Thalapathy Vijay’s “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. While the film offers some nostalgic moments and impressive action sequences, it falls short in terms of a cohesive narrative and character development.

GOAT hit theaters on September 5, 2024, with a massive budget of ₹400 crores. While the film has raked in ₹126 crores at the box office so far, the excitement is far from over. With its gripping storyline and star power, the movie still has plenty of room to soar higher in the coming weeks! Domestic Box Office Collection is ₹43 crores. GOAT overall collection globally, ₹300 Crores.

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GOAT Cast Highlights: A Star-Studded Ensemble

The film delivers a double dose of Vijay, who stars in two riveting roles:

M.S. Gandhi, a no-nonsense SATS officer
Jeevan Gandhi (aka Sanjay), Gandhi’s son, with Akhil playing the childhood version of Jeevan.
Abhyukta Manikandan as Jeevitha Gandhi – Abyukta Manikandan Thalapathy Vijay’s Co-Star in ‘GOAT’

But the spotlight doesn’t end with Vijay! The supporting cast is a powerhouse of talent:

Prashanth takes on the role of Sunil Thiagarajan, another SATS officer.
Prabhu Deva brings flair as Kalyan Sundaram, a fellow SATS officer.
Ajmal Ameer steps into action as Ajay Govindharaj, also from SATS.
Mohan plays the now-traitorous ex-SATS chief Rajiv Menon, a role dripping with drama.
Jayaram is Nazeer, the current SATS chief and Gandhi’s boss.

On the family front:

Sneha portrays Anusuya “Anu” Gandhi, Gandhi’s wife, with her voice dubbed by Savitha Reddy.
Laila takes on the role of Dr. Radhika Sunil, wife of Sunil, also voiced by Reddy.
Meenakshi Chaudhary plays Srinidhi Thiagarajan, their daughter, with her voice dubbed by M. M. Manasi.

Comedy comes from Yogi Babu as Diamond Babu, a quirky phone thief, and the witty Premgi Amaren as Seenu, Gandhi’s brother-in-law and Jeevan’s uncle.

In the mix:

Vaibhav is Sha, Jeevan’s partner-in-crime.
Subbu Panchu as SI Rajendran
VTV Ganesh as Raghavan, Chief Security Officer
Yugendran as Abdul, Menon’s accomplice.
Parvati Nair plays a junior SATS officer named Parvati.
Aravind Akash plays Aravind, a hacker.

Cameos are galore!

Sivakarthikeyan makes a fun appearance as himself.
Trisha Krishnan dazzles in a dance number for the song “Matta.”
Y. G. Mahendran steps in as a RAW officer, and Kaniha as Abi, Menon’s wife.

And here’s a twist of tech magic: The late actor-politician Vijayakanth was brought to life on screen using artificial intelligence as a heartfelt tribute.

For the cricket buffs, archival footage from an IPL match featuring MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and others brings an added layer of excitement, featuring the Chennai Super Kings vs. Mumbai Indians.

GOAT Plot

2008: A Thrilling Operation in Kenya

The Special Anti-Terrorism Squad (SATS), featuring top agents Gandhi, Sunil, Kalyan, and Ajay, finds themselves on a high-stakes mission in Kenya. Their target? Rajiv Menon, their former chief, now a wanted traitor on the run. Menon, charged with treason, is transporting stolen uranium—a deadly threat. The SATS team intercepts Menon on a speeding train, successfully recovering the uranium before blowing the train to bits. They assume Menon, along with everyone else aboard, perishes in the fiery explosion.

Back in Delhi, life is anything but normal for the undercover SATS team. Disguised as employees of the India Tourism Development Corporation, they live double lives, keeping their dangerous real jobs hidden from their loved ones. Gandhi, the team’s fierce leader, tries to balance his covert missions with family life. At home, he has a pregnant wife, Anusuya “Anu,” and a five-year-old son, Jeevan.

But things take a darker turn when Gandhi is assigned a new mission in Bangkok. In an attempt to ease Anu’s suspicions of infidelity, he brings the whole family along. However, after completing his mission, the unthinkable happens. Gandhi and his family are brutally attacked. Amid the chaos, Anu goes into labor, and in a chilling twist, Jeevan vanishes without a trace.

Soon after, the police discover a charred body, which they assume to be Jeevan’s, leaving Gandhi shattered. While Anu gives birth to a baby girl, the weight of grief drives her into silence, and she stops speaking to Gandhi, their once-happy family now fractured by tragedy.

2024: A Twist of Fate

Gandhi has left the high-stakes world of the SATS squad behind, now living a quieter life as an immigration officer at Chennai International Airport. However, life is far from peaceful. Separated from his wife, Anu, they live in different worlds—Anu raising their daughter Jeevitha while Gandhi tries to move on from the past.

One day, Gandhi’s former boss, Nazeer, reaches out with an unexpected request. The Indian Embassy in Moscow has reopened, and they need Gandhi to train new officers. Though hesitant to revisit the world he left behind, Gandhi agrees. But what should have been a routine assignment turns into a nightmare when the embassy is attacked by a violent gang. Gandhi, always the fighter, fends off the attackers—but in the middle of the chaos, something unimaginable happens.

One of the attackers looks eerily familiar—almost like a mirror of his younger self. Stunned, Gandhi quickly realizes the impossible: it’s his long-lost son, Jeevan. The two reunite in the heat of battle, Jeevan even helping his father fend off the remaining attackers.

Together, they return to Chennai, sparking a family reunion. Anu, who had shut herself off in grief for years, finally begins to speak to Gandhi again, rekindling their broken bond.

Just as things seem to be mending, Nazeer urgently calls Gandhi for a meeting. But before Gandhi can arrive, Nazeer is attacked by a masked figure. Gandhi reaches just in time to confront the masked assailant, only to uncover a shocking truth—behind the mask is none other than Jeevan. In a heart-wrenching twist, Jeevan fatally wounds Nazeer, leaving Gandhi torn between duty and the son he thought he had lost forever.

2008: A Dark Turn of Revenge

While Gandhi and his team believed Rajiv Menon perished in the train explosion, the truth was far more sinister. Menon survived—but at the cost of losing his family in the devastating blast. Consumed by grief and vengeance, Menon set out on a twisted mission to make Gandhi pay.

Tracking Gandhi to Bangkok, Menon orchestrated the kidnapping of Gandhi’s son, Jeevan. Instead of harming him outright, Menon devised a far more cruel fate. He placed the young boy in a harsh juvenile facility, planting the seeds of fear and confusion in his mind. Then, in a manipulative stroke, Menon swooped in to “rescue” Jeevan from the very nightmare he had orchestrated, winning the boy’s trust and loyalty.

Renaming him Sanjay, Menon began twisting Jeevan’s mind, poisoning him with the false belief that Gandhi was the one responsible for the deaths of his family. Blinded by this manufactured hatred, Jeevan became Menon’s willing pawn, dedicating his life to his newfound mentor—and to a cold, calculated revenge against the father he was led to despise.

This version adds more emotional weight and intensifies the psychological manipulation, making it more engaging while retaining the essence of the original content.

2024: A Game of Betrayal and Revenge

The web of betrayal tightens as Jeevan’s thirst for revenge turns deadly. In a shocking move, Jeevan murders Ajay and Sunil’s daughter, Srinidhi. But the real bombshell? Kalyan, once a trusted SATS officer, had been secretly working with Menon all along. He had a hand in Jeevan’s kidnapping and Srinidhi’s murder, pulling strings from the shadows.

As Gandhi hunts down Sha, Jeevan’s partner-in-crime, fate intervenes. Gandhi stumbles upon Jeevan and manages to capture him. But things take a dangerous turn during the interrogation. Jeevan seizes Sunil’s gun, seemingly shooting Sunil and forcing Gandhi to help him escape. However, in a twist of fate, Sunil is revealed to have survived the attack—and in a moment of long-awaited justice, he takes down Kalyan.

Jeevan’s endgame is as explosive as his hatred. His final, sinister plan? To blow up the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, targeting thousands of innocent lives. But Gandhi, with the help of his resourceful brother-in-law Seenu and his daughter Jeevitha, manages to wrest control of the bomb detonators just in time. In a dramatic showdown atop the stadium, Gandhi confronts Jeevan, ultimately killing him to prevent the massacre.

Just when it seems the nightmare is over, the mid-credits scene drops a jaw-dropping twist. The Jeevan Gandhi killed wasn’t the real one—it was a clone. The real Jeevan, now a brilliant scientist obsessed with cloning, is still alive, secretly creating more clones to continue his twisted plans. The battle isn’t over—it’s only just begun.

The Positives in GOAT

Vijay’s Star Power: Vijay’s charisma and screen presence continue to be a major draw for his fans. His performance is a highlight of the film.
Nostalgic Elements: The film pays homage to classic Tamil cinema, featuring cameos from several veteran actors. This will delight fans of older Tamil films.
Action Sequences: The action sequences are well-executed and visually appealing, showcasing Vijay’s athleticism.

Why you should watch GOAT?

GOAT is an action-packed, suspense-filled film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The movie is loaded with elements that will surprise you at every turn. From the very beginning, the film picks up a fast pace and keeps that momentum going till the end. With a runtime of nearly 3 hours, there’s never a dull moment—you won’t get a chance to feel bored. In fact, the songs are so gripping that you might just wish they’d end sooner so you can dive right back into the thrilling storyline!

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