Vaathi is a 2023 Indian period action drama film written and directed by Venky Atluri. The film was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu with the latter titled as Sir and produced by Tollywood studios Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas. The film features Dhanush and Samyuktha in primary roles along with P. Sai Kumar, Tanikella Bharani, Samuthirakani and Hyper Aadi.
In the small town of Sozhavaram/Siripuram in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Srinivas Thirupathi/Srinivas Tripathi is the owner of private colleges, who adopts some government colleges and sends some of his faculty members as the latter knows that his faculty members aren't capable to teach students and wants to eliminate all public institutions of intermediate college education and force students into his private institutions.
However, Balamurugan/Bala Gangadhar Tilak, a qualified teacher thwarts Thirupathi/Tripathi's plans by making the students at Sozhavaram/Siripuram government college get first class distinction. This news enrages Thirupathi/Tripathi who reprimands and challenges Balamurugan/Bala Gangadhar Tilak at the school's meet to celebrate the success of the students. Thirupathi/Tripathi challenges Balamurugan/Bala Gangadhar Tilak to make the students secure TNPCEE/EAMCET ranks. Balu accepts the challenge and soon starts to prepare the students.