Actor Vishal's Madha Gaja Raja, which released after a 12-year delay, opened to a tremendous positive response from fans upon its theatrical release on January 12.

The comedy film directed by Sundar C opened to mostly positive reviews, with the audience feeling both nostalgic and refreshing to see Santhanam in a comedy space again, and that his combination with Vishal was widely appreciated.

Vishal thanked fans for their appreciation on his X post. The actor wrote that he thanked both God above and "below (the audience)" and felt happy that the film has lived up to expectations. Feeling overwhelmed with the "humongous response" all over, he further stated that he and Sundar C were waiting for this moment every year. "Seeing family crowd coming to theatre is such a positive sign," he said, adding, "A movie releasing after 12 years and getting such response is nothing but a miracle."

According to reports, a theatrical release has evaded Madha Gaja Raja since 2013 due to multiple reasons, such as financial restraints, clashes with other films, and legal hurdles. It is worth noting that the BTS video of the song 'My Dear Loveru' from the film, featuring Vishal and music composer Vijay Antony, was released in 2013 and went viral online.

The star-studded ensemble of the film features Vishal, Santhanam, Anjali, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Sathish, Sonu Sood, the late Mayilsamy, and the late Manobala, among others. Madha Gaja Raja, produced by Gemini Film Circuit, is written by Sundar C along with Venkat Raghavan, while cinematographer Richard M Nathan, editors Praveen KL and NB Srikanth, and composer Vijay Antony are part of the technical crew.