Director Vishnuvardhan has stirred a hornet’s nest by claiming that the film Billa (1980), featuring Rajinikanth, didn’t do well; Superboys of Malegaon received a special mention in the Young Cineastes Award category at the 36th Palm Springs International Film Festival
Rajinikanth Pic/AFP
Bill on Billa
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A still from Billa (1980)
Director Vishnuvardhan of Shershaah (2021) fame has stirred a hornet’s nest by claiming that the original superhit film Billa (1980), featuring Rajinikanth, didn’t do all that well when it was released. This prompted a sharp response from Rajinikanth’s publicist, Riaz Ahmed, who pointed out that the film was a silver jubilee hit. Interestingly, Vishnuvardhan’s film Billa (2007), featuring Ajith, was a remake of the 1980 film. During an interview, Vishnuvardhan, who was promoting his next film Nesippaya, said, “Do you know the truth? Billa did not actually run all that well. Then I had to see what I actually liked in the film. That was when I realised that they had taken a dark character and made the film. That is a great idea.” Now, Rajinikanth’s publicist has taken to his X timeline to set the record straight. Tagging Vishnuvardhan, he wrote, “Dear sir, I would like to politely bring to your attention that the 1980 release Billa was a silver jubilee hit. You may kindly confirm this with the producer of the original version, Mr Suresh Balaji. I humbly request you to ensure accuracy in your statements to avoid sharing incorrect information.”
Vishnuvardhan and Rajinikanth
Moment of pride
A still from Superboys of Malegaon
Director Reema Kagti’s boys have done it! We are talking about her next, Superboys of Malegaon, which received a special mention in the Young Cineastes Award category at the 36th Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film, starring Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh and Shashank Arora, has been earning accolades internationally since its world première at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival. An elated Reema reacted to the special mention by sharing a screenshot of the announcement by the Palm Springs Festival and with a ‘Thank You’ note on Instagram. Zoya Akhtar, the film’s co-producer, shared the Instagram post of the announcement on her story and wrote, “Yayy.” Written by Varun Grover, Superboys of Malegaon is based on the life of Nasir Shaikh, an amateur filmmaker from the town of Malegaon in Maharashtra, where the residents turned to Bollywood cinema for a much-needed escape from daily drudgery.
Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar. Pic/AFP
Kichcha’s shelf life
Despite south star Kichcha Sudeepa’s Christmas release Max doing well at the box office, the actor is in two minds about continuing to play the lead in movies. In a podcast, Kichcha admitted that every actor has a shelf life. He announced that he might retire from acting, but the decision didn’t stem from being tired of the craft. Kichcha claimed that every hero becomes a bore in the end. While his retirement is still uncertain, he hoped that someday, if he chooses to take up a supporting role, he wouldn’t wish to sit and wait for someone, as he has never made anyone wait. Since playing the protagonist no longer excites him, Kichcha also said that he may take up direction or production next.
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