Vathikuchi is a 2013 Tamil action thriller film directed by Kinslin and produced by A. R. Murugadoss. The film stars Dileepan, the brother of A. R. Murugadoss, and Anjali in the lead roles. The film also features Saranya Ponvannan, Jayaprakash, Sampath Raj, and Raja in supporting roles. The film was released on March 15, 2013 and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
Sakthi (Dileepan) is an auto driver who lives with his mother (Saranya Ponvannan) and sister (Jagan). He is a happy-go-lucky guy who falls in love with Leena (Anjali), a nurse who works in a nearby hospital. However, he does not know that Leena is the daughter of a local don (Jayaprakash), who is against their relationship.
Meanwhile, Sakthi unknowingly gets involved in the lives of three criminals who have been chasing him for different reasons. The first one is Meesai (Raja), a gangster who wants to kill Sakthi for stealing his money. The second one is Lingam (Sampath Raj), a police officer who wants to arrest Sakthi for killing his brother. The third one is Guru (Vatsan Chakravarthy), a serial killer who wants to kill Sakthi for witnessing his crime.
How Sakthi escapes from these three enemies and wins the love of Leena forms the rest of the story.
The film was announced in November 2011 by A. R. Murugadoss, who decided to launch his brother Dileepan as a hero under his home banner. He also roped in Anjali, who had worked with him in Engeyum Eppodhum, as the heroine. The film was titled Vathikuchi, which means matchstick in Tamil, and was said to be an action thriller with a social message. The film was directed by Kinslin, a former associate of A. R. Murugadoss.
The film was shot in various locations in Chennai, including Royapuram, Poonamallee, Anna Nagar, and Teynampet. The film also had some scenes shot in Malaysia. The film's music was composed by Ghibran, who had earlier worked with A. R. Murugadoss in Thoongaa Vanam. The film's audio was launched on February 13, 2013 by Kamal Haasan.
The film was released on March 15, 2013 along with Paradesi and Chennaiyil Oru Naal. The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vathikuchi is a fairly engaging thriller that keeps you hooked for most parts, thanks to its racy screenplay and slick editing." Sify gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vathikuchi is a decent debut for Dileepan but the film lacks the punch and fizz of a Murugadoss film." Behindwoods gave the film 2.25 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vathikuchi is a decent attempt that could have been better with a tighter script and more convincing performances." Rediff gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vathikuchi is an average entertainer that fails to live up to the expectations of a Murugadoss production."
The film was also dubbed and released in Telugu as Vaathikuchi.