Baththa passes Rs 15 crore in week one as Kamal Haasan meets team

Kamal Haasan has given one of October’s quiet Tamil wins a very public blessing. On October 7, the veteran actor and Rajya Sabha MP met the core team of Baththa, the period drama that opened in theatres a week earlier.

The meeting brought together lead actor Vijay Sethupathi, director Balaji Tharaneetharan, producer Atlee, music composer Sai Abhyankkar, and actors Hari Krishnan and Arjun Chidambaram. Haasan congratulated the group and praised what they had put on screen.

Who was in the room

• Vijay Sethupathi — lead actor
• Balaji Tharaneetharan — director
• Atlee — producer-presenter
• Sai Abhyankkar — music composer
• Hari Krishnan and Arjun Chidambaram — cast members

Kamal Haasan’s appreciation is not a routine stop on a promotional tour. He has spent decades as an actor, writer, producer and director, and now holds a seat in the Rajya Sabha, so the meeting reads as recognition from one of Indian cinema’s most respected voices.

A 1986 Madras story

Baththa released on October 1. It is set in 1986 Madras and centres on a local don and an eight-year-old boy. Alongside Vijay Sethupathi, the cast includes Lijomol Jose, Ajay Ghosh, Arjun Chidambaram and others. Viewers have especially singled out child actor Sai Prithviraj, whose performance has become one of the film’s talking points.

Box office and word of mouth

Audience response has been doing the heavy lifting. The film reportedly crossed Rs 15 crore in its first week, picked up additional screens, and held most of its shows into the second week. That is a healthy marker for a mid-sized period drama without the usual big-ticket release machinery. Atlee’s presentation and Sai Abhyankkar’s music have added to the package.

The outing is the third collaboration between Vijay Sethupathi and Balaji Tharaneetharan, a pairing that now has a fresh box-office story to tell.

Why Kamal’s nod matters

For a film already earning well, the October 7 meeting shifts the conversation. It moves Baththa from a pure box-office update to a cultural moment, signalling that the industry is watching its own smaller stories with respect. Recognition like this can keep a title in conversation during its crucial second week.

It also gives Vijay Sethupathi and his team a different kind of validation — not just numbers, but respect from a legend. For Tamil cinema, Baththa‘s early run is a small proof that a rooted, character-led story can hold its own. With Kamal Haasan’s blessing now attached, the team heads into week two with both commercial momentum and a rare seal of approval.

Source: The Times of India