Karthi's highly anticipated Tamil action-comedy film, 'Vaa Vaathiyaar,' made its theatrical debut on January 14, 2026, coinciding with the festive occasion of Pongal. The movie, directed by Nalan Kumarasamy and produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under Studio Green, reportedly garnered an estimated ₹1.5 crore net collection in India on its opening day. This figure was primarily reported by the box office tracking website Sacnilk and corroborated by other news outlets like Times of India and Republic World, which cited Sacnilk's data. While some early reports and projections, including those from Times of India, suggested a stronger opening or higher targets, Sacnilk's consistent net collection figure stands at ₹1.5 crore for Day 1. The film's release followed several postponements due to legal and financial hurdles, which were eventually resolved just before the Pongal window. 'Vaa Vaathiyaar' features Karthi as a man influenced by the legacy of M. G. Ramachandran, with a supporting cast including Krithi Shetty, Rajkiran, and Sathyaraj. Reviews for the film have been mixed, with critics appreciating Karthi's performance and the quirky concept, but often pointing out issues with the screenplay, particularly in the second half. Despite the mixed reception, the opening collection is considered decent, especially given the competition from other Pongal releases and the absence of another major film, 'Jana Nayagan,' which was postponed. The box office performance will depend on sustained word-of-mouth during the festive period.