiyaar.
The film ends with Ramu stepping away from his position of authority, no longer claiming to be MGR's successor, but determined to live by the values his grandfather taught him. The final scenes emphasise that true leadership does not come from inherited legacy or idolisation, but from personal integrity and the courage to correct one's mistakes.
Cast
Production
Development
In late July 2018, Nalan Kumarasamy, who had collaborated with Studio Green for Soodhu Kavvum and Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum, was reported to have been hired to direct a venture under the production house. The script work was reportedly progressing and the project would start once the work finished. In mid July 2020, the project was reported to star Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role, collaborating with Nalan for the third time after the mentioned. However, in mid February 2021, Arya was reported play the lead role. It was reported that Arya would be seen in a never seen before avatar and the genre would be new to the industry. The project was reported to commence filming after Arya finished filming his film Enemy. In the meantime, Nalan reportedly continued script works.It was then later reported to commence in November, however, the sources were dismissed as no reports were until, in early January 2023, Karthi was reported to star in the lead role. In mid February, the filming was reported to began in the first week of March and would star Gayatri Badwaraj in the lead role alongside Karthi. Krithi Shetty joined the cast in March. In early October, Sathyaraj was announced playing a role in the film. On 25 October, on the occasion of Kumarasamy's birthday, the project was officially announced by the producers. Anandaraj was confirmed playing a role in the film, as he was seen in the still that was released. Santhosh Narayanan, Leo John Paul and George C. Williams were announced as composer, editor and cinematographer for the film, respectively. The film serves as a tribute to actor/politician M. G. Ramachandran.
Filming
commenced on 27 March 2023, with the first schedule in Chennai. Although filming was nearly complete by June 2024, it wrapped by February 2025.Music
The music and background score is composed by Santhosh Narayanan, in his third collaboration with Nalan after Soodhu Kavvum and Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum ; third with Karthi after Madras and Kaashmora. The audio rights were acquired by Think Music India. The first single "Uyir Pathikaama" was released on 14 February 2025. The second single titled "Aalapikkey Ummak" was released on 27 November 2025. The third single titled "Mu Dha La Li" was released on 2 December 2025.Marketing
The first look poster, released on 25 May 2024, revealed the film's title. The teaser trailer was released on 13 November 2024, a day prior to the release of Studio Green's Kanguva, to enable it to be screened in theatres along with the film.Release
Theatrical
Vaa Vaathiyaar was theatrically released on 14 January 2026, on the occasion of Pongal. Apart from the original Tamil language, it was planned to have a dubbed Telugu version titled Annagaru Vostaru.The film was initially planned to release during the week of Pongal in 2025, but was later postponed to 5 December the same year. However, in early December, the Madras High Court issued a stay on the film's release due to the producer's pending loans. Amidst this, the makers announced a new date of 12 December. A day before the scheduled date, it was postponed indefinitely as the loans remained unpaid. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that the makers were aiming to release the film on 24 December—the death date of M. G. Ramachandran—intending to resolve the financial matters by then. However, the Supreme Court of India later upheld the Madras High Court's ban on the film, dismissing Studio Green's appeal to overturn it. Despite this, the production company announced a Pongal release for 14 January 2026 on 10 January, while the loans were repaid in full, allowing the film's release.
Distribution
Sakthi Film Factory acquired the Tamil Nadu distribution rights of the film. The distribution rights for Kerala were bought by Sree Gokulam Movies, while it was released in Karnataka by Think Studios through VK Films.The overseas distribution rights were acquired by Phars Film. Distributing themselves in the Gulf Cooperation Council, they sold the USA rights to Prathyangira Cinemas, Malaysia rights to DMY Creations, Canada rights to York Cinemas, and Australia, New Zealand and Singapore rights to Home Screen Entertainment.
Due to the short interval between the confirmation of the film's release on 14 January and its scheduled release date, several overseas territories, including the United States, were unable to secure screening slots in time and were therefore compelled to postpone the release by a few days.
Home media
The post-theatrical digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film began streaming there from 28 January 2026.Reception
Critical response
Vaa Vaathiyaar received mixed reviews from critics.M Suganth of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vaa Vaathiyaar shows that in this age of hyper-masculine action — and even romantic — films, it's still possible to make a rousing commercial entertainer with a star without relying on guns and gratuitous bloodshed." Janani K of India Today gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vaa Vaathiyaar is a film with a fascinating concept that ultimately plays it safe. Nalan Kumarasamy's vision is evident in the quirky characters and unique setup, but the execution doesn't match the ambition." Anusha Sundar of OTT Play gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vaa Vaathiyaar has an honest and charming Karthi, who executes the vision of Nalan Kumarasamy to the best of his capabilities. But on paper, Nalan Kumarasamy misses out on carving the details and niches his films are known for."
Avinash Ramachandran of Cinema Express gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Despite having a fantastical element at the centre of things, Vaa Vaathiyaar is Nalan's most simplistic and straightforward film." Latha Srinivasan of NDTV gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote " Nalan Kumarasamy's writing is what has failed the film and his attempt to combine the MGR-Nambiar personalities and psychology, doesn't succeed. Vaa Vaathiyaar is a film that rests solely on Karthi's performance instead of building up on Nalan Kumarasamy's masterful screenplay and that's a letdown." Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "While Indian 2 had that so-bad-it's-good quality, the Karthi-starrer is simply unimpressive and thus doesn't even qualify for an entertaining hate-watch." Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "Karthi's superheroic tribute to MGR fails to build up on its promising set-up and ends up as a hotchpotch masala entertainer that lacks ambition and flavour."