Looking back on the duo’s work on the eve of Vada Chennai‘s release.

A young, happy-go-lucky, middle class boy loses his bike, and his life shoots off on a tangent that he’d never imagined for his humble living. This is a film that has its masala on point. The ambitions are not scale and exaggeration, but genuine characterisation. Be it the father, the rowdies, or the friends, the people around Prabhu (Dhanush) make the film relatable and worth rooting for. This results in great mass moments, like ones that just have to rely on verbal outburst alone. It does have its rough edges, with a romance track that looks like an afterthought, but it is easy to overlook for all the other good stuff on display.

The narration is another memorable element here, with how it dares to shift PoV in a hero-centric star film. This is how it deftly manages to give us a comprehensive look at two different walks of life, making their collision more impactful. For what he did with the typical commercial vehicle, Vetrimaaran’s entry to Tamil cinema was a loud one.