By Sumita Kashyup 
Vijay Sethupathi’s new movie Baththa is a Tamil comedy-drama from 2026, with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role.
Directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, the film has a gangster story with twists. It takes place in 1986 Madras and follows a feared local gangster whose life changes after an eight-year-old schoolboy accidentally locks him inside a school restroom.
The movie has a different storyline, and a strong performance by Vijay Sethupathi. It was released in theatres on 1 October 2026.
Baththa will be available on OTT platforms like Netflix from October 29, 2026.
Baththa Movie Story
The story introduces Baththavachalam, popularly known as Baththa, a local gangster whom people living in his area fear. He uses his power and violent behaviour to control the streets and to maintain his reputation.
Although people are afraid of him, Baththa also has a personal side that most people do not understand. His life takes an unexpected turn when he enters a school restroom to get some privacy.
At the same time, an eight-year-old schoolboy named Sabari accidentally locks the restroom door from outside. When he realises that the feared gangster is trapped inside, the boy becomes scared and runs away.
Baththa initially becomes furious and attempts to get out of the restroom. However, as time passes, he faces hunger, loneliness and helplessness. The man who once controlled everyone around him is now unable to help himself.
Meanwhile, Sabari feels guilty about what has happened. Although he is scared of Baththa, he quietly feeds him with food and water through a small opening. This unusual circumstance slowly creates a connection between the gangster and the young boy.
The experience also makes Baththa reflect on his past, his family and his behaviour towards other people. As the story moves forward, he starts understanding the value of kindness and relationships.
The film combines comedy, emotional moments and a different gangster storyline.
Baththa Movie Cast
The movie features several actors from the Tamil industry.
Here is the main cast of the Baththa movie:
- Vijay Sethupathi
- Master Sai Prithviraj
- Lijomol Jose
- Baby Sahasra Shree
- Santhy Balachandran
- Ajay Ghosh
- Arjun Chidambaram
- Hari Krishnan
- Vishnu Govindan
- Ramya Pandian
Baththa Movie: Budget and Box Office Collection
The film started with a quite slow opening but received positive responses from several critics and viewers.
Sethupathi’s Baththa movie collected approximately Rs. 30.29 crore in India net collections and around Rs. 33.81 crore in worldwide gross collections by 4 November 2026.
Baththa was originally made in Tamil. The OTT streaming platform also released dubbed versions to reach a wider audience; the languages are available in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.
Movie Controversies
Before its OTT release, reports stated that clips from Baththa circulated widely on the internet without permission.
Like many recently released Indian films, Baththa faced piracy-related concerns. Unauthorised websites like movierulz, hdhub4u and social media accounts can share copyrighted movie content without the permission of its owners.
Baththa actor Vijay Sethupati’s upcoming movies are Train, Inji Vellam, Pisasu 2 and Pocket Novel.
FAQ’s
Baththa is streaming on Netflix.
The film is available in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.
Master Sai Prithviraj plays the role of Sabari, the young schoolboy.