Viduthalai Part 1

During the pre-production works of Vaadivaasal, Vetrimaaran was reported to collaborate with Soori for another project in July 2019,[14] due to the extensive pre-production of the former.[14] Vetrimaaran decided to adapt late Na. Muthukumar's short story Pattamppoochi Virpavan and later opted for Meeran Moideen's novel Ajnabi, which involved multiple foreign locations such as Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In April 2020, due to the restrictions in air travel to curb COVID-19 pandemic, Vetrimaaran had decided to make changes in the script and used the lockdown period for pre-production works.[15] Media reports later claimed that, Vetrimaaran had adapted the short story Thunaivan written by B. Jeyamohan, with the film being titled the same.[16][17] However, the makers decided to title the film as Viduthalai,[6] which was officially confirmed on 21 April 2021 with the first look being released.[18][19] Originally intended as a single film, it was later split into two parts.[20]

In January 2021, Vijay Sethupathi joined the film's cast and also shot few portions during the commencement of the shoot,[21] thus marking his first collaboration with Vetrimaaran.[22] Vetrimaaran revealed that Sethupathi would play the role of Soori's mentor in the film, which is said to be a crucial one, although Soori plays a crucial part in the story.[23] This is Soori's first film in a leading role.[24] The team recreated Sethupathi's character, which is based on Ku. Kaliyaperumal Vaathiyaar, a member from Tamil Desiyam Group.[25] While Soori's character is based on the Indian bandit Veerappan, the team rubbished the rumours clarifying that there is no connection of Veerappan with the script.[25]

Bharathiraja was reported to join the film in his first collaboration with Vetrimaaran, although he was replaced by Kishore during the filming of the first schedule.[26] Ilaiyaraaja was reported to compose music for the film marking his first collaboration with Vetrimaaran.[27] In January 2021, Bhavani Sre, sister of composer G. V. Prakash Kumar was announced playing the female lead, in her third feature film after Ka Pae Ranasingam and Paava Kadhaigal.[28][29] In April 2021, Gautham Vasudev Menon was reported to play the role of a cop in the film.[30]

The team moved to Sathyamangalam forest to shoot major sequences featuring Soori during December 2020,[31][32] and filming eventually began on 4 January 2021.[33] Bharathiraja opted out of this schedule citing the climatic conditions, which led Vetrimaaran to replace him with Kishore.[34][35] Few portions of the film has been shot in an iPhone, which is used to control production costs.[36] The shooting of the film took place in Sathyamangalam for three months, and the team moved to Chengalpattu in April 2021, in which the team erected a huge police camp set, and shooting of the film happened for 20 days.[25] The team later planned to shoot the last leg of the film at Sathyamangalam after the COVID-19 lockdown.[37] Principal photography wrapped by 31 December 2022.[38]

Viduthalai: Part 1 collected ₹3.5 crore on its release day worldwide and earned in total ₹55 crores worldwide on two weeks.[46][4]

Critics praised the performances of Soori (left) and Vijay Sethupathi.

Viduthalai: Part 1 received critical acclaim from critics with praise towards its characterization, performances, plot, technical aspects, background music and cinematography.[47]

Logesh Balachandran of The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 and wrote "Viduthalai Part 1 maintains a consistent pace and keeps viewers engaged with moments of high tension. It stays true to Vetri Maaran's style and artistry, making audiences eager for the sequel."[48] P Sangeetha of OTTplay gave the film 4 out of 5 and wrote "Viduthalai scores on all corners, be it the plot, narration, background score, acting performances, cinematography and not to forget, the filmmaking. A brilliant film from the Vetri Maaran stable!"[49] Latha Srinivasan of India Today gave the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote "Viduthalai (Freedom) is a film that is a must-watch because it offers a new cinematic perspective of Vetrimaaran and especially because Soori is outstanding."[50]

Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times wrote "The film, which is definitely not for the faint-hearted, is an elaborate, detailed exploration of abuse of power."[51] Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu wrote "Viduthalai Part 1 ends at a crucial juncture and the ending makes it evident that exponentially more incidents are bound to happen in the sequel; Vetri Maaran leaves us on the edge of our seats."[52] Kirubhakar Purushothaman of The Indian Express gave the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote "Vetrimaaran is back with another film about police brutality that is heart-wrenching and might be a hard watch if you prefer your safety zone."[53]

Bharathy Singaravel of The News Minute gave the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote "Soori is masterful in Vetrimaaran’s gritty political spectacle."[54] IndiaGlitz gave the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote "Go for this vintage Vetrimaaran film with a powerful performance from Soori."[55] Maalai Malar gave 3.75 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vetri Maaran has beautifully designed each character according to the script and captivated the audience."[56] Hindu Tamil Thisai wrote "Casting in Vetri Maaran movies always works magic on screen. That way the magic has happened in this movie too."[57]