In a scene where South Indian cinema is reaching new heights, AGS Entertainment is all set to make its mark with its most ambitious project yet. The Greatest of All Time (“GOAT”), starring megastar Vijay, is the company’s 25th production.
Archana Kalpathy, CEO of Chennai, Tamil Nadu-based AGS Entertainment and Creative Producer of 'GOAT', sat down with diverse To discuss this high-stakes venture, the company's strategic vision, and its perspective on the current golden age of South Indian filmmaking.
Directed by Venkat Prabhu (Manaadu), the action thriller stars Vijay as an Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent who gets embroiled in a multi-year saga. With a pan-Indian release strategy and strong overseas potential, GOAT marks a new frontier for AGS. “It’s an action-packed, thrilling and entertaining film,” reveals Kalpathy.
“There's a mission that goes wrong, and then years later, it comes back to haunt them, [we see] “How do they solve this case?” Kalpati explains the plot details.
The film is generating a lot of buzz, partly because it is reported to be one of Vijay’s last projects before he moves on to a full-time political career. This adds an extra layer of pressure on the production team. Kalpathy admits to the challenge: “When you do a film with a superstar, there is always this extra pressure of doing well, because it is really difficult to get a good film with a big star. The expectations and the bar are very high. I had the same pressure with Bigil.” [AGS’ 2019 hit also starring Vijay]”So it's no different.”
AGS plans to release “GOAT” in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu across nearly 5,000 screens in India. Kalpathi reveals that the film’s overseas business is expected to be significant, worth “90% of Tamil Nadu’s value”, underscoring the global appeal of South Indian cinema. Six of the top 10 grossing Indian films this year are from South India, led by “Kalki 2898 AD”. Vijay’s last release “Leo” was one of the biggest Indian hits of 2023, grossing $74 million.
Over the past two decades, AGS Entertainment has established itself as a force in the South Indian film industry. The company ventured into film production in 2006 with Susi Ganesan’s ‘Thiruttu Payale’ followed by ‘Santosh Subramaniam’, both of which were commercial successes. Its diverse portfolio spans genres from romantic comedies like ‘Maasilamani’ to historicals like ‘Madrasapattinam’, and critically acclaimed projects like Myshkin’s crime thriller ‘Yudham Sei’. Notable productions also include KV Anand’s ‘Maattrraan’ starring Suriya, Atlee’s action sports film ‘Bigil’ and the recent blockbuster ‘Love Today’. Apart from production, AGS has made great strides in film distribution, bringing hits like ‘Kandhakottai’, ‘Inidhu Inidhu’, ‘Mynaa’ and ‘Payanam’ to the audiences.
AGS is looking beyond “GOAT,” and has a slate of projects in development. That includes a Hindi remake of the hit romantic comedy “Love Today.” The Tamil-language film is directed by Pradeep Ranganathan, and features Ranganathan in his acting debut, along with Satyaraj, Radhika Sarathkumar, Yogi Babu, Raveena Ravi and Ivana in the lead roles. The film follows two young lovers who are forced to swap phones for a day and the consequences. The film was made on a budget of $605,000 and grossed $12 million. Kalpathy said discussions are underway to remake the film in China and Korea.
AGS is teaming up with Ranganathan again for Dragon, which Kalpathy describes as “a very fun college film, aimed at 18-30 year olds, a slice of life film.” Also in the works is Thani Oruvan 2, a sequel to AGS’s 2015 hit action thriller.
Kalpathy emphasizes AGS’s focus on strong scripts: “The story is the superstar of any film. Without the script, you can’t do anything. No matter how you package it or how you cast it, it’s of no use if the script isn’t right.”
This philosophy has led AGS to explore productions in other Indian languages, including Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi. “If we feel it’s a small, sweet story that can be done in Rs four to five crore, we plan to make a short film in a few weeks,” explains Kalpathy. [$475,000-$600,000]”It makes sense to do this in multiple languages.”
While he focuses primarily on theatrical releases, Kalpathy acknowledges the potential of streaming platforms for longer storytelling: “For stories that you can’t tell in three hours or two hours and 40 minutes, that need 12 or 13 hours, OTT [streaming] “It's a great way to express or tell those stories.”
AGS is also expanding its exhibition business, with a focus on refurbishing and converting single-screen cinemas in small towns in Tamil Nadu into multiplexes.
Speaking about the current state of the industry, Kalpathy is optimistic: “We are, in my opinion, in one of the golden ages of South Indian cinema, with great storytelling.”
The album “GOAT” is scheduled to be released on September 5th worldwide.
