Thalapathy Vijay's GOAT fails to impress Telugu audiences, set for major losses

Thalapathy Vijay's popularity has been steadily rising over the last seven years, a trend reflected in the strong openings of his Telugu-dubbed films in the Telugu states. However, his latest movie, The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), the most expensive project of his career, has failed to capitalize on this popularity among Telugu audiences.

GOAT recorded the lowest opening of Vijay's career in the Telugu states and has continued to underperform. The film is poised to become one of the biggest commercial failures at the Telugu box office.

According to reports, stakeholders, distributors, and exhibitors invested over Rs 22 crore to release the film in the Telugu states. However, as it nears the end of its second week, GOAT has not even recouped 50% of the costs.

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As per AndhraBoxOffice.com, GOAT earned less than Rs 2 crore, with a 23% occupancy rate in the Telugu states. The film has shown no signs of improvement and remains in a disastrous slump. In the past 12 days, it is estimated to have earned just over Rs 10 crore.

The movie has struggled to capture the imagination of Telugu audiences, with neither the teaser trailers nor the songs generating enthusiasm. Writer-director Venkat Prabhu suggested that the film's climax, which heavily features the Chennai Super Kings, might have contributed to its lack of appeal in Telugu and Hindi markets.

Meanwhile, The GOAT is performing significantly better in Tamil Nadu, defying poor reviews. The film has grossed over Rs 180 crore in Tamil Nadu alone and more than Rs 140 crore in overseas markets, bringing its global total to around Rs 400 crore.

Besides Vijay, The GOAT stars Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan, Ajmal Ameer, Jayaram, Sneha, Laila, and Meenakshi Chaudhary among others.

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