Uncle-Father's younger brother)[a] is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by S. U. Arun Kumar and produced by Siddharth, who stars in the lead role alongside Nimisha Sajayan (in her Tamil debut), and Anjali Nair in addition to Baby Sahasra Shree and Baby S. Aafiyah Tasneem in the prominent roles.

Chithha was released theatrically on 29 September 2023 to critical acclaim with praise for the performances, storytelling, direction and themes, and became a commercial success at the box office.

Director S. U. Arun Kumar and actor Siddharth initially planned to collaborate on a film after the former's debut Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2014) which did not materialize.

In late-2019, post the release of Sindhubaadh (2019), Kumar developed a story idea for six months and eventually met Siddharth for a potential project.

[10] Most of the artists featured in the film were newcomers, few of them were not in the industry background which led Kumar and his team conducting workshops to prepare for their roles.

[6] The principal crew consisted of music composers Dhibu Ninan Thomas and Vishal Chandrashekhar, cinematographer Balaji Subramanyam, an assistant of Vijay Kartik Kannan, editor Suresh A. Prasad and art director C. S. Balachander, who worked with Kumar in Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2014) and Sethupathi (2016).

"[7] Kumar did not want to portray the abuse from the perpetrator's point of view as it would become uncomfortable for the actor after looking back at the film years later.

[6] Kumar did not mention the usage of words like rape and abuse throughout the film, except for two instances: one scene in which the two characters inquire to the police officer about the incident, and the other which happens in the court.

Kumar did not want Siddharth's character to take revenge against the pedophile as an heroic act, as according to him, "anybody who helps others or sacrifices is a hero."

[20] The film's promotions for the Kannada version in Bangalore was interrupted due to threats from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike protesters over the Kaveri River water dispute.

[25] After Daggubati Suresh Babu's Asian Cinemas acquired the distribution rights for its Telugu version, it was released in theatres across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 6 October.

[26] Chithha opened in limited theatres across Tamil Nadu, but following the word of mouth, the film's shows and screens were increased.

[b] In a four-star rating, Sudhir Srinivasan of Cinema Express called it as "a sensitive, powerful film that breaks conventional rules of heroism.

A survivor rushing towards a character and giving a hug, and a scene between two friends who have undergone a shared experience forging a stronger bond.

"[2] Thinkal Menon of OTTPlay also gave three-and-a-half stars and wrote "Chithha is one of the must-watch films of the year, thanks to the terrific performances from lead actors, intriguing screenplay and the originality with which a sensitive subject is handled.

"[43] Krishna Selvaseelan of the Tamil Guardian gave three-and-a-half stars and said the film "tears out the viewer's heart and holds it ransom – an impressive feat".

[44] Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu wrote "Handling the sensitive issue of child sexual abuse with care, Chithha marks a befitting resurgence for both its director S. U. Arun Kumar and lead actor Siddharth.

"[45] Harshini S. V. of Film Companion South called Siddharth's role as his "most affecting performance till date [...] The actor makes it possible for us to go beyond his expressive eyes and get into his head.

"[46] Akchayaa Rajkumar of The News Minute assigned four out of five and wrote "Chithha is a necessary watch and a masterclass on how movies on child sexual assault can be sensitive and engaging without constantly triggering the audience.

"[47] Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, Aishwarya Rajesh, Nayanthara and Silambarasan praised the film for its performances and storytelling.