As his career as a lead actor was waning such as "Tenaliraman" (2014), "Eli" (2015), Vadivelu chose to return to portraying supporting and comedy roles in films headlined by other actors. He portrayed a role alongside Vishal in Suraj's "Kaththi Sandai" (2016), before collaborating again with P. Vasu in the horror comedy "Shivalinga" (2017). Vadivelu then portrayed a supporting role alongside Vijay in "Mersal" (2017), with the film becoming a blockbuster at the box office. A critic from The New Indian Express noted that it was a "brilliant comeback for Vadivelu" and that "his comedy is subtle, yet sufficient".