Venkat Prabhu Interview on ‘GOAT’: Vijay, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan share a brilliant sense of humor

Director Venkat Prabhu; A steady victory from the ‘GOAT’ Photo credit: Johan Satyadas J

Tamil cinema’s tryst with the doomvirate is a story worth multiple case studies. First, Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and PU Chinnappa, then came Shivaji Ganesan and MGR followed by Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan and Ajith and Vijay for the next generation. For the filmmakers, surprisingly, directing a film with both these actors is another feather on their cap; The latest to join this exclusive bandwagon is Venkat Prabhu. After working with Ajith standard (2011), paired with filmmaker VijayThe greatest everThe actor’s final film before his political plunge.

Excerpts from a conversation with the filmmaker:

Your journey for experimenting with the stars was an enviable one for the next crop of filmmakers. What is something you are grateful for?

It’s been a blessing to be in this industry for almost two decades, and I’m thankful for the audience, actors and producers who believe in me. I am glad that people feel that they can expect something different from my films. It is an achievement for me to do a film with Vijay sir at the peak of his career and I see it as recognition of how my ideas and thought processes are working.

A steady victory from the ‘GOAT’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

A film of this scale brings its own challenges; What kept you going throughout the process?

My heroes and producers believed in me, and no matter what, I wanted to deliver what I promised and make sure the audience enjoyed the final product. If I focused on obstacles, I feared I would stray from my goals; Vijay sir had earlier said at an event how one should just work towards one’s goals like a blind horse and not be disturbed by negativity.

the goatA film with a huge production value with a huge star cast. But even nature ensured that we worked without a hitch; When we shot in Hyderabad, there was a storm in Chennai, so there was no disruption to the shoot. Right before the schedule in Russia, the concert hall in Moscow was attacked and we were hesitant to shoot but the shoot went smoothly just like everywhere else. My technicians also cooperated to finish the film within the promised budget and time and without my team it would not have been possible. Everything is perfect for this film.

Fans decoded the trailer and created tons of fan theories for ‘GOAT’ trying to figure out the plot. Do you see this as a healthy trend?

I think it’s because of the level of excitement that only big ‘star films’ evoke. i did Manmadha Lilai— a relatively short film — but not talked about by many even though it has a lot to decode. I even remember non-Tamil bloggers and YouTubers praising the film but not many have seen it. But they used to see the same makers talking the goat And that’s star power.

I don’t know if it’s healthy, but I think it would be great if they could enjoy a movie for it. Every YouTuber is becoming a director and they want to show that they are smarter than the filmmakers by trying to figure out what the film is about. Ironically, I narrated the whole story in the trailer itself (laughs) but this is only the foundation and there are many more surprises in store.

Director Venkat Prabhu Photo credit: Johan Satyadas J

In my previous interview, I was asked what these surprises were and I wondered how they would remain surprises if I broke them! The surprises will therefore remain till the end of the first show as they will soon be released on social media. Some want to kill the experience for those watching behind them just to gain traction and become famous on social media. I know how some channels bribe people working on the sets of a film to get exclusive news and break what we want to enjoy on the big screen.

In the 90s, even announcing the titles of Mani Ratnam’s films would take a long time as there was no social media then. The excitement and wonder that came back then is impossible now. Imagine someone like that Lokesh (Kanagaraj) is trying to keep Suriya’s cameo Vikram Just to reveal it was a surprise… and they had to officially announce it. I see this trend as a curse for filmmakers.

You have known Vijay for a long time and have also acted with him. But how was his performance from the lens of a director?

He is a very smart actor who knows the pulse of the audience. I can write a scene and tell him how I want it, but he knows how to improvise and accent it. He is usually quiet on set but the moment the cameras start rolling, the actor in him transforms into something extraordinary. In this film she played two roles and she varied a lot with her body language. With so many films under his belt, it’s no surprise that the actor in him shines and I hope we tap into that aspect a lot more in this film.

A steady victory from the ‘GOAT’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

The film also features an ensemble cast of actors from 90s Tamil cinema. Are there any other veterans who you would like to collaborate with?

Rajini sir, of course; We are all his huge fans. Lately he is doing serious, genre like movies the jailer. But like Vijay sir, Rajini sir and Kamal Haasan sir also have a brilliant sense of humor and I would love to do such a film with them. I remember how I wanted to do a sequel early on Vikram (1986). I love the genre which was a spy thriller mixed with elements of Indiana Jones. We have grown up watching these actors and I want to work with them.

The lyrics of ‘GOAT’ received critical acclaim; While addressing this, you said that they will enjoy hearing and watching the film when it releases in theatres. Do you think that today’s listeners prefer hook lines that are immediately catchy over long songs?

Yuvan’s song grows for you the goatI asked him for lasting songs that would last. Some recent songs are nice to listen to every once in a while, but we forget within a few months. Tunes always stand the test of time, even some kuthu Music does that. Songs like ‘Annathe Adurar’ (Apurva Sogodharargal)Give us joy today; I don’t think we have songs like this anymore. Maybe I’m a little old school…

We grew up listening to Isagnani (Ilaiyaraja) songs.. But these days, songs for Instagram reels need to be trendy and designed for momentary pleasure. Every music director can deliver such timeless, soul-touching songs but audio companies and production houses want to go viral instantly because that’s how money can be made. I guess we just have to work alongside such trends.

The Greatest Of All Time hits theaters on September 5, 2024