Vada Chennai

Plot

1987: Sentil, Guna & Thambi

Guna, "Jawa" Pazhani, Velu, and Senthil kill a "high profile" crime boss at a restaurant in North Madras (Madras is the former name of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India). Senthil requests Guna and Velu to surrender for the murder while he bails them out. A year later, the pair is still in prison, which creates a deep rift between them and Senthil, despite Mani and Thambi, the crime boss's younger brother intervening.

2000: Anbu, Senthil and the Jail

The new warden of the Madras central prison plans to weed out all nefarious activities in the prison, which are being controlled by Senthil from the 7th block. Senthil sells drugs worth millions every month in a very elaborate manner, and never steps out of the 7th block, fearing for his life from Guna's men in the 11th block. Anbu and Velu's brother Siva is brought into the prison for fighting. Anbu saves one of Senthil's henchmen Raju, from being killed by Siva. Anbu is placed in the 11th block under Velu and Mani. During a raid, Anbu gives away a mobile phone belonging to Mani and is almost killed for doing so, before being saved by the warden. He is shown to have saved his right hand from any injury, while being attacked.

1991: Anbu, Carrom, & Padma

Anbu, a 20 year-old skilled carrom player, whose friend Siva often gets him to play bet matches. On the night Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated, the entire hamlet where Anbu lives loots nearby shops and makes away with various goods. A masked girl steals a sewing machine from Anbu, but he lets her go. The next morning, the local cops, along with Thambi, arrive to recover the stolen goods. Despite having his goods returned, the shopkeeper is keen on filing a complaint against Anbu, as he had hit him the previous night under the pretext of not returning the sewing machine. In turn, Anbu goes and accosts the girl Padma, but she refuses to return it. Anbu gets beaten up by the shopkeeper and loses badly in that year's carrom tournament. Anbu and Padma begin a relationship, during the course of which Anbu saves Guna from contract killers during a festival. The killers reveal that they are Senthil's men and things only worsen between Guna and Senthil.

2000: Raju helps Anbu shift to the 7th block after he cleverly smuggles in contraband for Raju. Meanwhile, Senthil is still trying to harbour political aspirations through a local politician named Muthu, who is also in prison.

1996: Anbu, Padma, & Pazhani

Pazhani teases Padma after she and Anbu are caught kissing. Pazhani also beats up Padma's brother Kannan. Anbu goes to speak to Pazhani, but is beaten up as well. After no one is willing to help him, Anbu and Kannan go back with weapons belonging to Guna's brother to threaten him, but end up killing Pazhani. Pazhani's men chase the two, but they escapes without being identified.

2000: Anbu requests Senthil to organise a carrom tournament for the prisoners, which will also help Senthil to make peace with the strict prison chief and also promote his political aspirations. The tournament is conducted throughout the prison. Senthil, Siva and Anbu all proceed to the knock-out semi-finals. The final two rounds of the tournament are held in the common prison courtyard, which implies that Senthil must come out. Velu and Mani try to utilise the opportunity to kill Senthil and heavily arm their boys. Senthil is alerted and gets ready to kill his assassins with their own weapons. However, Senthil's right thumb is injured accidentally, and he withdraws from the tournament. Anbu and Siva proceed to the finals and Anbu requests Senthil to be present for the finals to raise morale. Senthil agrees and arrives to watch the final. Seconds after Anbu wins the final, the tournament tent is collapsed and two gangs clash. Senthil is able to aptly defend himself. However, Anbu stabs Senthil in the neck with a wooden shard broken from the carrom board, leaving him heavily injured and paralysed for life. Raju is the only witness, but doesn't talk as Anbu spared his life from Siva earlier. Later, Anbu explains to Raju about his loyalty towards Guna.

1996: Anbu, Guna, & Chandra

After Anbu and Kannan eliminate Pazhani, Thambi arranges for them to be sheltered by Guna. While Guna initially plans to send the two men far away for their safety, his wife Chandra persuades him to instead send his own brother, Shankar, to prison in Anbu’s place arguing that the move would benefit everyone involved. Guna agrees, and Anbu and Kannan are placed on boats and sent into hiding. Within two days, Shankar is murdered in prison by Senthil while engaged in a compromising act with Raju. Devastated and guilt-ridden, Anbu vows his loyalty to Guna for life. Later, as Senthil seeks to secure a party leadership position, he surrenders to the authorities and proposes a truce with Guna. However, Guna soon discovers that Senthil has secretly submitted both his and Velu’s names to the police hit list. Meanwhile, Anbu approaches Padma's family to request her hand in marriage. Her father refuses, but with Kannan’s help, Anbu brings Padma to his home regardless. Simultaneously, Guna summons Anbu and outlines a plan for him to enter prison, gain Senthil’s trust, and ultimately eliminate him.

2000: Anbu is bailed out of prison by Guna, but tells him that he does not want to work for Guna and wants to hone carrom players instead. Anbu then marries Padma.

2003: At a coming-of-age ceremony for Thambi's daughter, a road contractor requests Guna and Senthil to come together to help in evicting people from Anbu's hamlet with the promise of houses and jobs. Anbu's friend Hameed, a bank officer, has petitioned against the project, and Guna requests Anbu's help to talk to Hameed. Later, Anbu then tells everything to Padma, including Rajan's story and how he had fought for the local people.

1987: Anbu, Rajan, and the Hood

Rajan is the biggest smuggler in North Madras and works for Muthu, who is the MLA of that area. Muthu requests Rajan's help with clearing out the hamlets for a road project, which was initiated for the Pope's visit. Rajan stands against Muthu and vows to protect his hood and stops his smuggling activities. He also marries Chandra. Seeing that Rajan will not help him, Muthu informs the cops about his smuggling activities. When the cops arrive, Rajan kidnaps the ACP and refuses to leave him until the road project is called off. Rajan is hailed as a hero in the hood for stopping the project. When the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MGR dies, Rajan arrives at his funeral.

Meanwhile, Muthu instigates Senthil to smuggle contraband using college students of their area, and then tips the police, leading to the youngster getting arrested. Senthil, Guna, Velu and Pazhani are beaten up and publicly humiliated by Rajan for working against his wishes, and they hence plot Rajan's death. That night, they get Thambi to call Rajan to a hotel where Rajan tells them that he will help them become big. He tells that he has arranged for release of the boys and he bet them just to pacify the families of those boys. They are hesitant to kill him, but when their plot gets revealed, they hack Rajan (the dead man from the opening scene) to death. While dying, Rajan requests Thambi to refrain from doing anything and let things be.

2003: At the meeting with the road contractor, Anbu makes a stand for the people of the hood and refuses to endorse the project. Enraged that Anbu went up against him, Guna lets Senthil's brother-in-law Kumar, a police officer, know that it was Anbu who stabbed Senthil. Chandra then reveals that how she was behind everything that happened. She had sent men to kill Guna during the festival, but Anbu saved him. She decides to marry Guna and to use him to help kill the other three involved in Rajan's death. She added Guna and Velu's names to the hit list and drives a wedge between Guna and Velu. She gets Guna to leave the hood with her and sends Rajan's men to protect Anbu from Kumar. Kumar finds Anbu, but is heavily beaten and warned by him.

Anbu then traps Guna and Chandra as they leave the hood and warns Guna to leave him and hood alone. Chandra secretly gives Rajan's old home to Anbu, who takes up Rajan's cause of fighting for the people.

Cast

• Dhanush as Anbu, a skilled carrom player and Padma's husband
• Andrea Jeremiah as Chandra, Rajan's widow and Guna's wife
• Ameer as Rajan, a prominent local fishermen and Chandra's husband
• Samuthirakani as Guna, a member of Rajan's gang and Chandra's second husband
• Daniel Balaji as Thambi, Rajan's younger brother
• Kishore as Senthil, a member of Rajan's gang
• Pawan as Velu, a member of Rajan's gang and Siva's elder brother
• Aishwarya Rajesh as Padma, Anbu's wife
• Subathra Robert as Sudha, Senthil's wife
• Sai Dheena as "Jawa" Pazhani, Rajan's gang member
• Radha Ravi as Muthu, a politician and Rajan's ex-boss
• Subramaniam Siva as Mani, who works alongside Velu and Anbu
• Vincent Asokan as ACP
• Rajesh Sharma as Chanchal
• Saran Shakthi as Kannan, Padma's younger brother
• Hari Krishnan as Raju, Senthil's henchman
• Pavel Navageethan as Siva, Velu's younger brother
• Ragavendhar as Rasigan
• Munnar Ramesh as Rajan's friend
• G. Marimuthu as a doctor
• Sampath Ram as a police officer
• Sendrayan as Locality resident (cameo appearance)

Production

Origin

Vetrimaaran developed the story of Vada Chennai in 2003 when he met an unnamed person in the streets of North Chennai, to narrate a script about bike theft, in which he tried to explore about gangsterism and the rise and fall of mafia gangs in North Chennai. But he later decided to work on Polladhavan (2007), with Dhanush in the lead, and then, on Aadukalam (2011). During the production of Aadukalam, Vetrimaaran simultaneously scripted and modified the project. It was announced that Karthi signed the film, in October 2009. In February 2010, it was revealed that the film would see Karthi, play the lead role of a fisherman, who is drawn into a mafia gang, unwillingly. Dayanidhi Azhagiri was confirmed to produce the project, under Cloud Nine Movies, and Anushka Shetty, was announced as the female lead, who would play a Marwari girl. However, talks with Karthi fell through, after the film went through delays. In July 2010, Vetrimaaran revealed that discussions were being held with three other actors, to replace Karthi in the lead role. The film made news, without an official announcement, over the next year. Following the huge success of Aadukalam, Vetrimaaran began considering other scripts, instead.

In October 2011, the producers announced that the film would re-start soon and feature Silambarasan, as the main lead, in place of Karthi. Rana Daggubati and Kishore were cast in other pivotal roles, with Vetrimaaran adding that the story of Vada Chennai was first written in 2003, and that he took notes from the first script, to make his other two films. Vetrimaaran's usual team, consisting of cinematographer Velraj, editor Kishore T.E., art director Jacki, and music director G. V. Prakash Kumar, from Polladhavan and Aadukalam, were retained and confirmed to be part of the main crew. The director confirmed that Andrea Jeremiah would also play a pivotal supporting role. Divya Spandana, who previously worked with Vetrimaaran in Polladhavan, was approached for a role in January 2012, but she did not sign the film. In a turn of events, Rana Daggubati opted out of the film, in February 2012, citing date issues and the delay of the film. Furthermore, it was alleged that the delay of the film had also irked Silambarasan, with reports suggesting that Jiiva would replace him, if Silambarasan walked out of the project. In April 2012, Dayanidhi Azhagiri announced that the project was postponed and announced that Vetrimaaran would move on to make another film for his production house, with Dhanush in the lead. Vetrimaaran subsequently contemplated making several different projects with the actor in the lead, before beginning filming for Soodhadhi in March 2014. Months into production, the film was postponed, like Vada Chennai.

Development

In May 2015, Dhanush revealed that he would produce and feature in Vada Chennai, and that the venture would restart production, in September 2015. Samantha and Andrea Jeremiah were revealed to be among the lead actresses, while Santhosh Narayanan would be the film's composer, after Dhanush had fallen out with G. V. Prakash Kumar. Also, G. B. Venkatesh, who assisted Kishore Te on Visaranai (2016), was roped in as the film editor, after the latter's unfortunate demise, due to his health problems. The start of the project was postponed until 2016, as Dhanush had to complete his outstanding projects, first. In August 2015, Vetrimaaran announced that Vada Chennai will be made into two-parts, citing Anurag Kashyap's advice to split the film into two, similar to his Gangs of Wasseypur films. Dhanush decided to allot more than 200 days for his role, for both the parts. However, with Lyca Productions's inclusion in the project, the film was extended into a trilogy. Unlike his previous films which were inspired by other works, including novels and films, Vada Chennai is an original and fictional representation revolving around gangsters in North Chennai.

In late 2015, the team held talks with Jiiva and Vijay Sethupathi, again, for portraying other pivotal characters in the film, though neither of them signed the project. Samuthirakani and Daniel Balaji were subsequently signed on to portray other pivotal roles. Likewise several actors who have previously worked on Vetrimaaran's films such as Kishore, Karunas and Pawan, joined the cast during June 2016. Before the film's shoot started, Samantha opted out of the film citing schedule conflicts, and was replaced by Amala Paul in the lead female role. Vijay Sethupathi also agreed to portray an extended cameo in the film, with Dhanush announcing his inclusion during July 2016. However, owing to a delay in the film's shooting, both Vijay Sethupathi and Amala Paul exited the project, with the pair being replaced by Ameer and Aishwarya Rajesh. Before Sethupathi's replacement with Ameer, it was reported that he left the project due to scripting and call-sheet issues, and Vetrimaaran decided to rope in Telugu actor, Ravi Teja, for the role, as he was impressed with the script and role. However, he also could not take up the role, due to his ongoing projects in Telugu films.

Pre-production

Art director Jacki, worked on the film's production design. The set design for Vada Chennai began nearly six years ago and before the beginning of the production, Jacki designed huge sets resembling the Central Jail and had made the team cost . The team initially decided to shoot the portions of the film in a real jail set in Rajamahendravaram, but as the prison portions may become lengthy during the course of the film, they decided to construct a huge set resembling the Madras Central Prison at the Binny Mills in Chennai. He visited the original location and also met a prisoner from Madras Prison to give inputs for the location. The construction initially planned for 43 days, was completed within 40 days. Later, the team had erected another set resembling the Nagoorar Thottam and for that design, the team had spent 20 days. Then, as most of the film being set in the slum area, the team did a miniature model of the design which they planned to replicate in real. To reflect the timeline change (1970–2000), the team went through an extensive research and collected every minute details of the products, including furnitures, materials, home appliances, posters, cigarettes, advertisements and essentials used, which the team had considered as "the biggest challenge". Amritha Ram worked on the costumes for the film. A report from Sify claimed that the film is the "costliest film ever made in Dhanush's career" as Jacki had stated that the work on the production design escalated the costs in the film.

Filming

The film's production began on 22 June 2016, after multiple postponements. The first schedule of the shooting was held at a huge set resembling the Madras Central Prison which was erected at Binny Mills in Chennai. The shoot continued throughout mid-2016 in North Chennai for thirty days, with scenes depicting the 1970s shot. The production was briefly delayed as Vetrimaaran sought to get his previous film, Visaranai, ready for nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, which prompted Dhanush to move on to work on his other projects: his directorial debut Pa. Pandi, Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 and his international debut film, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir. The break between schedules also meant that Vetrimaaran began pre-production work on another film starring G. V. Prakash Kumar, which he would make following the completion of the first part of Vada Chennai. However, it was revealed that Vetrimaaran was not ready to work simultaneously on the three parts of the film and reported that they may take a break in-between the production of the trilogy, where Dhanush and Vetrimaaran planned for three-to-four films in the process.

The second filming schedule began in April 2017 in Royapuram, Chennai, and progressed for 30 days. However, the shooting further affected as Dhanush had worked on The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir. It was revealed that the team had completed 90% of the shooting within late-June 2017, and only 10–15 days of shooting left. But during the film's production, Dhanush also prioritised to work on the long delayed Gautham Menon's project Enai Noki Paayum Thota and Maari 2, which escalated the film's delay. Later, Dhanush decided to work on both the projects simultaneously, in order to complete the shoots of both the films within time. The filming was completed within February 2018.

Themes and influences

Vada Chennai explores a wide array of themes rooted in the socio-political underbelly of North Chennai. At its core, the film deals with the moral ambiguity of its characters, showing how individuals are often shaped by their environments rather than innate intentions. Dhanush's character, Anbu, is not a traditional hero; instead, he is someone who gets pulled into the world of crime due to circumstance, survival, and personal loss. This aligns with director Vetrimaaran’s long-standing interest in portraying anti-heroes navigating morally grey terrains, as seen in his earlier works like Visaranai and Aadukalam.

The film also reflects themes of power, caste, and political betrayal. The gang wars are not merely personal vendettas but are interwoven with the shifting political landscape of Tamil Nadu during the late 1980s and early 2000s. The influence of real-life politics is unmistakable, with characters modeled loosely on real gangsters and political fixers who operated in Chennai’s slums during that period. Vetrimaaran uses archival footage and references to actual events to ground the narrative in realism, lending historical texture to the crime saga.

Another central theme is identity especially in terms of geography and community. North Chennai is not just a setting but a character in itself. The film immerses viewers into the region's unique slang, culture, and power dynamics. It brings to screen the fishermen community, auto drivers, carrom players, and jail politics, all forming a microcosm of a marginalized but vibrant society. Vetrimaaran himself stated that Vada Chennai is an attempt to narrate a history from the perspective of the people who have never had a voice in mainstream Tamil cinema.

Cinematically, Vada Chennai is heavily influenced by Italian mafia epics such as The Godfather trilogy and American crime dramas like Goodfellas and City of God. However, it localizes those influences effectively, adapting them to the Tamil cultural and political landscape. The narrative’s non-linear storytelling, gradual reveal of betrayals, and morally complex characters all mirror the structure of these international classics, but with an unmistakably regional flavor.

Moreover, the film critiques the systemic exploitation of the urban poor through land acquisition and political manipulation. The conflict over the Muthu Bridge symbolizes the larger issue of urban development at the cost of working-class communities a recurring issue in Chennai’s history. This theme is not just visual but structural, as the entire story revolves around who controls land, labor, and narrative. In that sense, Vada Chennai is not just a gangster epic but a social document, reflecting decades of transformation in the urban margins of South India.

Music

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Marketing and release

Vetrimaaran worked on the post-production of Vada Chennai, assembling the final cut of the film during mid-May 2018. In June 2018, the makers confirmed that Vada Chennai will be released theatrically on the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi (13 September 2018). The teaser trailer for the film was unveiled on the occasion of Dhanush's birthday (28 July 2018) and received positive response from fans. Furthermore, celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan and Anurag Kashyap praised Dhanush and Vetrimaaran's work in the teaser. The makers unveiled a set of posters featuring the lead characters starting from 6 August 2018. In mid-August, Dhanush announced that Vada Chennai, will be released worldwide on 17 October 2018, coinciding the Dusshera weekend. The film was premiered at the Pingyao International Film Festival in China before the theatrical release, and also premiered at the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala in November 2018. The merchandise of Vada Chennai, was launched by Cover It Up and Fully Filmy on 15 October 2018, as a part of the film's promotion.

Four days before the theatrical release, the film was sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), where it received an A certificate, due to "raw and gritty violence". Scenes where dialogues mentioning and referring to the former Chief ministers J. Jayalalithaa, M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, where removed from the film, as it was considered defaming the politicians. Post-release, the film drew criticism for allegedly portraying the residents of North Chennai in a bad light. The film also drew controversies from fisherfolk community, because of a love-making scene between Ameer and Andrea was pictured in a boat, which was considered to be offensive for the community. Director Vetrimaaran, in a video statement, apologised to anyone who may have been hurt by the film. Then the director agreed to remove the offensive scenes from the film.

Reception

Box office

In the first day of theatrical release, Vada Chennai earned from the Chennai city box-office and in over 300 screens. The film gained $48,840 ( lakh) from the premiere shows screened in United States on 16 October, a day before the Indian release. The film further earned from the second day at Chennai box-office, and had collected worldwide. Within the third day, the film earned at the worldwide box-office, tallying its three-day collection to . During its theatrical run in the weekends, the film enjoyed good footfalls and had collected within two days, adding its worldwide collection to . The film grossed in Karnataka, in rest of India, and at the overseas centres (combined collections in United States, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and other centres). Within two weeks of its release, the film earned at the worldwide box office, surpassing Velaiilla Pattadhari to emerge the highest-grossing Tamil film of Dhanush's career, until its record was broken by Asuran, another film directed by Vetrimaaran. In addition, the film crossed the crore-mark at the Chennai box office.

Critical response

Vada Chennai received critical acclaim, with critics praising its plot, action sequences, technical aspects and cast performances.

Janani K, a critic from India Today gave a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vada Chennai has everything you look for in a gangster thriller. But Vetri Maaran's display of twists and turns will win you over." Manoj Kumar. R of The Indian Express gave 5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vada Chennai is the closest you can get to unforgiving underworld filled with insecurity, revenge, destiny, rage and insatiable urge for bloodshed. It is not the story that stands out in Vada Chennai. It is how beautifully Vetrimaaran has captured the lifestyle of a place, which is so close and yet so far away from the advancement of modern civilization."

Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute wrote "From the colourful curses of the street to each of the characters, the film gives us a very real glimpse of gang wars. Vetrimaaran-Dhanush delivers a brilliant gangster film." Srivatsan S of The Hindu wrote "The obvious political overtones that have been built throughout will have its relevance in part two. If anything, Vada Chennai reiterates why Vetri Maaran is a master storyteller." Priyanka Sundar of Hindustan Times stated the film Vada Chennai, the first part of a three-part film, "is complete in itself speaks for director’s Vetrimaaran’s execution style". She further called it as a "bloody brilliant film laced with some bone chilling moments accompanied with ingenious music". Anupama Subramanian of Deccan Chronicle gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote:

M. Suganth of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The sprawling nature of the narrative and the various events that impact the lives of the numerous characters make Vada Chennai truly an epic." Sreedhar Pillai of Firstpost gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vada Chennai is another feather on Vetrimaaran’s cap though not in the same league as his earlier films. The way he has built into the story, the rise of gangsters and thrown in political allegories is brutally honest. It also shows how politicians and the slum lords, in the name of development and welfare of the people, are similar in their opportunistic approach and selfish interests." He gave the film three-and-a-half out of five stars.

Sify gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vada Chennai takes its time to unfold, and you may enjoy if you muster the patience for it. Give it a chance, watch it for some excellent acting and for its gritty realistic feel." Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "Dhanush's ascent to stardom has come alongside his growth as an actor, and there’s not one scene where he makes us doubt his character's actions. The actors are so good (Ameer is a standout) and the film's parts are so much greater than the whole that savouring them becomes its own kind of satisfaction. With his outstanding cinematographer Velraj, Vetrimaaran unleashes one flamboyant scene after another."

Accolades

Legacy

Director Anurag Kashyap also heaped praise on the direction and screenplay, calling it as "an original gangster film". Directors Gautham Vasudev Menon and Vineeth Sreenivasan too praised the film, the latter called Vetrimaaran as the director "needed to be celebrated". Kashyap also had the first cut of the film, along with other Tamil films being preserved in his library. In a May 2021 interview with Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, Vetrimaaran revealed about his voice-over used in the opening narrations, and said that "when the film's release date was nearing, he could not trim the film to the desired duration, so he came up with the idea of voice over only three days before the film's release date". A dialogue from the film "Senthil, Guna, Velu, Thambi ivanga ellarum Anbu vaazhkaiyoda inaikkuradhu Rajan dhan" (), has been used widely in internet memes.

Future

Post Vada Chennai's success, many sources claimed about the sequel of the film, after Dhanush and Vetrimaaran collaborated for Asuran (2019). In July 2019, there were reports being surfaced that the sequel of the film will be shelved, Dhanush clarified that the sequel will progress. It was reported that the sequel will be made into a streaming series format instead of a feature film, as Vetrimaaran revealed that "some of the events including the 2004 Tsunami and other political incidents, had to be shown and this may overshoot the proposed budget", hence he decided to make the sequel into a digital format. Vetrimaaran also revealed that he planned the first film into a streaming series instead of making into a feature.

Spin-off

''Rajan Vagaiyaraa''

Rajan Vagaiyaraa () was initially conceived by Vetrimaaran as a prequel to Vada Chennai, focusing on the life of Rajan, played by Ameer. Vetrimaaran stated in interviews that he was deeply fascinated by the character and originally intended to develop a standalone web series. Extensive flashback sequences featuring Rajan were shot during Vada Chennai's production. While only some were used in the final cut, the remaining footage, edited into a narrative exceeding two hours, was compiled as a separate film titled Rajan Vagaiyaraa. As of 2025, the film remains unreleased. In March 2021, it was reported that the prequel might resume development following Vetrimaaran's other commitments (Viduthalai Part 1 and Part 2, and Vaadivaasal).

''Arasan''

In June 2025, Vetrimaaran began production on a film starring Silambarasan tentatively titled STR49 which is set in the same universe as Vada Chennai. G. V. Prakash Kumar was initially brought onboard as the film's composer but he was subsequently replaced by Anirudh Ravichander. Andrea Jeremiah, Samuthirakani and Kishore, who were associated with the original film, were cast to reprise their roles, with Vijay Sethupathi joining the cast by playing the antagonist in this film. The film is being co-produced by Silambarasan under his newly formed production company, Atman Cine Arts. The glimpse of the film was released on 16 October 2025, coinciding with Anirudh’s birthday. The film's shooting is set to begin from 08 December 2025.

Notes

References

References

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27. (19 April 2012). "Vetri Maaran puts 'Vada Chennai' on hold; next with Dhanush".
28. (18 March 2014). "Will the Dhanush – Vetri Maaran duo strike gold at the National Awards again?".
29. (21 May 2012). "Vada Chennai not shelved ' Vetrimaran". [[The Times of India]].
30. Karthik, Janani. (23 May 2015). "Vetri Maaran-Dhanush to revive Vada Chennai?".
31. (24 May 2015). "Dhanush, Vetrimaaran team up for third time". [[Business Standard]].
32. Balachandran, Logesh. (7 February 2016). "Andrea in Dhanush's Vada Chennai".
33. Sundar, Mrinalini. (14 February 2016). "Andrea, on the love of her life". [[The Times of India]].
34. "Dhanush chooses Santhosh Narayanan for Kodi".
35. (9 April 2015). "GV Prakash doesn't want to work with Dhanush!".
36. (13 February 2016). "Interrogating the auteur".
37. (2015-08-16). "Vada Chennai: Dhanush and Vetrimaaran to make a two-part film".
38. (17 August 2015). "Vada Chennai: Anurag Kashyap {{as written".
39. (17 August 2015). "Vetrimaaran's two-part film inspired by Anurag Kashyap". [[The Hindu]].
40. (27 August 2015). "Vada Chennai: Dhanush allots 200 days for the Vetrimaaran directorial".
41. (26 August 2015). "IF IT'S PULI FOR VIJAY, IS IT VADA CHENNAI FOR DHANUSH?".
42. (26 August 2015). "Dhanush to set aside 200 days for 'Vada Chennai'". Business Standard India.
43. Naig, Udhav. (6 September 2015). "Lyca Productions making a comeback". [[The Hindu]].
44. (9 April 2016). "Lyca teams up with Dhanush and Vetrimaran Again".
45. (29 October 2018). "From Polladhavan to Vada Chennai, how Vetrimaaran became one of Tamil cinema's most celebrated filmmakers".
46. (23 December 2015). "WoW ! Dhanush, Jiiva & Vijay Sethupathi in a Multistarrer".
47. Karthik, Janani. (24 December 2015). "Will Jiiva juggle his dates for Vetri Maaran?".
48. "Samuthirakani, Daniel Balaji in 'Vada Chennai'".
49. (4 July 2016). "Noted 'Polladhavan' actors in Vetrimaaran's 'Vada Chennai'".
50. (12 July 2016). "Samantha Ruth Prabhu no longer part of Vada Chennai".
51. (July 2016). "Vada Chennai: Samantha not part of the trilogy anymore?".
52. (9 July 2016). "Vada Chennai: Amala Paul to replace Samantha in the upcoming trilogy?".
53. (2016-07-15). "Confirmed: Vijay Sethupathi plays an extended cameo in Vada Chennai".
54. (28 March 2017). "The reason why Vijay Sethupathi walked out of Dhanush's Vada Chennai".
55. (19 April 2017). "Blow for Dhanush's Vada Chennai: Amala Paul exits after Vijay Sethupathi".
56. (18 April 2017). "BREAKING: AMALA PAUL OUT OF VADA CHENNAI! WHO HAS REPLACED HER?".
57. (19 April 2017). "Aishwarya Rajesh replaces Amala Paul in Dhanush's Vada Chennai".
58. (19 April 2017). "Third change of heroine in Dhanush's Vada Chennai". Top 10 Cinema.
59. K., Janani. (15 May 2021). "Vijay Sethupathi and Ravi Teja were initial choices for Rajan's role in Vada Chennai".
60. (17 May 2021). "Did you know Vetrimaaran had initially eyed Ravi Teja for the lead role in 'Vada Chennai'?". [[The Times of India]].
61. (28 October 2018). "Vada Chennai art director on working with Vetrimaaran: Our conversations are brief but we trust each other".
62. "Huge jail set for 'Vada Chennai'".
63. (16 January 2017). "Jail set erected for Vetri Maaran's Vada Chennai". [[The Times of India]].
64. (26 October 2018). "From '70s beedis to water tower: Art director Jacki speaks to TNM on 'Vada Chennai'".
65. Nandhakumar, Sindhuri. (12 October 2018). "Grit, guts and glory: Vetri Maaran on Vada Chennai". [[The Hindu]].
66. (29 July 2016). "Vada Chennai: Dhanush goes back in time to shoot an important 1977 sequence".
67. (15 August 2016). "Clothes will indicate passage of time in Vada Chennai, says Amritha Ram".
68. "'Vada Chennai' will be the costliest film in Dhanush's career".
69. "Dhanush's 'Vada Chennai' starts rolling".
70. (28 July 2016). "What is presently being shot for Dhanush's 'Vada Chennai'?".
71. (3 September 2016). "Vada... is shot like an individual film: Vetrimaaran". [[Deccan Chronicle]].
72. "Dhanush's 'Vada Chennai' to have a 1970s touch".
73. (19 January 2017). "Long process to complete 'Vada Chennai' trilogy: Vetrimaaran". [[The Times of India]].
74. Ians. (8 January 2017). "Vetrimaaran's Vada Chennai not put on hold". [[The Hindu]].
75. (12 April 2017). "Dhanush back on sets of Vada Chennai".
76. (27 June 2017). "Visaranai's Oscar nomination affected Vada Chennai's shooting: Dhanush". [[The Times of India]].
77. "90% of 'Vada Chennai' complete, plans on for 'Pa Paandi 2'".
78. (7 October 2017). "Dhanush all set to wrap up Vada Chennai; to begin work on Maari 2 next".
79. K, Janani. (19 July 2017). "Will Dhanush choose Vada Chennai or ENPT?".
80. (18 December 2017). "Dhanush shoots for Enai Noki Paayum Thota, Vada Chennai simultaneously".
81. (12 December 2017). "Dhanush resumes shooting of long-pending film Enai Nokki Paayum Thota, slated for February 2018 release".
82. (22 February 2018). "Dhanush and Vetrimaaran wrap up shoot for part one of Vada Chennai".
83. "Vada Chennai review: A gripping tale of crime and power". The Hindu.
84. "Vetrimaaran on Making 'Vada Chennai' and His Fascination With Crime". Film Companion.
85. "'Vada Chennai' Review: India’s ‘Godfather’ Moment". The Quint.
86. (8 February 2018). "Santhosh Narayan thanks Vetrimaaran and Dhanush". [[The Times of India]].
87. (2 July 2018). "Santhosh Narayanan: Dhanush's 'Vada Chennai' is a stunning epic film". [[The Times of India]].
88. (16 February 2019). "Watch: In conversation with Santhosh Narayanan". [[The Hindu]].
89. Wunderbar Films. (16 September 2018). "#VadaChennai is the 25th film of our Music Director @Music_Santhosh. #SaNa25".
90. (16 September 2018). "'Vada Chennai' audio to release on September 23". [[The Times of India]].
91. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-15). "#VadaChennai Music on September 23rd".
92. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-22). "#VadaChennai is now Streaming Exclusively on @Saavn".
93. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-22). "#VadaChennai is now Streaming Exclusively on @JioMusicHD".
94. (23 September 2018). "'Vada Chennai' jukebox out, Santhosh Narayanan's album is an exciting mix of genres".
95. (2018-09-26). "Vada Chennai music released".
96. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-22). "Stream the Album of #VadaChennai on @gaana".
97. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-25). "Music of #VadaChennai Garnering Rave Reviews!".
98. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-27). "#VadaChennai Album Tops No.1 Position in iTunes India".
99. Wunderbar Films. (2018-09-27). "5.4 Lakh+ Streams for #VadaChennai Album on @Saavn".
100. (5 November 2018). "Santosh Narayan to release extra songs of 'Pariyerum Perumal and Vada Chennai' soon". [[The Times of India]].
101. (23 May 2018). "Vetrimaaran busy with Vada Chennai final edit".
102. (15 June 2018). "Vetrimaran-Dhanush's Vada Chennai to hit screens in September".
103. (28 July 2018). "'Vada Chennai' teaser: Dhanush and Vetri Maaran are back with a bang!". [[The Times of India]].
104. (2 August 2018). "'Vada Chennai' teaser: Dhanush thanks fans for the response". [[The Times of India]].
105. (31 July 2018). "Here's how Dhanush responded to Shah Rukh Khan's praise for 'Vada Chennai' teaser". [[The Times of India]].
106. (3 August 2018). "'Vada Chennai' teaser: Anurag Kashyap is dying to see Dhanush's film". [[The Times of India]].
107. (6 August 2018). "'Vada Chennai' new posters: The many avatars of Dhanush". [[The Times of India]].
108. (23 August 2018). "Confirmed: Dhanush-starrer 'Vada Chennai' to release on October 17".
109. (25 September 2018). "'Vada Chennai' to be premiered at Pingyao film festival". [[The Hindu]].
110. (28 September 2018). "Dhanush-starrer 'Vada Chennai' to be premiered at Pingyao International Film Festival".
111. Iyengar, Shriram. (13 December 2018). "The subaltern groups have to be represented: Vetrimaaran at IFFK".
112. Wunderbar Films. (15 October 2018). "Shop the Official Merchandise of #VADACHENNAI in @coveritupindia Now!".
113. Wunderbar Films. (16 October 2018). "#VadaChennai Official Merchandise Up Now & Available @ @FullyFilmy_in".
114. (10 October 2018). "Dhanush's 'Vada Chennai' gets an 'A' certificate". [[The Times of India]].
115. (16 October 2018). "Here are the cuts recommended by CBFC in Vetrimaaran's 'Vada Chennai'".
116. (20 October 2018). "Vada Chennai kicks up controversy".
117. Subramanian, Anupama. (28 October 2018). "Controversial scene, profane dialogues removed from 'Vada Chennai'".
118. (26 October 2018). "Love-making scene in 'Vada Chennai' removed!". [[The Times of India]].
119. "Vetrimaaran agrees to remove the controversial scene in 'Vada Chennai'!".
120. (18 October 2018). "Vada Chennai box office collection Day 1: Dhanush film is off to a great start".
121. (19 October 2018). "Vada Chennai box office collection Day 2: Dhanush film is unstoppable".
122. Upadhyaya, Prakash. (19 October 2018). "Vada Chennai box office collection: Day 2: Dhanush's film performs well".
123. (20 October 2018). "Dhanush's Vada Chennai 3 day chennai city box office report".
124. Upadhyaya, Prakash. (23 October 2018). "Vada Chennai box office collection: 6 days – Vetrimaaran's creation grosses Rs 41.1 crore and counting".
125. (31 October 2018). "Vada Chennai becomes Dhanush's highest-grossing film; Vijay Sethupathi's 96 earns Rs 50 Cr worldwide".
126. (15 October 2019). "Asuran: Dhanush's film enters Rs 100 core club". [[The Times of India]].
127. Upadhyaya, Prakash. (5 November 2018). "Vada Chennai box office collection: Dhanush's film crosses 6-cr mark in Chennai".
128. Upadhyaya, Prakash. (16 October 2018). "Vada Chennai movie review: Live audience response".
129. K., Janani. (17 October 2018). "Vada Chennai Review: Dhanush and Vetri Maaran gift kickass gangster film".
130. (17 October 2018). "Vada Chennai review: Vetrimaran-Dhanush's gangster drama is as good as it gets".
131. (17 October 2018). "'Vada Chennai' review: Vetrimaaran-Dhanush deliver a brilliant gangster film".
132. S, Srivatsan. (17 October 2018). "'Vada Chennai' review: a masterful tale of power and deceit". [[The Hindu]].
133. (17 October 2018). "Vada Chennai movie review: A brilliant beginning to Dhanush-Vetrimaaran trilogy. 5 stars".
134. Subramanian, Anupama. (2018-10-22). "Vada Chennai film review: Men are flawed, women angry".
135. Suganth, M.. (17 October 2018). "Vada Chennai Review {4/5}: The sprawling nature of the narrative makes it truly an epic".
136. (17 October 2018). "Vada Chennai movie review: Dhanush's realistic performance, Vetrimaaran's direction make this film a winner".
137. (17 October 2018). "Vada Chennai review:Watch it for its gritty realistic feel".
138. Rangan, Baradwaj. (17 October 2018). "A satisfying gangster saga that (mostly) becomes the epic it strives to be".
139. (3 January 2019). "ஆனந்த விகடன் சினிமா விருதுகள் 2018 - திறமைக்கு மரியாதை".
140. (2019-03-22). "Asianet Film Awards 2019 Winners List: Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Prithviraj & Others Bag Top Honours!".
141. Hooli, Shekhar H.. (17 February 2019). "Asiavision Movie Awards 2018 winners list: Ranveer Singh, Dhanush and Trisha honoured [Photos + Videos]".
142. (18 February 2019). "Asiavision Movie Awards 2018 complete winners list: Ranveer Singh, Dhanush and Trisha bag top honours".
143. (18 December 2018). "BEHINDWOODS GOLD MEDALS - THE ICONIC EDITION: A STAR-STUDDED SPECTACLE".
144. "Nominations for the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019".
145. "Winners of the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019".
146. (17 August 2019). "SIIMA Awards 2019 full winners list: Trisha Krishnan, Dhanush, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar take home trophies".
147. (2026-01-30). "Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for 2016-2022 announced; see full list". [[Mid-Day]].
148. "Vanitha Film Awards: Mohanlal wins Best Actor, Manju Warrier is Best Actress".
149. (2018-10-25). "Vada Chennai review by Anurag Kashyap: The most original gangster film".
150. (21 October 2018). "Gautham Menon praises Vada Chennai". [[The Times of India]].
151. (22 October 2018). "Vineeth Sreenivasan is all praise for Vada Chennai". [[The Times of India]].
152. (13 August 2020). "Anurag Kashyap finds first cut of Vada Chennai and subtitled version of Subramaniapuram from his library". [[The Times of India]].
153. (14 May 2021). "Vetrimaaran reveals interesting story behind 'Vada Chennai' voiceover". [[The Times of India]].
154. (22 December 2018). "Dhanush's next is 'Asuran' with Vetrimaaran". [[The Times of India]].
155. (15 July 2019). "Dhanush's Vada Chennai 2 may never take off, likely to be shelved".
156. (15 July 2019). "'Vada Chennai' sequel not shelved, Dhanush clarifies".
157. (15 July 2019). "Vada Chennai 2 not shelved, clarifies Dhanush".
158. (8 May 2020). "Vetrimaaran reveals his plans about the release of 'Vada Chennai 2'". [[The Times of India]].
159. Iyengar, Shriram. (13 December 2018). "Initially planned Vada Chennai as a web-series, reveals Vetrimaaran".
160. (30 October 2018). "A web series based on Rajan character in 'Vada Chennai'".
161. (27 October 2018). "Vetri Maaran says he's planning a 'Vada Chennai' prequel web series".
162. (29 October 2018). "'Vada Chennai' prequel 'Rajan Vagaira' planned as a web series".
163. (31 March 2021). "Vada Chennai prequel series in works, confirms Vetri Maaran".
164. Bureau, The Hindu. (2025-11-25). "‘Arasan’: Vijay Sethupathi joins Silambarasan TR’s film with Vetri Maaran". The Hindu.
165. Features, C. E.. (2025-06-17). "Vetri Maaran starts filming for his next with Silambarasan".
166. Rajaraman, Kaushik. (2025-06-17). "STR and Vetrimaaran's film begins with promo shoot; Nelson in a cameo".