The trailer of Baththa, the upcoming Tamil film directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, has been released. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi and Lijomol Jose in the lead roles and is presented by director Atlee. The trailer introduces Vijay Sethupathi as Baththa, a man who has built a powerful and almost legendary reputation in his area. The film is set in the eighties and appears to mix drama, humour and mystery around the central character and the way people see him.
Vijay Sethupathi shared the trailer on his X timeline and wrote, ”#Baththa ulagirkku ungalai varuga varuga ena varaverkirom, #BaththaTrailer out now. Written & Directed by #BalajiTharaneetharan. A @SaiAbhyankkar musical. #BaththaFromOct1. ” The trailer begins by showing how children and people around Baththa talk about his supposed bravery. One child claims that Baththa once broke the ribs of a man who challenged him and then walked away carrying him under his arm. Another story says that he broke open prison gates to escape, while another child claims that Baththa even has a lion as a pet. These stories establish the image of a man whom everyone appears to fear.
However, the trailer soon shows that there is another side to Baththa. His wife, played by Lijomol Jose, and his daughter know him as a caring and gentle family man. The contrast between his public image and his behaviour at home provides much of the humour in the trailer. In one scene, Baththa stylishly sings a song before telling his wife on their wedding night that she should not be afraid of him. His frightened wife responds, “I will not be scared if you don’t sing.” The moment gives the audience a glimpse of the lighter side of the character.
The trailer follows a glimpse video released a few days earlier. That video showed people waiting for Baththa to return while suggesting that something serious could happen in the town. His daughter is shown saying that she is scared and wants her father to come back, while his brother remains confident that Baththa will return. A child also says, “Everybody is scared of him but he isn’t scared of anything.” The police are seen asking people whether they suspect anyone, adding a mystery element to the story.
Baththa has music by Sai Abhyankkar and cinematography by Selvakumar S.K. R. Kalaivanan is the editor, while T Muthuraj is the Production Designer. The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on October 1, 2026.
