Thalaivan Thalaivi: Vijay Sethupathi-Nithya Menen's hit Tamil film trolled upon OTT release - ‘Too cringe, unbearable’

Thalaivan Thalaivi: After Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen's Tamil film made its OTT premiere, netizens have been calling out the regressive tone and toxic nature of the movie.

Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen in Thalaivan Thalaivi

Key points

• Thalaivan Thalaivi is a successful Tamil film, which recently made its OTT premiere, only to face widespread negative feedback
• Popular actors Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen star in the film, directed by Pandiraj
• Netizens are calling out the regressive tone and toxic nature of the film, which depicts marital discord

Thalaivan Thalaivi, which stars Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen in the lead roles of a married couple, was among the Tamil films that scripted a success story at the box office this year. But the narrative changed once the film made its OTT premiere with netizens calling out the regressive tone and toxic nature of the movie.

Thalaivan Thalaivi gets trolled

Thalaivan Thalaivii is a 2025 Tamil film, helmed by Pandiraj, who has directed several hit and award-winning films. Thalaivan Thalaivii was released on Prime Video on August 22, 2025, but what awaited the movie was a barrage of criticisms, with some questioning how the film did well at the box office.

"Over the top and over dramatic", "too cringe", and "It's just a toxic family yelling at each other” are among the comments on Twitter. One netizen termed it “Unbearable from start to end”, while saying, “I haven't seen Vijay Sethupathi acting this badly.” There were also those who equated to 'Thalaivali Thalaivali' (headache).

Some also drew comparisons with another Tamil hit film of the year Maaman, which was also panned by most critics but was a success at the box office. Soori and Aishwarya Lekshmi starred in Maaman, which revolved around a youth and his bond with his young nephew. Maaman is also streaming on Zee5 via OTTplay Premium.

The film also found its supporters online, who said they enjoyed the movie, especially Vijay Sethupathi's performance

Thalaivan Thalaivi plot

In Thalaivan Thalaivi, Vijay Sethupathi stars as Aagasaveeran, who runs a roadside eatery, while Nithya Menen is seen as the educated Perarasi. They get married, but the marital life is far from being blissful. The couple are constantly bickering and yelling at one another, even as their families too get involved. The film touches upon marital discord and divorce, but has a regressive tone which is getting called out now. Yogi Babu, Roshini Haripriyan, Deepa Shankar Chemban Vinod Jose, Saravanan and Kaali Venkat are also part of this film.

Also read: Thalaivan Thalaivii movie review: Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen’s loud and regressive film yells without clarity

Thalaivan Thalaivi is streaming on Prime Video, and subscribers of OTTplay Premium can also watch the film with a top-up option.

FAQs

Q. Is Thalaivan Thalaivii the first collaboration between Nithya Menen and Vijay Sethupathi?

A. No. Thalaivan Thalaivii is not their first collaboration. Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen were earlier featured in the Malayalam film 19 (1) (a).

Q. When and where will Thalaivan Thalaivii be available on OTT?

A. Thalaivan Thalaivii is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film dropped on the platform on August 22, 2025, and is available in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. OTTplay Premium subscribers can also watch the film.

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