.gif)
Billa (1980 film)
Encyclopedia
Billa is a 1980 Tamil film produced by K.Balaji and directed by R.Krishnamurthy. The film stars Rajinikanth, Suresh Balaje
, Thengai Srinivasan
, Manorama, Sripriya
, Reena Roy
and Major Sundarrajan. This movie is extensively based on the Hindi
film Don
(1978), with changes made in the script to suit the Tamil audience.
), Rajesh’s fiancee, and Priya, (Sripriya
) Rajesh’s sister. When Kamini seduces Billa and attempts to have the police arrest him, her plan backfires as Billa outsmarts her and the police in his escape, and in the process Kamini loses her life.
A shattered, revenge-seeking Priya gets her hair cut short, trains in judo and karate, then enters Billa’s gang after deceiving them into thinking that she too is on the wrong side of the law. Billa is impressed with her fighting skills and allows her to work for him, without realizing her true intentions. Meanwhile, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at nabbing Billa, the police finally succeed, but Billa dies during the pursuit, botching DSP Alexander’s plan to reach the source of all crime—the man Billa reported to—through capturing Billa alive. DSP buries Billa’s body, ensuring that people believe that he may still be alive. As luck would have it, DSP remembers his chance encounter with Rajappa (Rajinikanth), a simpleton trying to survive in the hustle and bustle of Chennai in order to support two small foster children, who is an exact lookalike of Billa. DSP hatches a plan to transform Raju into Billa and place him back into the crime nexus, but this time as a police informer.
Around the time Raju "returns" to Billa's gang as Billa under the guise of amnesia. JJ (Thengai Srinivasan
), just released from jail, begins his mission of revenge against DSP (for his wife's death) and his search for his children who had been saved and taken care of by Raju. Raju manages to replace the red diary with a blank one, and tells his gang that he is going to take revenge on the DSP, but is actually going there to give him the red diary. Priya goes after him, but Raju survives the attack and he tries to explain to her that he is not Billa, but Raju. She refuses to believe him at first but DSP intervenes and tells her that the man she is trying to kill is indeed Raju.
Meanwhile, as Raju learns more and more about Billa through his discovery of his diary and Priya’s help, he announces to his colleagues that his memory is back. Celebrations ensue, as Billa announces his return to the world, but things take a drastic turn when the police raid the celebrations, acting upon Raju's information, but Raju’s only witness to his true identity, DSP Alexander, dies in the crossfire.
Tangled in a web of confusion where the police refuse to believe that he is Raju, whereas his underworld gang realizes that he is indeed not Billa, Raju becomes not only hated by the police, but also by Billa’s right-hand man and the rest of his gang. To add to Raju’s woes, Billa’s diary which he had handed over to DSP — his last hope of proving his innocence — is stolen by JJ in an attempt to track down his lost children, without realizing that Raju is the one man who can reunite them. Raju escapes the clutches of the police and the underworld with Priya’s help and returns to his old self though he struggles to prove his identity and innocence. He eventually finds out that the Interpol Officer Gokulnath is Jagdish, the real underworld crime boss and after a long fight against Jagdish's men, Priya ends up getting the diary and one of the gangster's snatch it and burn it. The ending reveals that the diary which was burnt was, in fact, the fake diary and Raju had the real one in order to trick Jagdish, he gives the proof to the police and all charges are put against him, Jagdish is arrested and Raju returns to his old life.
.
, this film was also very well received and became a cult classic
. Interestingly, it was remade in 2007 with the same title
and starred Ajith Kumar
in the lead role after Don was remade in 2006 with the same title
, starring Shahrukh Khan
. Billa 2007 had the tracks My Name Is Billa and Veththalaya Pottendi remixed.
by Vishnuvardhan
. After it's commercial success, he decided to launch a prequel - Billa 2
with Ajith Kumar
reprising his role. This film would however tell the backstory of Billa, i.e. before he became an underworld criminal. But due to date issues, Vishnu Vardhan walked out of the project, leaving it to Chakri Toleti
.
Suresh Balaje
Suresh Balaje is an Indian film producer, primarily concentrating in Malayalam and Tamil films. He is the son of late producer-actor K. Balaji. Malayalam actor Mohanlal is his brother-in-law. In 2000's he has produced 13 B, Yaavarum Nalam, Billa, Kireedam, Malamaal Weekly and Phir Milenge...
, Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than...
, Manorama, Sripriya
Sripriya
Sripriya is an actress who played leading roles in the 1970s and 1980s in South India. She has acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films, but her main contribution was in Tamil films, where she has acted in over 200 films.-Personal life:...
, Reena Roy
Reena Roy
Reena Roy was one of the top Hindi film actresses in India. She performed leading roles in many films from 1972 to 1985 .-Early life and background:...
and Major Sundarrajan. This movie is extensively based on the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film Don
Don (1978 film)
Don is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing...
(1978), with changes made in the script to suit the Tamil audience.
Plot
Billa is the story of one of the most powerful men in the business of crime, who in spite of being one of the most wanted on the list of Interpol, remains elusive to the police. Along with the police, Billa (Rajinikanth) makes a few other enemies through his merciless approach to running his organization, especially when he kills one of his own men, Rajesh, when Rajesh decides to leave the business. This introduces Billa to two new enemies, Kamini (HelenHelen (actress)
Helen Jairag Richardson is an Indian film actress and dancer of Anglo-Burmese descent, working in Hindi films. She is often cited as the most popular dancer of the item number in her time. She was the inspiration for four films and a book.-Early life and background:Helen was born in Burma on 21...
), Rajesh’s fiancee, and Priya, (Sripriya
Sripriya
Sripriya is an actress who played leading roles in the 1970s and 1980s in South India. She has acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films, but her main contribution was in Tamil films, where she has acted in over 200 films.-Personal life:...
) Rajesh’s sister. When Kamini seduces Billa and attempts to have the police arrest him, her plan backfires as Billa outsmarts her and the police in his escape, and in the process Kamini loses her life.
A shattered, revenge-seeking Priya gets her hair cut short, trains in judo and karate, then enters Billa’s gang after deceiving them into thinking that she too is on the wrong side of the law. Billa is impressed with her fighting skills and allows her to work for him, without realizing her true intentions. Meanwhile, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at nabbing Billa, the police finally succeed, but Billa dies during the pursuit, botching DSP Alexander’s plan to reach the source of all crime—the man Billa reported to—through capturing Billa alive. DSP buries Billa’s body, ensuring that people believe that he may still be alive. As luck would have it, DSP remembers his chance encounter with Rajappa (Rajinikanth), a simpleton trying to survive in the hustle and bustle of Chennai in order to support two small foster children, who is an exact lookalike of Billa. DSP hatches a plan to transform Raju into Billa and place him back into the crime nexus, but this time as a police informer.
Around the time Raju "returns" to Billa's gang as Billa under the guise of amnesia. JJ (Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than...
), just released from jail, begins his mission of revenge against DSP (for his wife's death) and his search for his children who had been saved and taken care of by Raju. Raju manages to replace the red diary with a blank one, and tells his gang that he is going to take revenge on the DSP, but is actually going there to give him the red diary. Priya goes after him, but Raju survives the attack and he tries to explain to her that he is not Billa, but Raju. She refuses to believe him at first but DSP intervenes and tells her that the man she is trying to kill is indeed Raju.
Meanwhile, as Raju learns more and more about Billa through his discovery of his diary and Priya’s help, he announces to his colleagues that his memory is back. Celebrations ensue, as Billa announces his return to the world, but things take a drastic turn when the police raid the celebrations, acting upon Raju's information, but Raju’s only witness to his true identity, DSP Alexander, dies in the crossfire.
Tangled in a web of confusion where the police refuse to believe that he is Raju, whereas his underworld gang realizes that he is indeed not Billa, Raju becomes not only hated by the police, but also by Billa’s right-hand man and the rest of his gang. To add to Raju’s woes, Billa’s diary which he had handed over to DSP — his last hope of proving his innocence — is stolen by JJ in an attempt to track down his lost children, without realizing that Raju is the one man who can reunite them. Raju escapes the clutches of the police and the underworld with Priya’s help and returns to his old self though he struggles to prove his identity and innocence. He eventually finds out that the Interpol Officer Gokulnath is Jagdish, the real underworld crime boss and after a long fight against Jagdish's men, Priya ends up getting the diary and one of the gangster's snatch it and burn it. The ending reveals that the diary which was burnt was, in fact, the fake diary and Raju had the real one in order to trick Jagdish, he gives the proof to the police and all charges are put against him, Jagdish is arrested and Raju returns to his old life.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Rajinikanth | Billa and Raju |
| Suresh Balaje Suresh Balaje Suresh Balaje is an Indian film producer, primarily concentrating in Malayalam and Tamil films. He is the son of late producer-actor K. Balaji. Malayalam actor Mohanlal is his brother-in-law. In 2000's he has produced 13 B, Yaavarum Nalam, Billa, Kireedam, Malamaal Weekly and Phir Milenge... |
DSP Alexander |
| Sripriya Sripriya Sripriya is an actress who played leading roles in the 1970s and 1980s in South India. She has acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films, but her main contribution was in Tamil films, where she has acted in over 200 films.-Personal life:... |
Priya |
| Thengai Srinivasan Thengai Srinivasan Thengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than... |
JJ |
| R.S.Manohar | Manohran |
| Major Sundarrajan | Jagdesh Kumaran Santhanam |
| S.A. Asokan | |
| Reena Roy | Cameo appearance |
| Helen Helen (actress) Helen Jairag Richardson is an Indian film actress and dancer of Anglo-Burmese descent, working in Hindi films. She is often cited as the most popular dancer of the item number in her time. She was the inspiration for four films and a book.-Early life and background:Helen was born in Burma on 21... |
Kamini |
Soundtrack
The soundtrack, consisting of 4 songs is composed by M.S. Viswanathan with lyrics by KannadasanKannadasan
Kannadasan was a Tamil poet and lyricist, heralded as one of the greatest and most important writer in the Tamil language...
.
- My Name Is Billa - S.P. Balasubramaniam
- Iravum Pagalum - Malaysia VasudevanMalaysia VasudevanVasudevan Nair , known as Malaysia Vasudevan was a Tamil playback singer and actor in the Tamil film industry. He was known for singing songs for Indian actor Rajnikanth and many more.- Early life :...
, Vani JayaramVani JayaramVani Jayaram , the unmatched nightingle of India, is a prominent Indian female playback singer. She has recorded more than 8,000 songs in 14 different languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Hindi... - Veththalaya Pottendi - Malaysia VasudevanMalaysia VasudevanVasudevan Nair , known as Malaysia Vasudevan was a Tamil playback singer and actor in the Tamil film industry. He was known for singing songs for Indian actor Rajnikanth and many more.- Early life :...
- Nattukulla Enakkoru - S.P. Balasubramaniam
- Ninnaithale Inikkum Sugame - L. R. EswariL. R. EswariL. R. Eswari is a Veteran playback singer of the Tamil movie industry. She also sang in other languages like Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tulu, and English.-Early Life:...
Character map of remakes
| Don Don (1978 film) Don is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing... (Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... ) |
Yugandhar Yugandhar Yugandhar was a 1979 Telugu remake of the hit Hindi film Don. It starred N.T. Rama Rao, Jayasudha, Jaggaiah, Sheela and Chalam. Jayamalini does a dance number in the film. The director was K. S. R... (Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... ) |
Billa (Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... ) |
| Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades... |
N.T. Rama Rao | Rajinikanth |
| Zeenat Aman Zeenat Aman Zeenat Aman is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970... |
Jayasudha Jayasudha Jayasudha is an Indian film actress-turned-MLA for the Congress in Secunderabad. She was a famous South Indian actress from the 1970s and 1980s, with most of her films being Telugu films. She has also worked in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and three Hindi films.... |
Sripriya Sripriya Sripriya is an actress who played leading roles in the 1970s and 1980s in South India. She has acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films, but her main contribution was in Tamil films, where she has acted in over 200 films.-Personal life:... |
| Pran | Jaggaiah Kongara Jaggayya Kongara Jaggayya was an Indian Film Actor from Telugu cinema & Theater . He was popularly known as "Kanchu Kantam" Jaggayya Kongara Jaggayya (31 December 1928 – 5 August 2004; also transliterated as Jaggaiah) was an Indian Film Actor from Telugu cinema & Theater . He was popularly known... |
Thengai Srinivasan Thengai Srinivasan Thengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than... |
Reception
Like the originalDon (1978 film)
Don is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing...
, this film was also very well received and became a cult classic
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
. Interestingly, it was remade in 2007 with the same title
Billa (2007 film)
Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
and starred Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
in the lead role after Don was remade in 2006 with the same title
Don - The Chase Begins Again
Don: The Chase Begins Again is a 2006 Indian action film directed by Farhan Akhtar. It is a remake of the 1978 film Don. The film is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under their home banner Excel Entertainment. The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Ishaa...
, starring Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
. Billa 2007 had the tracks My Name Is Billa and Veththalaya Pottendi remixed.
Billa series
Billa was remade in 2007 under the same titleBilla (2007 film)
Billa is a 2007 Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. Based on the 1980 Tamil film of the same name and the 2006 Hindi film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, it was adapted by the director, who rewrote portions of the film from the original...
by Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan (director)
Vishnuvardhan Kulasekaran, often credited simply as Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian film director. A one-time associate of Santosh Sivan he made his directorial debut in 2003 with Kurumbu, which did not fare well at the box office...
. After it's commercial success, he decided to launch a prequel - Billa 2
Billa 2
Billa II is a forthcoming Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Chakri Toleti. It is a prequel to the 2007 film Billa and would focus on how David, an ordinary man from the coastal regions of South Tamil Nadu, becomes Billa, a dreaded underworld don, with Ajith Kumar reprising the role of the...
with Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
reprising his role. This film would however tell the backstory of Billa, i.e. before he became an underworld criminal. But due to date issues, Vishnu Vardhan walked out of the project, leaving it to Chakri Toleti
Chakri Toleti
Chakri Toleti is an Indian actor and film director based in the United States who recently made his directorial debut with the bilingual films Unnaipol Oruvan and Eeenadu . The film was a remake of Neeraj Pandey's 2008 Hindi film A Wednesday...
.