Vaa Vaathiyaar

The concept is genuinely surprising and, honestly, a lot of fun to watch—but the film does come with a few shortcomings. The story follows Ramu and his grandfather, both die-hard fans of Tamil cinema’s GOAT, OP, OG superstar and former CM M. G. Ramachandran (MGR). As devoted admirers, they draw life lessons from MGR’s ideology and are deeply influenced by his principles. Vaa Vathiyaar exists in a space that blends fiction and non-fiction. The film is set in a fictional city, where the narrative revolves around a fight against capitalism, politics, and corruption. The film serves heavy nostalgia and also showcases technical brilliance. Vaathiyaar’s parking entry shot, the colour grading, and cinematography are visually engaging and stylish. It also incorporates elements like tech nerd culture and hacking, which add a modern touch to the storytelling. That said, the film could have been much better in certain areas. The villains could have been written stronger. For instance, this could have been the Tamil industry’s Minnal Murali, but due to a lack of story depth and substance, the film fails to create that level of impact. The concept remains the biggest strength—this is what keeps the audience invested despite the flaws. The film doesn’t have outright flaws, but it definitely has shortcomings. The villain is shown as evil, but never truly feels terrifying—more like “he’s doing wrong things, so he’s bad,” and that’s it. The story needed more depth; several areas are either just touched upon or left unanswered. There’s also a lack of emotional connection with the hero. MGR sir’s life lessons and iconic dialogues work as motivation, but the core cause never feels strong enough. It becomes a simple equation: if something wrong happens, the hero will punish it. Vaa Vathiyaar is easy to criticize, and these issues can affect the viewing experience. However, setting all that aside, the film deserves credit for the love and respect it shows toward its OG superstar—highlighting his mannerisms, ideology, and principles with sincerity. Overall, Vaa Vathiyaar is simple, nostalgic, and genuinely fun to watch. A one-time experience, best enjoyed without overthinking.