GOAT director says Vijay’s film will be as memorable as Ajith’s Mankatha

The film, produced by AGS Productions, also stars Sneha, Prabhu Deva, Prashanth, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Laila, Mohan, Jayaram and Vaibhav, while music is being scored by Venkat Prabhu’s cousin Yuvan Shankar Raja. The director has promised many surprises for Thalapathy fans and believes that this film will be as memorable as Mankatha (2011), his film 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 really wonderful experience! I was a little scared at first, but he made me feel very comfortable and after a few days, I was back to my old self. He is a very professional person who comes prepared on the set. He is very observant and sits quietly looking around on the set. And when he gets in front of the camera and you ask him to act, he becomes very energetic and gives a perfect shot. It is really remarkable. And in GOAT, he plays two roles – one character is calmer and the other is extremely active and I think he embodies both. Vijay never got involved in any aspect of the story or asked for any kind of change; I made the film I envisioned. One surprise I can reveal to you is that we have remixed a song by Ilayaraaja in this film for Vijay, and it is fantastic. Watch it and tell me about it. (Smiles)

As a director, I wanted to make sure that I give a memorable film of Vijay for the fans and the audiences as he is going to quit cinema. Even today, the audiences and Ajith’s fans talk about Mankatha and I wanted to make such a film with Vijay. I think I have made a memorable film and I can’t wait for the audiences to see it. (Smiles)

As you mentioned, Vijay is thinking of quitting cinema to go into politics. Did that put more pressure on you, since it would be his penultimate film?

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

Did you adopt a different writing style for Vijay’s GOAT compared to Ajith’s Mankatha?

Not really. Mankatha was a heist film, high octane and emotionless; it was about a group of bad guys betraying each other and trying to outdo each other. It was a crime thriller, a particular genre. GOAT, on the other hand, is a family entertainer. Vijay has a strong family audience and this film covers everything from sentimentality to comedy, action, romance and songs. In fact, GOAT is my first commercial entertainer in theatres.

Why did you call the movie GOAT – The Greatest of All Time?

One of the characters in the movie is called Gandhi and he is known as the greatest of all time because of the things he does. And I thought that was a good title for the movie as well.

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

The film is set in two eras, one of them being the 1990s. Mohan and Prashanth fit well into this era because they had been top actors at that time. I always wanted to include that era and thought it would be good to include them.

GOAT is three hours long and there has been a lot of talk about it. Any answers?

Yes, when I made the final cut, the length was three hours, and the production and others were a bit worried. I asked them to watch the film and then tell me if they needed any cuts and what could be edited. But they all unanimously agreed that it made sense to leave it as it was, since all the aspects I had shown were relevant to the film. In the film, there is a main plot and small subplots, and nothing could be cut. When the audience sees the film, it will not feel like it is three hours long and we are sure of that.

What did Vijay say when he saw the final cut?

He was very happy and said some things that are too personal to share. But yes, he was very happy and I’m glad he liked the movie. (Smiles)

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

I feel great! (Laughs) It shows that the actors still believe in me and I feel more responsible because I have to fulfill my obligations. I am very excited to have been able to work with both of them and, you know, I have acted with them as well. I acted with Ajith in Ji (2005) and with Vijay in Sivakasi (2005). It is something I definitely cherish.

But your last films were not very successful. Any comments?

Maanaadu, starring Silambarasan (STR), which released in 2021, was a huge hit. 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 was about a guy who plays with women. Since Maanaadu became a hit, the makers decided to release it theatrically and it was not received well. That was unfortunate. As for Custody, a Telugu-Tamil bilingual starring Naga Chaitanya, it ended up being neither a Telugu film nor a Tamil film and it did not do well.

Did this affect you?

I think there will be successes and failures and I take it in my stride. I take it in a sportsmanlike spirit, like a sportsman. A hitter will have some bad games but he will bounce back and score big points. Just because he hasn’t scored well in some games doesn’t mean he can be dismissed.

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

Yes, I feel I am competing with them, but it is a healthy competition. I admire their films and they admire mine. We support and applaud each other’s work. Vetrimaaran, Ram, AL Vijay and I entered the industry in 2007. All four of us are still in the Tamil film industry, but each has a different path when it comes to their films. It is good to see the new generation of directors in the industry. I try to keep myself updated and updated with the latest technology, scriptwriting and other aspects, to keep pace with the younger generation. Many of these younger directors are also good friends of mine. I am very happy for Lokesh and Atlee, who moved 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 am sure they are very proud of me too.

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

I have always believed that the first thing I must do is to do well the job that has been entrusted to me (laughs).

Lastly, what would you like to say to Vijay’s fans?

Come and enjoy the movie! It will be a good entertainment and you will be pleasantly surprised!

The GOAT will be released in theaters this Thursday, September 5th.