Tamil superstar Vijay‘s latest action thriller The Goat (The Greatest of All Time), directed by Venkat Prabhu and featuring Meenakshi Chaudhary as the female lead, also stars Sneha, Laila, Prashanth, and Prabhu Deva in key roles.(The Goat Day 1 Collections) The film uses de-aging technology, and there was significant anticipation around it, especially with rumors that this might be Vijay’s last movie before entering politics. Released worldwide on Thursday, September 5th, the film received mixed reviews in the Telugu-speaking regions but managed to capture the attention of fans in Tamil Nadu, gaining positive buzz. Let’s take a closer look at how the movie performed on its first day at the box office.
The Goat Day 1 Collections
As expected, The Goat delivered strong box office numbers on its first day, meeting expectations. According to trade estimates, the film grossed over ₹55 crore across India, with a net collection of ₹43 crore. In Tamil Nadu alone, it grossed ₹38.3 crore. In the Telugu-speaking states, the movie earned ₹3 crore, while the Hindi version brought in ₹1.7 crore. Worldwide, the first-day gross is expected to exceed ₹80 crore. However, trade analysts point out that The Goat fell short of breaking the opening day record set by Vijay’s previous film, Leo, which earned ₹148.5 crore on its first day. The Goat could not surpass that milestone.
Reviews and Audience Reception
Director Venkat Prabhu’s storyline doesn’t offer anything entirely new. Movies featuring a hero working in defense services or a villain raising the hero’s child to seek revenge have been seen before. Nevertheless, the revenge scenes involving the hero’s son are engaging. The first half focuses on introducing the main character and other players, with the plot progressing predictably until the pre-interval.
The interval scene creates suspense for the second half, but much of it unfolds in a predictable manner. Still, the director(The Goat Day 1 Collections) delivers an intriguing climax, and the twists in the second half keep the audience surprised. Tamil humor and dialogue might not fully resonate with Telugu viewers, but Vijay’s fans are likely to enjoy this film.
Story Overview
Gandhi (Vijay) works as an officer in a special anti-terrorism squad. Alongside his teammates Sunil (Prashanth), Ajay (Ajmal), and Kalyan Sundaram (Prabhu Deva), he completes several successful missions. However, he never discusses his work with his wife Anu (Sneha). During a mission abroad, Gandhi’s five-year-old son dies. Devastated, Anu blames Gandhi for their son’s death and distances herself from him. (The Goat Day 1 Collections)Grief-stricken, Gandhi leaves his job.
Years later, while on a trip to Moscow, Gandhi is shocked to find his son Jeevan (also played by Vijay), whom he believed to be dead. Overjoyed, he brings Jeevan back to India, but soon, Gandhi’s close friends start dying mysteriously, one by one. Who is responsible for these deaths? How did Jeevan, who was presumed dead, come back? And how does Gandhi stop the deaths of his loved ones? To discover the answers, you’ll need to catch the movie in theaters.
Thalapathy Vijay One Man Show
Thalapathy Vijay takes on a dual role in this film, delivering an impressive performance as Gandhi, as expected. However, his younger, digitally de-aged portrayal as Jeevan feels somewhat awkward and less convincing. (The GOAT Movie Review) Vijay once again excels in the action and emotional scenes. Meenakshi Chaudhary, playing the heroine, has a limited role, resembling more of a guest appearance. Prashanth, Ajmal, and Prabhu Deva, portraying the special squad members, give decent performances.
Jayaram, as the squad leader, makes a notable impact with his acting, while Sneha, paired with the senior version of Vijay, shines in her role. (The Goat Day 1 Collections) Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan makes a brief but lively appearance, and Trisha features in a special song. The rest of the cast delivers solid performances within their roles.
