AGS Entertainment’s Archana Kalpathi on Her Biggest Launch Till Now: ‘A Real Action Entertainer’ (EXCLUSIVE)

In a landscape where South Indian cinema is reaching new heights, AGS Entertainment is all set to make its mark with its most ambitious project till date. The Greatest of All Time (“GOAT”), starring megastar Vijay, is the company’s 25th production.

Archana Kalpathi, CEO, Chennai, Tamil Nadu-based AGS Entertainment and Creative Producer of ‘GOAT’ caught up with Diversity to discuss this risky venture, the company’s strategic vision and its perspective on the current golden era of South Indian cinema.

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The action thriller, directed by Venkat Prabhu (Maanaadu), features Vijay as an agent of the Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), who is embroiled in a mission that turns into a years-long saga. With its pan-India release strategy and significant overseas potential, GOAT is breaking new ground for AGS. “It’s a true action film,” Kalpathi reveals.

“The mission goes wrong and then, years later, it comes back to haunt them and (we see) them solve the problem,” Kalpathi describes the plot.

The film has been creating quite a stir, partly because of reports that it is one of Vijay’s last projects before he moves into full-time politics. That adds extra pressure on the production team. Kalpathi admits it’s a challenge: “When you do a film with a superstar, there’s always that extra pressure to do well because honestly, it’s really difficult to do a good film with a big star. The expectations and the bar are set so high. I had the same pressure with ‘Bigil’ (the 2019 AGS hit that also starred Vijay), so this is no different.”

AGS plans to release GOAT in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu on around 5,000 screens in India. Kalpathi reveals that the film’s overseas business is expected to be significant, with its grosses reaching “90% of Tamil Nadu’s,” underlining 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 with a gross of $74 million.

Over the last two decades, AGS Entertainment has established itself as a powerhouse in South Indian cinema. The company entered the film industry in 2006 with Susi Ganesan’s Thiruttu Payale, followed by Santosh Subramaniam, which were commercial successes. Its diverse portfolio includes films across genres, from romantic action comedies like Maasilamani to period films like Madrasapattinam and critically acclaimed projects like Myshkin’s crime thriller Yudham Sei. Other notable releases include KV Anand’s Maattrraan starring Suriya, Atlee’s sports actioner Bigil and the recent blockbuster Love Today. Apart from production, AGS has also made significant inroads into film distribution, presenting successful films like Kandhakottai, Inidhu Inidhu, Mynaa and Payanam to the audience.

Looking beyond GOAT, AGS has a line-up of upcoming films. It includes a Hindi remake of her hit romantic comedy Love Today. Directed by Pradeep Ranganathan, the Tamil film featured Ranganathan in his acting debut, Sathyaraj, Raadhika Sarathkumar, Yogi Babu, Raveena Ravi and Ivana in the lead roles. The film revolves around two young lovers who are forced to exchange their phones for a day and the aftermath of it. The film was made at a cost of $605,000 and has grossed $12 million. Discussions are on for Chinese and Korean remakes, Kalpathi said.

AGS is teaming up with Ranganathan again for Dragon, which Kalpathi describes as “a very funny student film, aimed at the 18-30 age group and also a genre story.” Thani Oruvan 2, a sequel to AGS’s 2015 action-thriller, is also in the pipeline.

Kalpathi emphasises that AGS focuses on strong scripts: “Story is the superstar of any film. Without a script, nothing can be done. No matter the packaging, star cast, nothing helps if the script is not good.”

This philosophy led AGS to explore production in other Indian languages, including Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi. Kalpathi explains the strategy: “If we feel it’s a small and sweet story that can be made for four to five crores (US$475,000-600,000), it makes sense to make it in multiple languages.”

While Kalpathi is primarily focused on theatrical releases, he sees the potential of streaming platforms to tell longer stories: “When it comes to stories that can’t be told in three hours or two hours and 40 minutes, and that require, say, 12 or 13 hours, OTT (streaming) is an amazing medium to express or tell those stories.”

AGS is also expanding its exhibition activities, focusing on renovating and potentially converting single-screen cinemas in smaller towns of Tamil Nadu into multiplexes.

Reflecting on the current state of the industry, Kalpathi is optimistic, “I think we are living in one of the golden eras of South Indian cinema where great stories are being told.”

“GOAT” will premiere worldwide on September 5.

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