Billa (2009 film): Difference between revisions

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{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name          = Billa
| name          = Billa
| image          = Billa Telugu Film Poster.jpg
| image          = Billa Telugu Film Poster.jpg
| caption        = Promotional poster
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director      = [[Meher Ramesh]]
| director      = [[Meher Ramesh]]
| producer      = D. Narendra<br />Prabodh
| producer      = D. Narendra<br />Prabodh
| screenplay    = Meher Ramesh
| screenplay    = Meher Ramesh
| story          = [[Salim–Javed]]
| based_on      = {{Based on|[[Billa (2007 film)|''Billa'']] (2007)|[[Vishnuvardhan (director)]] and [[Salim–Javed]]}}
| based_on      = {{based on|''[[Don (1978 film)|Don]]''}}
| starring      = {{plainlist|
| starring      = {{plainlist|
*[[Prabhas]]
*[[Prabhas]]
*[[Krishnam Raju]]
*[[Krishnam Raju]]
*[[Anushka Shetty]]
*[[Anushka Shetty]]
*[[Hansika Motwani]]
*[[Namitha]]
*[[Namitha]]
*[[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]]
*[[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]]
Line 24: Line 21:
| cinematography = [[Soundararajan (cinematographer)|Soundarrajan]]
| cinematography = [[Soundararajan (cinematographer)|Soundarrajan]]
| editing        = [[Marthand K. Venkatesh]]
| editing        = [[Marthand K. Venkatesh]]
| studio        = Gopi Krishna Movies Pvt Ltd
| studio        = Gopi Krishna Movies
| distributor    = [[Creative Commercials]]
| distributor    = [[Creative Commercials]]
| released      = {{Film date|df=y|2009|4|3}}
| released      = {{Film date|df=y|2009|4|3}}
| runtime        = 149 minutes
| runtime        = 154 minutes
| country        = India
| country        = India
| language      = Telugu
| language      = Telugu
| budget        = <!---MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO A RELAIBLE SOURCE--->
| budget        = ₹12 crore
| gross          = {{Estimation}}{{INR|26 [[crore]]}}<ref>{{cite web|title=#Birthdayspecial: Before the grand success of Baahubali, Prabhas delivered these hits|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/south-gossip/article/prabhas-hit-films-telugu-baahubali-billa-mr-perfect-darling-varsham-yogi-chatrapathi/160229|work=Times Now news|date=23 October 2017}}</ref>
| gross          = {{Estimation}} {{INR|26 [[crore]]}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 October 2017 |title=#Birthdayspecial: Before the grand success of Baahubali, Prabhas delivered these hits |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/south-gossip/article/prabhas-hit-films-telugu-baahubali-billa-mr-perfect-darling-varsham-yogi-chatrapathi/160229 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605142159/https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/south-gossip/article/prabhas-hit-films-telugu-baahubali-billa-mr-perfect-darling-varsham-yogi-chatrapathi/160229 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |access-date=5 June 2020 |website=[[Times Now]]}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Billa''''' is a 2009 Indian [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language [[action thriller]] film directed by [[Meher Ramesh]]. The film stars [[Prabhas]] in a dual role, alongside [[Krishnam Raju]], [[Anushka Shetty]], [[Hansika Motwani]], [[Namitha]], [[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]], and [[Kelly Dorjee]]. A remake of the 1978 Hindi film ''[[Don (1978 film)|Don]]'' by [[Salim–Javed]], it is the second remake of ''Don'' in Telugu after ''[[Yugandhar]]'' (1979). 
The film began its production in October 2008 and was released on 3 April 2009.


==Plot==
'''''Billa''''' is a 2009 Indian [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language [[action thriller film]] directed by [[Meher Ramesh]]. The film stars [[Prabhas]] in a dual role alongside [[Krishnam Raju]], [[Anushka Shetty]], [[Namitha]], [[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]], and [[Kelly Dorjee]]. The [[Don (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] was composed by [[Mani Sharma]]. It is the remake of 2007 [[Tamil language]] film ''[[Billa (2007 film)|Billa]]'', which itself is a remake of 1980 film ''[[Billa (1980 film)|Billa]]'', and that itself was a remake of 1978 [[Hindi]] film ''[[Don (1978 film)|Don]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 April 2009 |title='Billa', fourth remake of Hindi original 'Don', creates history |url=https://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/bollywood/-billa-fourth-remake-of-hindi-original-don-creates-history_28019.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121135121/https://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/bollywood/-billa-fourth-remake-of-hindi-original-don-creates-history_28019.html |archive-date=21 January 2022 |access-date=21 January 2022 |website=[[Zee News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-04-04 |title=Billa |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/BILLA/article15928141.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126161713/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/BILLA/article15928141.ece |archive-date=26 January 2022 |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> The film follows the titular criminal's lookalike, a thief from [[Andhra Pradesh]] who replaces the don in [[Malaysia]] after he died in a high-speed chase. Tasked with infiltrating the [[mafia]], he embarks on a covert mission to gather intelligence on a major weapons deal.
 
The film began its production in October 2008 and was released and distributed worldwide by [[Creative Commercials]]. It was a moderate success at the box office.
 
== Plot ==
The story begins with an underworld don [[Billa (character)|Billa]] hiding and operating out of Malaysia, hiding from [[Interpol]]'s international criminal list. Krishnamoorthy, an ACP working for the Interpol, has spent the last few years looking for Billa, leaving behind a life in [[India]].
The story begins with an underworld don [[Billa (character)|Billa]] hiding and operating out of Malaysia, hiding from [[Interpol]]'s international criminal list. Krishnamoorthy, an ACP working for the Interpol, has spent the last few years looking for Billa, leaving behind a life in [[India]].
During a chase with the police, Billa is severely wounded after an accident, and dies in front of the [[Assistant Commissioner of Police|ACP]]. The ACP then secretly holds a funeral for Billa. Interpol Officer Dharmendra is assigned to work with the ACP to capture the elusive Billa as no-one knows of Billa's death. The ACP keeps the death of Billa as a secret even from his fellow officers, and tracks down a look-alike called Swami Ranga, a petty thief based in [[Visakhapatnam]]. He asks Ranga to infiltrate Billa's gang by pretending to be Billa. In return, he will make sure that the children Ranga adopted, Lakshmi and Sreenu, get a proper education in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]].
During a chase with the police, Billa is severely wounded after an accident, and dies in front of the [[Assistant Commissioner of Police|ACP]]. The ACP then secretly holds a funeral for Billa. Interpol Officer Dharmendra is assigned to work with the ACP to capture the elusive Billa as no-one knows of Billa's death. The ACP keeps the death of Billa as a secret even from his fellow officers, and tracks down a look-alike called Katikaranga (Ranga), a petty thief based in [[Visakhapatnam]]. He asks Ranga to infiltrate Billa's gang by pretending to be Billa. In return, he will make sure that the children Ranga adopted, Lakshmi and Sreenu, get a proper education in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]].


The ACP trains Ranga and sends him back to Billa's gang as a person who has lost his memory. Slowly Ranga starts to learn about Billa's gang and even speaks to Devil, Billa's boss, on the phone. Ranga provides a pen drive with the secret information of the crime network to the ACP, but he is about to be killed by a woman named Maya because her brother Vikram as well as his fiancée Priya were killed by Billa. At this juncture, the ACP arrives and tells her that he is Ranga and not Billa. Since then, she begins to assist Ranga and the ACP in their mission and soon falls in love with Ranga. Later before a party, Ranga secretly provides information to the ACP about a meeting of Billa's network, and Lisa, Billa's girlfriend, overhears his conversation. She challenges Ranga, but in the fight, he accidentally kills her. A shootout occurs at the party, and the ACP is secretly killed by someone, leaving his gun behind. Ranga finds the ACP's body and the gun, but is taken into the custody of the police team, now headed by Interpol Officer Dharmendra. He argues during interrogation that he is Ranga and not Billa to Dharmendra. Ranga mentions a piece of evidence – the pen drive, which may prove his innocence, but the pen drive is nowhere to be found.
The ACP trains Ranga and sends him back to Billa's gang as a person who has lost his memory. Slowly Ranga starts to learn about Billa's gang and even speaks to Devil, Billa's boss, on the phone. He also gets attracted to one of the girl members of the gang, Maya (Anushka Shetty) who had been secretly plotting to kill Billa as he killed her brother Vikram and his fiancée Priya.  Ranga then provides a pen drive with the secret information of the crime network to the ACP, but he is about to be killed by Maya who thinks he is Billa. At this juncture, the ACP arrives and tells her that he is Ranga and not Billa. Since then, she begins to assist Ranga and the ACP in their mission and soon falls in love with Ranga. Later before a party, Ranga secretly provides information to the ACP about a meeting of Billa's network, and Lisa, Billa's girlfriend, overhears his conversation. She challenges Ranga, but in the fight, he accidentally kills her. A shootout occurs at the party, and the ACP is secretly killed by someone, leaving his gun behind. Ranga finds the ACP's body and the gun, but is taken into the custody of the police team, now headed by Interpol Officer Dharmendra. He argues during interrogation that he is Ranga and not Billa to Dharmendra. Ranga mentions a piece of evidence&nbsp;– the pen drive, which may prove his innocence, but the pen drive is nowhere to be found.


Unable to prove his innocence, he escapes from a police van. He phones Dharmendra and asks him to meet at the Aero bridge. Here it is revealed that Dharmendra is none other than the Underworld Crime Don Devil, and he is the one who killed ACP Krishnamoorthy. While escaping from Devil's gang, he meets Officer Adithya, who apparently had the pen drive all along, and strikes a deal with Ranga to get hold of Devil. Meanwhile, Maya has been kidnapped by Devil after she tried to defend Ranga from Devil. Maya is tied up and kept in a car with her mouth taped shut. Ranga decides to pose as Billa to Devil, and provides Russian explosives to an arms dealer Rashid, who insisted on dealing with Billa. Enraged at being slighted by Rashid, following the completion of the deal, Devil and his henchman Ranjith fight with Ranga. Soon the police arrive and Devil, posing as Dharmendra, asks the police to arrest Ranga as Billa but gets shot by the squad of police and dies as the police have wired the entire conversation between Devil and Ranga, thus proving Ranga's innocence.
Unable to prove his innocence, he escapes from a police van. He phones Dharmendra and asks him to meet at the Aero bridge. Here it is revealed that Dharmendra is none other than the Underworld Crime Don Devil, and he is the one who killed ACP Krishnamoorthy. While escaping from Devil's gang, he meets Officer Adithya, who apparently had the pen drive all along, and strikes a deal with Ranga to get hold of Devil. Meanwhile, Maya has been kidnapped by Devil after she tried to defend Ranga from Devil. Maya is tied up and kept in a car with her mouth taped shut. Ranga decides to pose as Billa to Devil, and provides Russian explosives to an arms dealer Rashid, who insisted on dealing with Billa. Enraged at being slighted by Rashid, following the completion of the deal, Devil and his henchman Ranjith fight with Ranga. Soon the police arrived and Devil, posing as Dharmendra, asks the police to arrest Ranga as Billa but gets shot by the squad of police and dies as the police have wired the entire conversation between Devil and Ranga, thus proving Ranga's innocence.


It ends with Ranga returning to Visakhapatnam with Maya, and deciding to start a school and college there with the government reward given to him and four suitcases of cash he stole from [[Malaysia]].
It ends with Ranga returning to Visakhapatnam with Maya, and deciding to start a school and college there with the government reward given to him and four suitcases of cash he stole from Billa's estate in [[Malaysia]].


==Cast==
== Cast ==
* [[Prabhas]] as [[Billa (character)|Billa]] and Ranga ([[dual role]])
{{Cast listing|
* [[Krishnam Raju]] as ACP Krishnamurthy, a Malaysian police
* [[Prabhas]] in a [[dual role]] as:
* [[Anushka Shetty]] as [[Roma (Don character)|Maya]], Ranga's love interest
** David Billa, a dreaded gangster and powerful don
* [[Hansika Motwani]] as Priya
** Ranga, a small-time petty thief
* [[Namitha]] as Lisa, Billa's girlfriend
* [[Krishnam Raju]] as ACP Krishnamurthy, Interpol officer
* [[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]] as Interpol officer Dharmendra / Devil, the main antagonist
* [[Anushka Shetty]] as Maya, Ranga's love interest
* [[Namitha]] as Lisa, Billa's love interest
* [[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]] as Devil / Interpol officer Dharmendra (fake)
* [[Riyaz Khan]] as Hassan Bhai
* [[Johnny Tri Nguyen]] as Lee Khai Tom
* [[Nawab Shah (actor)|Nawab Shah]] as Salman Khalid Bhai
* [[Adithya (actor)|Adithya]] as Inspector Aditya
* [[Adithya (actor)|Adithya]] as Inspector Aditya
* [[Kelly Dorjee]] as Rashid Bhai
* [[Kelly Dorjee]] as Shethan
* [[Supreeth]] as Ranjit, Billa's right hand
* [[Supreeth]] as Ranjit, Billa's right hand and secondary antagonist
* [[Ali (actor)|Ali]] as Shankaram, Ranga's friend
* [[Ali (actor)|Ali]] as Shankaram, Ranga's friend
* [[Prabhas Sreenu]] as waiter in Shankaram's restaurant
* [[Prabhas Sreenu]] as a waiter in Shankaram's restaurant  
* [[Subbaraju]] as Vikram, Priya's fiancee
* Phani as Ranga's friend
* Phani as Ranga's friend  
* [[Praveen (actor)|Praveen]] as Ranga's friend
* [[Jayasudha]] as Janaki, Krishnamurthy's wife ([[cameo appearance]])
;Cameo appearances
* [[Praveen (actor)|Praveen]] as Ranga's friend
* [[Hansika Motwani]] as Priya
* [[Subbaraju]] as Vikram, Priya's fiancé, Maya's brother
* [[Jayasudha]] as Janaki, Krishnamurthy's wife
}}


==Production==
== Production ==
{{Cleanup section|reason=Large quote pulled from source, needs substantial rewrite|date=December 2020}}
===Development and casting===
The Below is Based on an interview by Meher Ramesh to Mr. Jeevi of idlebrain.com.
During the making of ''[[Kantri]]'' (2008), actor [[N. T. Rama Rao Jr.]] expressed his intention of making [[Billa (2007 film)|''Billa'']] (2007) in Telugu following his grandfather [[N. T. Rama Rao]]'s ''[[Yugandhar]]'' (1979). [[Meher Ramesh]], however, felt that Rama Rao Jr. would not fit into the role at that stage of his career. Ramesh also explored the idea of making the film with [[Ravi Teja]], but dropped the idea due to budget constraints.<ref name="idlebrain1" /> Ramesh later approached [[Prabhas]] who was excited to work for the project. Prabhas' uncle, [[Krishnam Raju]], was also on board for a pivotal role, marking their first on-screen collaboration. Ramesh cast [[Anushka Shetty]] as the female lead. Shetty worked for over two months to slim down for the role. [[Hansika Motwani]] readily agreed to act in the film when suggested by Ramesh. [[Namitha]], like Shetty, lost weight before signing the film.<ref name="idlebrain1" /> Meher wanted either [[Sameer Reddy]] or [[Chota K. Naidu]] for the cinematography, but due to non-availability of dates from the both of them, [[Soundararajan (cinematographer)|Soundararajan]] was chosen instead, marking his debut in [[Telugu cinema]].<ref name="idlebrain1" />
===Development===
It was during the shooting of Vayassunami's song for [[Kantri]] in Ramoji Film City, NTR asked me if I were interested in watching Tamil [[Billa (2007 film)|Billa]] film. He got a print mailed from Chennai. He wanted to watch it because it was done by legend NTR as 'Yugandhar'. He said that if we like the movie, we might remake it in Telugu immediately after the Kantri film. I loved the film, but opined that NTR might not suit the role at this stage of his career and told him frankly about it.
 
I still had the idea of remaking Billa. The same producer came up with the proposal of remaking it with Ravi Teja as the hero. I watched the movie again with Ravi Teja in my mind. I modified certain scenes to suit him. Then I opined that a high budget film might not work out with Ravi Teja as the hero. The producer will end up suffering for the kind of budget we ask for. Hence we collectively decided not to make the movie.
 
I got an offer to work with Prabhas. I told him another story, and he didn't look excited enough. I casually asked him if he saw Billa. I told him that it has all elements of commercial hits like Rowdy Alludu and Donga Mogudu, which Chiranjeevi has done in his peak time of the career. He loved it, and I told him the script changes. We need a comfortable producer who can spend a lot of money at the same time who doesn't pressurize us. Prabhas suggested that we should make it on his home banner Gopi Krishna Movies. I told him another script which is equally exciting. It would cost only 60% of what Billa would have cost. But Prabhas wanted to make Billa. We narrated it to Krishnam Raju, and he loved it. I wanted Krishnam Raju to do the role of police commissioner. I wanted to capture the first combination of Prabhas and Krishnam Raju.
 
I made some changes in the screenplay. I made Billa an out and out commercial entertainer. I visualized every shot before making the movie. We went to Malaysia and selected the required locations a month in advance.<ref name="idlebrain1">[http://www.idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/chitchat-meherramesh.html Meher Ramesh chitchat – Telugu film director]. Idlebrain.com (2 April 2009). Retrieved on 3 August 2015.</ref>
 
===Casting===
[[Meher Ramesh]] explained his casting decisions in an interview.
 
Anushka: I knew Sweety ([[Anushka Shetty]]) even before she entered the movies. It was me who introduced her to [[Puri Jagannadh]] for ''[[Super (2005 film)|Super]]''. I told her that she is going to be paired up with [[Prabhas]], and I need her in the best shape. She worked hard, and when I met her after two months, she slimmed down a lot.
 
Hansika: I told [[Hansika Motwani]] that a slot is done by [[Kareena Kapoor]] in ''[[Don (2006 Hindi film)|Don]]'' is available and asked her if she is interested in doing that role. She trusted me and told me yes immediately.
 
Namitha: I didn't have [[Namitha]] in my mind for that character. I tried many new faces. Namitha asked me that she want to re-enter Telugu films with ''Billa''. She slimmed down for this role, and we had a photo shoot before signing her.
 
Supreet: Supreet is highly impressive as Katraju in ''[[Chhatrapati (film)|Chhatrapati]]''. He matched the masculinity of Prabhas in that film. I cast him as an associate of Prabhas in this film. He looks cool in black suits.
 
Rahman: Tamil actor [[Rahman (actor)|Rahman]] did an important role as an associate of [[Krishnam Raju]] in this film. I noticed that he is also a perfectionist like [[Prakash Raj]]. He learned each and every word of his dialogue before hand. He uttered all Telugu dialogues with no prompting.<ref name="idlebrain1"/>


===Filming===
===Filming===
Most of the Indian and Bollywood films shot in Malaysia have William Wong as the action director. But I have good tuning with Stun Siva. I employed Stun Siva as fight master for Billa, and we took the help of William Wong whenever we required. We shot a chase that never came in the Indian screen before. It will be like watching terrific chases in Bond flicks. We used choppers for 15 days. When we asked for 2 helicopters, the producer granted us four. This credit should go to producer D Narendra and production designer Krishna. We stayed in Malaysia for 3 months at a stretch to shoot this movie.
[[File:Langkawi sky bridge.jpg|thumb|Filming was also at the [[Langkawi Sky Bridge|Langkawi sky bridge]].]]
 
The film was launched at Gopikrishna Pictures office on October 9, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 October 2008 |title=Billa movie launch |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/muhurat-billa.html |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=Idlebrain}}</ref> The film was shot extensively in Malaysia for three months. Filming was completed in 104 working days.<ref name="idlebrain1">{{Cite web |date=2 April 2009 |title=Chitchat with Meher Ramesh |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/chitchat-meherramesh.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051909/http://www.idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/chitchat-meherramesh.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |access-date=3 August 2015 |website=[[Idlebrain.com]]}}</ref>
I wanted to have either Sameer Reddy or Chota K Naidu for cinematography. But the dates of both of them were not available. Not many people know about Soundar Rajan, who worked as an associate to KV Anand in the past. He also worked for four forgettable Tamil flicks. He got busy in doing commercial ads. We wanted to shoot Billa with a Super 35 camera. When I met him for the first time, we shared good vibes. We spoke for 5 hours about moviemaking. I signed him without looking at his work because I realized that he is extremely talented through our discussion. He is a friend of Vishnu Vardhan, who directed Tamil Billa. We met Vishnu Vardhan, and I informed him of the changes I made in the Billa script. He was impressed with it. Soundar is an excellent technician with an amazing sense of using lenses. He is one of the reasons why Billa is made in less time with more quality.
 
Billa is shot in 104 working days. We shot this film in the unpredictable weather of Malaysia. The total runtime of the final cut is 2 hours and 30 minutes.<ref name="idlebrain1"/>


==Music==
== Music ==
{{Infobox album
The film's score and soundtrack was composed by Mani Sharma. The audio launch of Billa was held at [[Shilpakala Vedika]] on 18 March 2009 with [[Dasari Narayana Rao]], [[S. S. Rajamouli]], [[V. V. Vinayak]], [[Tottempudi Gopichand|Gopichand]] and [[Allu Arjun]] as guests. [[Dasari Narayana Rao]] launched the music. The audio rights was bagged by [[Lahari Music]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 March 2009 |title=Billa music launch |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/audio-billa.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120014941/http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/audio-billa.html |archive-date=20 November 2012 |access-date=3 August 2015 |website=[[Idlebrain.com]]}}</ref> The song "My Name is Billa" was later re-used by Sharma for the Tamil film ''[[Sura (film)|Sura]]'' (2010) as "Naan Nadanthaal Adhiradi" and "Bommali " as "Thanjavoor Jillakkaari".<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 April 2010 |title=Review: Sura's music is for Vijay fans |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-tamil-music-review-sura/20100401.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731190240/http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-tamil-music-review-sura/20100401.htm |archive-date=31 July 2017 |access-date=31 July 2017 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref>
| name      = Billa
{{Track listing
| type      = Soundtrack
| headline = Track listing
| artist    = [[Mani Sharma]]
| extra_column = Artist(s)
| cover      =  
| total_length = 25:54
| alt        =
| title1 = Hariloranga Hari
| released  = 18 March 2009
| lyrics1 = [[Ramajogayya Sastry]]
| recorded  = 2008–2009
| extra1 = [[Mano (singer)|Mano]], [[Ranjith (singer)|Ranjith]], Kannan
| venue      =
| length1 = 4:07
| studio    =
| title2 = Ellora Shilpanni
| genre      = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| lyrics2 = Ramajogayya Sastry
| length    = 25:54
| extra2 = [[Rita (Indian singer)|Rita]]
| language  = [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| length2 = 4:06
| label      = [[Lahari Music]]
| title3 = Billa Theme Song
| producer  = [[Mani Sharma]]
| lyrics3 = [[Meher Ramesh]]
| prev_title =[[Baanam]]
| extra3 = [[Ranjith (singer)|Ranjith]], [[Rahul Nambiar]]
| prev_year  =2009
| length3 = 4:30
| next_title =[[Varudu]]
| title4 = Bommali
| next_year  =2010
| lyrics4 = Ramajogayya Sastry
| extra4 = [[Vedala Hemachandra|Hemachandra]], [[Malavika (singer)|Malavika]]
| length4 = 5:15
| title5 = Ne Pataasu
| lyrics5 = [[Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar|Bhaskarabhatla]]
| extra5 = [[Rita (Indian singer)|Rita]], [[Rahul Nambiar]]
| length5 = 3:59
| title6 = My Name is Billa
| lyrics6 = Ramajogayya Sastry
| extra6 = [[Ranjith (singer)|Ranjith]], Naveen Madhav
| length6 = 3:57
}}
}}


Music of Billa was launched at a packed auditorium in [[Shilpakala Vedika]] on the night of 18 March 2009 with [[Dasari Narayana Rao]], [[S. S. Rajamouli]], [[V. V. Vinayak]], [[Tottempudi Gopichand|Gopichand]] and [[Allu Arjun]] as guests. [[Dasari Narayana Rao]] launched the music. [[Mani Sharma]] composed music for the film and Lahari music bought audio rights.<ref>[http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/audio-billa.html Billa music launch – Telugu cinema -Prabhas, Anushka, Namitha & Hansika Motwani]. Idlebrain.com (18 March 2009). Retrieved on 3 August 2015.</ref> The song "My Name is Billa" was re-used by Sharma for the Tamil film ''[[Sura (film)|Sura]]'' (2010) as "Naan Nadanthaal Adhiradi" and "Bommali " as "Thanjavoor Jillakkaari".<ref>http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-tamil-music-review-sura/20100401.htm</ref>
== Release and reception==
{{Tracklist
The film was released on 3 April 2009.
| headline        = Track listing
| extra_column    = Artist(s)
| total_length    = 25:54
| title1          = Hariloranga Hari
| lyrics1        = [[Ramajogayya Sastry]]
| extra1          = [[Mano (singer)|Mano]], [[Ranjith (singer)|Ranjith]], Kannan
| length1        = 4:07
| title2          = Ellora Shilpanni
| lyrics2        = Ramajogayya Sastry
| extra2          = [[Rita (Indian singer)|Rita]]
| length2        = 4:06
| title3          = Billa Theme Song
| lyrics3        = [[Meher Ramesh]]
| extra3          = [[Ranjith (singer)|Ranjith]], Rahul
| length3        = 4:30
| title4          = Bommali
| lyrics4        = Ramajogayya Sastry
| extra4          = [[Vedala Hemachandra|Hemachandra]], [[Malavika (singer)|Malavika]]
| length4        = 5:15
| title5          = Ne Pataasu
| lyrics5        = [[Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar|Bhaskarabhatla]]
| extra5          = Ranjith , [[Suchitra]]
| length5        = 3:59
| title6          = My Name is Billa
| lyrics6        = Ramajogayya Sastry
| extra6          = Ranjith, Naveen Madhav
| length6        = 3:57
}}


==Release==
Jeevi of ''Idlebrain'' stated "First half of the film is alright" but found the second half "a little disappointing" and "prolonged", while also stating "Prabhas’s makeover and styling as Billa and good production values" as positive points but "on the flip side, the second half should have been effectively handled."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jeevi |date=3 April 2009 |title=Billa review - Telugu cinema review - Prabhas, Anuska, Namitha |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-billa.html |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=Idlebrain}}</ref> ''Times of India'' wrote "If director Meher Ramesh believes that pretty damsels, exotic locales, swanky cars and stylised shots are the ingredients for a blockbuster, then he is grossly mistaken. Billa, the Telugu remake of Don, has more style than substance, and though Prabhas gives an impressive performance as a suave ruthless don".<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 April 2009 |title=Billa Movie review {2/5}: Critic review of Billa |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/billa/movie-review/4359200.cms |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=Times of India}}</ref> A critic from ''[[Bangalore Mirror]]'' wrote that "Ramesh’s Billa is an extremely ‘stylish’ movie by Telugu standards. Most parts have been shot at scenic locales in Malaysia. Prabhas has toned his body well and is a treat to watch".<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 April 2009 |title=''Billa'': Same old, same old |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/reviews/billa-same-old-same-old/articleshow/22177788.cms |access-date=20 October 2024 |website=[[Bangalore Mirror]]}}</ref>
===Theatrical===
The film was released on 3 April 2009.


===Home media===
A re-mastered 4K version was re-released in theatres on 2 October 2022, on the occasion of Prabhas's 43rd birthday. The film is releasing in over 70 locations across the United States. This is the most extensive list of theatres and record-level theatres among re-released Telugu movies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2022-10-22 |title=Pan India Rebel Star Prabhas' "Billa 4K" takes a massive release in the US |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/pan-india-rebel-star-prabhas-billa-4k-takes-a-massive-release-in-the-us/articleshow/95025773.cms |access-date=2024-08-02 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
The film was later dubbed and released in [[Hindi]] as ''The Return of Rebel 2'' and released on [[YouTube]] on 10 June 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fsC-VdP4NbA|title=The Return Of Rebel 2 (billa) 2017 New Released Full Hindi Dubbed Movie|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> The Malayalam Dubbed Version of this movie was givened the satellite rights to [[Zee Keralam]], The Hindi Dubbed Version was givened the satellite rights to [[Colors Cineplex]].


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
{{IMDb title|tt1525323}}
*{{IMDb title|tt1525323}}


{{Don And Remakes|state=expanded}}
{{Don And Remakes|state=expanded}}
{{Meher Ramesh}}
{{Meher Ramesh}}
{{Krishnam Raju}}
{{Krishnam Raju}}
{{Salim-Javed}}
{{Salim–Javed}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Billa (2009 film)}}
[[Category:2000s crime action films]]
[[Category:2009 Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:2009 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:Films about lookalikes]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2000s Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:Indian crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian crime drama films]]
[[Category:Indian crime action films]]
[[Category:Films about organised crime in India]]
[[Category:Films about organised crime in India]]
[[Category:Indian gangster films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Meher Ramesh]]
[[Category:2009 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2009 crime drama films]]
[[Category:2000s crime action films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Krishnam Raju]]
[[Category:Films produced by Krishnam Raju]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mani Sharma]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mani Sharma]]
[[Category:Telugu remakes of Hindi films]]
[[Category:Films set in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Telugu remakes of Tamil films]]
[[Category:Films featuring an item number]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kuala Lumpur]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kuala Lumpur]]
[[Category:Films set in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Salim-Javed]]
[[Category:Films shot in Visakhapatnam]]
[[Category:Films directed by Meher Ramesh]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Salim–Javed]]
[[Category:Indian crime action films]]
[[Category:Indian crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian gangster films]]
[[Category:Reboot films]]
[[Category:Telugu remakes of Hindi films]]
[[Category:Films about Interpol]]
[[Category:Films about the illegal drug trade]]
[[Category:Films about the Narcotics Control Bureau]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Andhra Pradesh Police]]
[[Category:Films set in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Films set in Visakhapatnam]]

Latest revision as of 13:47, 15 March 2026

Billa
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMeher Ramesh
Produced byD. Narendra
Prabodh
Screenplay byMeher Ramesh
Based onBilla (2007)
by Vishnuvardhan (director) and Salim–Javed
Starring
Music byMani Sharma
CinematographySoundarrajan
Edited byMarthand K. Venkatesh
Production
company
Gopi Krishna Movies
Distributed byCreative Commercials
Release date
  • 3 April 2009 (2009-04-03)
Running time
154 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Budget₹12 crore
Box officeest. ₹26 crore[1]

Billa is a 2009 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film directed by Meher Ramesh. The film stars Prabhas in a dual role alongside Krishnam Raju, Anushka Shetty, Namitha, Rahman, and Kelly Dorjee. The soundtrack was composed by Mani Sharma. It is the remake of 2007 Tamil language film Billa, which itself is a remake of 1980 film Billa, and that itself was a remake of 1978 Hindi film Don.[2][3] The film follows the titular criminal's lookalike, a thief from Andhra Pradesh who replaces the don in Malaysia after he died in a high-speed chase. Tasked with infiltrating the mafia, he embarks on a covert mission to gather intelligence on a major weapons deal.

The film began its production in October 2008 and was released and distributed worldwide by Creative Commercials. It was a moderate success at the box office.

Plot[edit | edit source]

The story begins with an underworld don Billa hiding and operating out of Malaysia, hiding from Interpol's international criminal list. Krishnamoorthy, an ACP working for the Interpol, has spent the last few years looking for Billa, leaving behind a life in India. During a chase with the police, Billa is severely wounded after an accident, and dies in front of the ACP. The ACP then secretly holds a funeral for Billa. Interpol Officer Dharmendra is assigned to work with the ACP to capture the elusive Billa as no-one knows of Billa's death. The ACP keeps the death of Billa as a secret even from his fellow officers, and tracks down a look-alike called Katikaranga (Ranga), a petty thief based in Visakhapatnam. He asks Ranga to infiltrate Billa's gang by pretending to be Billa. In return, he will make sure that the children Ranga adopted, Lakshmi and Sreenu, get a proper education in Hyderabad.

The ACP trains Ranga and sends him back to Billa's gang as a person who has lost his memory. Slowly Ranga starts to learn about Billa's gang and even speaks to Devil, Billa's boss, on the phone. He also gets attracted to one of the girl members of the gang, Maya (Anushka Shetty) who had been secretly plotting to kill Billa as he killed her brother Vikram and his fiancée Priya. Ranga then provides a pen drive with the secret information of the crime network to the ACP, but he is about to be killed by Maya who thinks he is Billa. At this juncture, the ACP arrives and tells her that he is Ranga and not Billa. Since then, she begins to assist Ranga and the ACP in their mission and soon falls in love with Ranga. Later before a party, Ranga secretly provides information to the ACP about a meeting of Billa's network, and Lisa, Billa's girlfriend, overhears his conversation. She challenges Ranga, but in the fight, he accidentally kills her. A shootout occurs at the party, and the ACP is secretly killed by someone, leaving his gun behind. Ranga finds the ACP's body and the gun, but is taken into the custody of the police team, now headed by Interpol Officer Dharmendra. He argues during interrogation that he is Ranga and not Billa to Dharmendra. Ranga mentions a piece of evidence – the pen drive, which may prove his innocence, but the pen drive is nowhere to be found.

Unable to prove his innocence, he escapes from a police van. He phones Dharmendra and asks him to meet at the Aero bridge. Here it is revealed that Dharmendra is none other than the Underworld Crime Don Devil, and he is the one who killed ACP Krishnamoorthy. While escaping from Devil's gang, he meets Officer Adithya, who apparently had the pen drive all along, and strikes a deal with Ranga to get hold of Devil. Meanwhile, Maya has been kidnapped by Devil after she tried to defend Ranga from Devil. Maya is tied up and kept in a car with her mouth taped shut. Ranga decides to pose as Billa to Devil, and provides Russian explosives to an arms dealer Rashid, who insisted on dealing with Billa. Enraged at being slighted by Rashid, following the completion of the deal, Devil and his henchman Ranjith fight with Ranga. Soon the police arrived and Devil, posing as Dharmendra, asks the police to arrest Ranga as Billa but gets shot by the squad of police and dies as the police have wired the entire conversation between Devil and Ranga, thus proving Ranga's innocence.

It ends with Ranga returning to Visakhapatnam with Maya, and deciding to start a school and college there with the government reward given to him and four suitcases of cash he stole from Billa's estate in Malaysia.

Cast[edit | edit source]

Cameo appearances

Production[edit | edit source]

Development and casting[edit | edit source]

During the making of Kantri (2008), actor N. T. Rama Rao Jr. expressed his intention of making Billa (2007) in Telugu following his grandfather N. T. Rama Rao's Yugandhar (1979). Meher Ramesh, however, felt that Rama Rao Jr. would not fit into the role at that stage of his career. Ramesh also explored the idea of making the film with Ravi Teja, but dropped the idea due to budget constraints.[4] Ramesh later approached Prabhas who was excited to work for the project. Prabhas' uncle, Krishnam Raju, was also on board for a pivotal role, marking their first on-screen collaboration. Ramesh cast Anushka Shetty as the female lead. Shetty worked for over two months to slim down for the role. Hansika Motwani readily agreed to act in the film when suggested by Ramesh. Namitha, like Shetty, lost weight before signing the film.[4] Meher wanted either Sameer Reddy or Chota K. Naidu for the cinematography, but due to non-availability of dates from the both of them, Soundararajan was chosen instead, marking his debut in Telugu cinema.[4]

Filming[edit | edit source]

Filming was also at the Langkawi sky bridge.

The film was launched at Gopikrishna Pictures office on October 9, 2008.[5] The film was shot extensively in Malaysia for three months. Filming was completed in 104 working days.[4]

Music[edit | edit source]

The film's score and soundtrack was composed by Mani Sharma. The audio launch of Billa was held at Shilpakala Vedika on 18 March 2009 with Dasari Narayana Rao, S. S. Rajamouli, V. V. Vinayak, Gopichand and Allu Arjun as guests. Dasari Narayana Rao launched the music. The audio rights was bagged by Lahari Music.[6] The song "My Name is Billa" was later re-used by Sharma for the Tamil film Sura (2010) as "Naan Nadanthaal Adhiradi" and "Bommali " as "Thanjavoor Jillakkaari".[7]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsArtist(s)Length
1."Hariloranga Hari"Ramajogayya SastryMano, Ranjith, Kannan4:07
2."Ellora Shilpanni"Ramajogayya SastryRita4:06
3."Billa Theme Song"Meher RameshRanjith, Rahul Nambiar4:30
4."Bommali"Ramajogayya SastryHemachandra, Malavika5:15
5."Ne Pataasu"BhaskarabhatlaRita, Rahul Nambiar3:59
6."My Name is Billa"Ramajogayya SastryRanjith, Naveen Madhav3:57
Total length:25:54

Release and reception[edit | edit source]

The film was released on 3 April 2009.

Jeevi of Idlebrain stated "First half of the film is alright" but found the second half "a little disappointing" and "prolonged", while also stating "Prabhas’s makeover and styling as Billa and good production values" as positive points but "on the flip side, the second half should have been effectively handled."[8] Times of India wrote "If director Meher Ramesh believes that pretty damsels, exotic locales, swanky cars and stylised shots are the ingredients for a blockbuster, then he is grossly mistaken. Billa, the Telugu remake of Don, has more style than substance, and though Prabhas gives an impressive performance as a suave ruthless don".[9] A critic from Bangalore Mirror wrote that "Ramesh’s Billa is an extremely ‘stylish’ movie by Telugu standards. Most parts have been shot at scenic locales in Malaysia. Prabhas has toned his body well and is a treat to watch".[10]

A re-mastered 4K version was re-released in theatres on 2 October 2022, on the occasion of Prabhas's 43rd birthday. The film is releasing in over 70 locations across the United States. This is the most extensive list of theatres and record-level theatres among re-released Telugu movies.[11]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "#Birthdayspecial: Before the grand success of Baahubali, Prabhas delivered these hits". Times Now. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "'Billa', fourth remake of Hindi original 'Don', creates history". Zee News. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Billa". The Hindu. 4 April 2009. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Chitchat with Meher Ramesh". Idlebrain.com. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Billa movie launch". Idlebrain. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "Billa music launch". Idlebrain.com. 18 March 2009. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Review: Sura's music is for Vijay fans". Rediff.com. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Jeevi (3 April 2009). "Billa review - Telugu cinema review - Prabhas, Anuska, Namitha". Idlebrain. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "Billa Movie review {2/5}: Critic review of Billa". Times of India. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Billa: Same old, same old". Bangalore Mirror. 4 April 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "Pan India Rebel Star Prabhas' "Billa 4K" takes a massive release in the US". The Times of India. 22 October 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2 August 2024.

External links[edit | edit source]

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