Director Vishnuvardhan, known for his 2021 Hindi hit ‘Shershaah’, recently stirred controversy by labeling Rajinikanth’s 1980 classic ‘Billa’ a ‘flop’.

During an interview with SS Music, Vishnuvardhan remarked, “To tell you the truth, ‘Billa’ didn’t run well at that time. What drew me to the film was the concept of a dark character as the lead, which I thought was a brilliant idea.”

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This statement did not sit well with Riaz Ahmed, Rajinikanth’s manager, who promptly responded on social media. Sharing the interview clip on X, Riaz clarified, “Dear @vishnu_dir 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. #RajjniBillaBlockbuster #ThalaivarNirandharam.”

Dear @vishnu_dir 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… https://t.co/Ys5Bwsflb9

— RIAZ K AHMED (@RIAZtheboss) January 12, 2025

‘Billa’, directed by R. Krishnamoorthy and produced by Suresh Balaje, was a Tamil remake of the 1978 Hindi film ‘Don’, starring Amitabh Bachchan.

The film featured Rajinikanth in a dual role as Billa, a ruthless gang leader, and Rajappa, a lookalike recruited by the police to infiltrate the gang.

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Released on January 26, 1980, the action thriller was a massive success, running in theaters for over 25 weeks.

When ‘Billa’ happened, Rajinikanth’s career was at a crossroads, with critics doubting his ability to sustain his stardom.

However, the movie silenced the naysayers, becoming a turning point in his journey. The film not only established him as a leading star but also paved the way for a series of roles inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s “angry young man” persona in Tamil remakes of Hindi blockbusters.

Vishnuvardhan’s 2007 remake of ‘Billa’, starring Ajith Kumar, was an homage to the original.