The Greatest of All Time Review: Thalapathy Vijay’s Dual Role as Hero and Villain

Venkat Prabhu‘s The Greatest of All Time, starring Thalapathy Vijay, is now playing in theaters. The film, produced by AGS Entertainment, is one of the most anticipated films in the Kollywood industry since its announcement. It is a masterpiece and a film guaranteed to deliver strong content from director Venkat Prabhu, who is best known for making films like 2011’s Mankatha and 2021’s Maanaadu.

Vijay plays a dual role in the film, one as M. S. Gandhi, a SATS officer, and the other as Jeevan Gandhi. The conflict centers around a father and his lost son, who turns into a massive criminal seeking revenge against his father. The film opens in Kenya in 2008, featuring the Special Anti-Terrorism Squad (SATS), which consists of Gandhi, Sunil (Prashanth), Kalyan (Prabhu Deva), and Ajay (Ajmal Ameer) on a mission to find their former chief, Menon (Rajiv Menon), who is on the run after being charged with treason. This opening scene runs throughout the entire storyline.

During the train fight, Gandhi’s actions unfortunately kill Menon’s family. He then takes Gandhi’s son, Jeevan, during a new mission in Bangkok, leading everyone, including Gandhi, to believe that Jeevan is dead. Gandhi retires from the SATS team, and his wife, Anu (Sneha), gives birth to a girl.

The timeline then shifts to 2024, where all the characters have aged. Gandhi unexpectedly discovers that his son is alive during his new assignment in Moscow, where he is training new officers at the reopened Indian Embassy. He brings Jeevan back to Chennai. The rest of the story explores who Jeevan is and what his intentions are.

Jeevan is one of the villains in the film, having been kidnapped and raised by Rajiv Menon to seek revenge against Gandhi. Menon manipulates Jeevan, turning him against his biological father. The action sequences are fantastic, including the introductory fight and the pre-interval sequence, and there are many cameos throughout the film.

The last 40 minutes of the film serve as its backbone, packed with twists and goosebumps during the climax. It truly confirms, “The lion is always a lion.” Don’t forget to stay for the post-credits and bloopers!