Thalapathy Vijay’s GOAT or Greatest of All Time is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2024 as the Tamil star is all set to move out of cinema into politics. Directed by Venkat Prabhu, GOAT looks like a stylish and highly-entertaining outing for Vijay fans and the audience, as can be seen from the trailer.

The multistarrer, produced by AGS Productions, also features Sneha, Prabhu Deva, Prashanth, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Laila, Mohan, Jayaram and Vaibhav, while the music is by Venkat Prabhu’s cousin Yuvan Shankar Raja. The director has promised a lot of surprises for Thalapathy fans and believes that this film will be as memorable as Mankatha (2011), his flick with Ajith Kumar. In this chat with Hindustan Times, director Venkat Prabhu talks about Vijay, GOAT and more.

How was the experience of working with Thalapathy Vijay?

It was a truly wonderful experience! Initially, I was a bit scared, but he made me feel extremely comfortable and after a few days, I was my usual self. He is someone who is so professional and comes prepared to the set. He is very observant and he’ll be sitting quietly looking around him on set. And when he comes in front of the camera and you call action, he just becomes so energetic and delivers a perfect shot. This is quite remarkable. And in GOAT, he plays two roles – one character is quieter and the other is extremely active and he embodies both I think. Vijay never got into any aspect of the story or asked for any kind of changes – I have made the movie I envisioned. One surprise I can reveal to you is that we have remixed an Ilayaraaja song in this film for Vijay, and it’s fantastic. Watch it and let me know. (Smiles)

As a director, I wanted to make sure I delivered a memorable film of Vijay for the fans and audience since he’s going to be moving out of cinema. Even today, the audience and Ajith fans talk about Mankatha and I wanted to make a film like that with Vijay. I believe I have made a memorable film and I can’t wait for the audience to watch it. (Smiles)

Like you mentioned, Vijay is planning to quit cinema to enter politics. Did that put more pressure on you since it would be his second to last film?

I don’t think it put more pressure on me, but I wanted to give the audience and fans a good film starring Vijay. I didn’t think about him getting into politics and all that – I just focused on the film.

Was there a different writing style you adopted for Vijay’s GOAT versus Ajith’s Mankatha?

Not really per se. Mankatha was a heist film, which was high-octane and didn’t have emotions in it – it was about a group of bad guys who were backstabbing each other and trying to outdo one another. It was a crime thriller, one particular genre. GOAT, on the other hand, is a wholesome family entertainer. Vijay has a strong family audience following, and this movie encompasses everything from sentiment to comedy to action to romance to songs. In fact, GOAT is my first commercial entertainer in cinema.

Why did you name the film GOAT – Greatest of All Time?

One of the characters in the film is named Gandhi and he’s known as the greatest of all time for the things he does. And I thought this was a good title for the film as well.

How did you decide to bring on board yesteryear star Mohan and actor Prashanth?

The movie is set in two time periods and one is the 1990s. Mohan and Prashanth fitted well into this time period because they had been top actors at the time. And I always wanted to bring in that era and thought it would be nice to feature them.

The runtime of GOAT is three hours and there’s been a lot of chatter about that. Any response?

Yes, when I had the final cut, the runtime was three hours, and the production and others were a little concerned. I asked them to watch the film and then let me know if they needed any trimming and what could be edited. But everyone unanimously agreed that it made sense to keep it as is since all the aspects I had shown were relevant to the film. In the film, there is a main plot and small sub-plots, and nothing could be cut out. When the audience watches the film, they won’t feel it’s three hours long and we're sure of that.

What did Vijay say when he saw the final cut?

He was extremely happy and said some things which are too personal to share. But yes, he was very happy and I’m happy he loved the film. (Smiles)

You’re the only director to have worked with Vijay and Ajith at the peak of their careers.

It feels great! (Laughs) It shows that the actors still believe in me and I feel more responsible because I have to deliver. I am thrilled that I got to work with both of them and you know, I have also acted with both of them. I acted with Ajith in Ji (2005) and with Vijay in Sivakasi (2005). It’s something I definitely cherish.

But your last few films didn’t do too well though. Any comments?

Maanaadu, starring Silambarasan (STR), which released in 2021, was a superhit. I made the next film Manmadha Leelai with Ashok Selvan for an OTT release, not a theatrical release. The theme of the film was more adult as it’s about a guy who plays around with women. Since Maanaadu became a hit, the producers decided to release it in theatres and it wasn’t well-received. That was unfortunate. As for the Telugu-Tamil bilingual Custody, starring Naga Chaitanya, it ended up being neither a proper Telugu film nor a proper Tamil film and it didn’t do well.

Did this affect you?

I believe there will be both success and failure and I take it in my stride. I take it sportingly, like a sportsman. A batsman will have a few off matches, but he’ll come back and score big. Just because he hasn’t scored well in a few matches, you just can’t write him off.

Do you see the younger successful directors like Lokesh Kanagaraj, Kartik Subbaraj or Nelson as competitors?

Yes, I think I am in competing with them, but it is healthy competition. I admire their films and they admire mine. We support and applaud each other’s work. Vetrimaaran, Ram, AL Vijay and I came into the industry in 2007. All four of us are still there in the Tamil film industry but each of us has a different path where our films are concerned. It’s good to see the new breed of directors in the industry. I try to keep myself relevant and updated with the latest technology, screenwriting, and other aspects, to keep up with the younger generation. Many of these younger directors are good friends too. I’m very happy for Lokesh and Atlee went from Tamil cinema to Bollywood and delivered a blockbuster and showed them how a commercial film should be made. I am very proud of them and I’m sure they’re also very proud of me.

Why have you never done a cameo in any of your films?

I always believe that I should first do the job (as director) given to me properly. (Laughs)

Lastly, what do you want to say to Vijay fans?

Come, enjoy the film – it’s going to wholesome entertainment and you guys are in for a treat!

The GOAT will release in cinemas this Thursday on September 5.