“Baththa” opens in cinemas today: Vijay Sethupathi’s action drama, his third collaboration with director Balaji Tharaneetharan

“Baththa”, the action drama starring Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi, opened today, October 1, 2026, in cinemas worldwide, with premiere screenings held the night before, on September 30. The film, written and directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, marks the third collaboration between the director and Sethupathi, after “Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom” and “Seethakaathi”.

Set in Madras in 1986, the film follows a fearsome local don who suddenly becomes trapped in the toilet of an abandoned school, together with an eight-year-old boy. The unusual friendship that develops between them becomes the emotional center of the story, forcing the gangster to confront his vulnerable side.

Lijomol Jose plays the female lead, while the cast includes Ajay Ghosh, Arjun Chidambaram, Hari Krishnan and Sahasra. The music was composed by Sai Abhyankkar, the cinematography is by Selvakumar S. K. and the editing by R. Kalaivanan. The film is produced by Murad Khetani, Priya Atlee, Alok Jain and Ajit Andhare for Cine1 Studios, A for Apple Studios and Star Studio18. With a running time of 159 minutes, it has been certified U/A.

As Filmibeat reports, first-day forecasts are encouraging: BoxOfficeIndia24 expects the film to collect around 1.12 crore rupees net in India, within a range of 1.05 to 1.18 crore, with Tamil Nadu as the biggest contributor. Early reactions on social media have been positive, while directors Nithilan Saminathan and Puri Jagannadh have publicly praised the film.

“Baththa” opens in cinemas over the Gandhi Jayanti weekend, where it faces competition from other releases such as “Drishyam: The Conclusion”.