Vaa Vaathiyaar (U/A)
14/Jan/2026 Comedy, Drama 2hrs 09mins

2.50

A solid idea wasted in execution!

A refreshing vigilante aspect with MGR in the foreground, the quirks work well. But writing falters with no detailing in the story. Nalan has misinterpreted the meaning of commercial cinema by packing it with needless songs and pointless repetitive action.(more)

Source: Ashwin Ram, MovieCrow

3.00

A fond, funky & fun throwback to old-school masala films

The film would have been even better with a stronger villain. The film initially builds up Periyasamy to be ruthless and powerful, and with someone of Sathyaraj's calibre playing this role, we expect more only to be deceived in the end. There's also some build up to Nivas, a rival cop, who's keen on...(more)

Source: Suganth, Times Of India

2.50

A Film That Rests Solely On Karthi's Performance

The movie becomes a star-driven masala film as compared to his earlier works where we saw layered motivations in the main characters that were meshed beautifully through the writing. Vaa Vaathiyaar is a film that rests solely on Karthi's performance instead of building up on Nalan Kumarasamy's maste...(more)

Source: Latha Srinivasan, NDTV Movies

2.00

Karthi, Nalan Kumarasamy whip a stale 'Anniyan' redux

Vaa Vaathiyaar isn't a tribute worth reawakening the spirit of the puratchi thalaivar. If anything, what's truly fascinating about this exercise is the idea that an actor, known for playing vigilantes in films, has, in a way, done the same after nearly 40 years since his death. The legacy lives on.(more)

Source: BHUVANESH CHANDAR, The Hindu

2.50

An effective Karthi shoulders an uncharacteristic Nalan film

Yes, we already have a Maaveeran and Tughlaq Darbar in Tamil, and even a Lage Raho Munna Bhai in Hindi, dealing with a powerful inner voice altering the course of the life of the protagonist. But the disappointing aspect of Vaa Vaathiyaar is the presence of a promise that gets withered away at the a...(more)

Source: Avinash Ramachandran, CinemaExpress.com

1.50

Karthi's shoddy vigilante film makes Indian Thatha look cool

Vaa Vaathiyaar is simply unimpressive and thus doesn�t even qualify for an entertaining hate-watch. If anything, Vaa Vaathiyaar just makes Indian Thatha look slightly cooler, as at least the latter became a big jok(more)

Source: Anandu Suresh, Indian Express