Rajinikanth’s Billa was a flop, says Shershaah director Vishnuvardhan; actor’s manager calls him out: ‘Ensure accuracy in statement’

In an interview with SS Music, Vishnuvardhan said, “Are you aware the original Billa film didn’t work at the box office? I was quite surprised. Then I thought what is the one thing I like about the film. It was the grey character of the main hero. I said to myself, ‘that is a great idea’.” The filmmaker said this to explain the reason behind remaking the film in 2007.

However, this misinformation didn’t go down well with Rajinikanth’s PR manager Riaz Ahmed. He took to his official X handle to call out the Shershaah director. He wrote, “Dear Vishnuvardhan 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.”

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In another post, he requested the interviewers to cross check such statements to maintain the integrity of journalism and to avoid misinform the viewers. He wrote, “To maintain the highest standards of journalism, it’s essential to verify the accuracy of statements made during interviews.”

The original 1978 film, Don starring Big B, was remade in Tamil in 1980 starring Rajinikanth. In 2007, the film was once again remade in Tamil starring Ajith Kumar. Farhan Akhtar too remade the film with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role in 2006 followed by a sequel in 2011. All of the remakes, including the original movie were commercial success at the box office. Vishnuvardhan is yet to react to Riaz Ahmed’s post.