The film stars Dhanush as Anbu, a skilled carrom player who becomes a reluctant participant in a gang war between two rival gangsters, alongside Kishore, Samuthirakani, Daniel Balaji, Pawan, Andrea Jeremiah, Aishwarya Rajesh and Ameer.

[6] After being temporarily shelved, the film re-materialized in May 2015 with a new cast; featuring Dhanush as the lead, making his third collaboration with the director after Polladhavan (2007) and Aadukalam (2011).

Vada Chennai was initially slated to release on 13 September 2018, during the Ganesh Chathurthi festival, but was postponed to 17 October 2018, because of the post-production work.

[7] The film received critical acclaim, praising its direction, plot, music, action sequences and cast performances, while criticising its dialogues.

At the 8th South Indian International Movie Awards, the film received several nominations, including Best Actor for Dhanush, which was the only win at the ceremony.

A year later, the pair is still in prison, which creates a deep rift between them and Senthil, despite Mani and Thambi, the crime boss's younger brother intervening.

On the night Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated, the entire hamlet where Anbu lives loots nearby shops and makes away with various goods.

However, Anbu stabs Senthil in the neck with a wooden shard broken from the carrom board, leaving him heavily injured and paralysed for life.

2003: At a coming-of-age ceremony for Thambi's daughter, a road contractor requests Guna and Senthil to come together to help in evicting people from Anbu's hamlet with the promise of houses and jobs.

Meanwhile, Muthu instigates Senthil to smuggle contraband using college students of their area, and then tips the police, leading to the youngster getting arrested.

[12] Dayanidhi Azhagiri was confirmed to produce the project, under Cloud Nine Movies, and Anushka Shetty, was announced as the female lead, who would play a Marwari girl.

[16] Rana Daggubati and Kishore were cast in other pivotal roles, with Vetrimaaran adding that the story of Vada Chennai was first written in 2003, and that he took notes from the first script, to make his other two films.

[31][32] Samantha and Andrea Jeremiah were revealed to be among the lead actresses,[33] while Santhosh Narayanan would be the film's composer, after Dhanush had fallen out with G. V. Prakash Kumar.

[46] In late 2015, the team held talks with Jiiva and Vijay Sethupathi, again, for portraying other pivotal characters in the film, though neither of them signed the project.

[54] However, owing to a delay in the film's shooting, both Vijay Sethupathi and Amala Paul exited the project,[55][56][57] with the pair being replaced by Ameer and Aishwarya Rajesh.

When most producers would ask to cut short the budget, Dhanush and his team gave us a lot of creative freedom and time to work.

[70] The first schedule of the shooting was held at a huge set resembling the Madras Central Prison which was erected at Binny Mills in Chennai.

[69] The break between schedules also meant that Vetrimaaran began pre-production work on another film starring G. V. Prakash Kumar, which he would make following the completion of the first part of Vada Chennai.

However, following Kumar's fallout with the lead actor Dhanush,[36] the team chose Santhosh Narayanan as the film composer, which marked his maiden collaboration with Vetrimaaran.

Scenes where dialogues mentioning and referring to the former Chief ministers J. Jayalalithaa, M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, where removed from the film, as it was considered defaming the politicians.

R of The Indian Express gave 5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vada Chennai is the closest you can get to unforgiving underworld filled with insecurity, revenge, destiny, rage and insatiable urge for bloodshed.

"[128] Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute wrote "From the colourful curses of the street to each of the characters, the film gives us a very real glimpse of gang wars.

[131] Anupama Subramanian of Deccan Chronicle gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote: Vada Chennai, for most parts, keeps it real: The men are full of flaws that are indicative of their backgrounds and upbringing, and the women don't shy away from displaying their anger and greediness.

Suganth of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The sprawling nature of the narrative and the various events that impact the lives of the numerous characters make Vada Chennai truly an epic.

"[133] Sreedhar Pillai of Firstpost gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vada Chennai is another feather on Vetrimaaran’s cap though not in the same league as his earlier films.

It also shows how politicians and the slum lords, in the name of development and welfare of the people, are similar in their opportunistic approach and selfish interests."

"[135] Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "Dhanush's ascent to stardom has come alongside his growth as an actor, and there’s not one scene where he makes us doubt his character's actions.

[151] A dialogue from the film "Senthil, Guna, Velu, Thambi ivanga ellarum Anbu vaazhkaiyoda inaikkuradhu Rajan dhan" (transl.

[152] Post Vada Chennai's success, many sources claimed about the sequel of the film, after Dhanush and Vetrimaaran collaborated for Asuran (2019).

[159] He originally proposed it to make it as a web-series on late-October 2018, after Vada Chennai's release,[160] saying that "I fell in love with Rajan’s character as I was writing.