18 Apr – It was revealed that director Venkat Prabhu has approached the family of the late actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth for a cameo via AI in the upcoming Vijay starrer, "GOAT". The news was confirmed by Vijayakanth's wife and fellow politician Premalatha, saying that the discussion has been going on for several weeks, and that a decision will be made by the family after the Lok Sabha Elections.
"Venkat Prabhu visited our house four to five times and had several rounds of talks with my son, Shanmugapandian. He also requested him to meet me. I recently went to Chennai for the election campaign, and we met regarding the same. He explained that they wanted to bring back Captain [Vijayakanth] alive in a scene in 'GOAT'. They sought our permission. He also added that Vijay wanted to meet me in person," she said. Premalatha said that she had thought about it from the point of view of her late husband, saying that Vijayakanth, known to fans as "Captain", has worked with Vijay in the past through "Sendhoorapaandi" and has loved both the actor and his father SA Chandrasekhar.
"If Captain was alive, he would never say no. I've told them the same. Once the election is over, let Vijay come and meet me and I'll give the good news," she said. It is noted that "GOAT" will be among Vijay's last projects before he retires to give way to his political career. Vijayakanth passed away in December 2023 after contracting COVID-19 while in treatment for liver complications in hospital in Chennai. He was 71.