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

Filmmaker Venkat Prabhu speaks about helming Vijay’s penultimate film ‘GOAT’/‘The Greatest Of All Time’, being successful in the film industry for close to two decades, and matching the expectations of the audience

Tamil cinema’s tryst with duumvirates is a story worth multiple case studies. First, it was Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and PU Chinnappa, then came Sivaji Ganesan and MGR followed by Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan and for those belonging to the next generation, it is Ajith and Vijay. For filmmakers, unsurprisingly, it is another feather on their cap to helm films with both these actors; the latest to join this exclusive bandwagon is Venkat Prabhu. After working with Ajith in Mankatha (2011), the filmmaker has teamed up with Vijay forThe Greatest of All Time, the actor’s penultimate film before his political plunge.

Excerpts from a conversation with the filmmaker:

Being in this industry for nearly two decades is a blessing, and I’m grateful for the audience, actors and producers who believe in me. I’m glad that people think they can expect something different from my films. The fact that I got to do a film with Vijay sir at the peak of his career is an achievement and I see it as a recognition of how my ideas and thought process are still working.

My hero and producers believed in me, and come what may, I wanted to deliver what I promised and make sure the audience would enjoy the final product. If I had concentrated on the hindrances, I feared I might have strayed away from my goal; Vijay sir said earlier in a function on how one should only work towards their own goals like a horse with blinders, and not be perturbed by negativity.

GOATis a film with a huge production value with a huge star cast. But even nature ensured we worked without a hassle; when we shot at Hyderabad, there was a storm in Chennai, so the shooting wasn’t disturbed. Just before the Russia schedule, the Moscow concert hall attack happened and we were hesitant to shoot but the shooting went smoothly just like how it did everywhere else. My technicians also co-operated to finish the film within the promised budget and time, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my team. Everything fell into place for this film.

I think it’s because of the excitement level that only big ‘star films’ incite. I did Manmadha Leelai— a comparatively smaller film —but not many spoke about it though there’s a lot to decode in it. I even remember watching non-Tamil bloggers and YouTubers praising the film but not many would have seen it. But they would have seen the same creators talk about GOAT and that’s the power of stars.

I don’t know if it’s healthy, but I feel it would be great if they could enjoy a film for what it is. Every YouTuber is becoming a director and they want to show that they are smarter than the makers of the film by trying to decipher what the film is. Ironically, I’ve narrated the entire story in the trailer itself (laughs). But that’s just the premise and there are a lot more surprises in store.