Ghilli (Tamil: கில்லி) is a 2004 Tamil action comedy film directed by Dharani and produced by A. M. Rathnam. A remake of the Telugu film Okkadu directed by Gunashekar, the film stars Vijay, with Trisha Krishnan and Prakash Raj playing the female lead and antagonist, respectively. The soundtrack and background score of the film were composed by Vidyasagar. Ghilli was released on Tamil New Year's Day on 14 April 2004; it opened to highly positive reviews and became a high commercial success. [1]
| Ghilli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Dharani |
| Produced by | A. M. Rathnam |
| Written by | Gunasekhar |
| Screenplay by | Dharani Barathan (dialogues) |
| Starring | Joseph Vijay Trisha Prakash Raj Ashish Vidyarthi Dhamu Nagendra Prasad |
| Music by | Vidyasagar |
| Cinematography | Gopinath |
| Editing by | V. T. Vijayan |
| Studio | Sri Suriya Movies |
| Release date(s) | 14 April 2004 |
| Running time | 142 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget |  6 crore (US$1.2 million) |
| Box office | 40 crore (US$7.98 million) |
Plot
Ghilli is the nickname for the popular state levelkabbadi player Velu (Vijay). His disciplinarian father Sivasubramanian (Ashish Vidyarthi), an assistant police commissioner in Chennai, who finds his son (who still has backlogs to clear before he gets his degree) incorrigible. His mother (Janaki Sabesh), on the other hand, dotes on him. His younger sister Bhuvana ('Baby' Jennifer) is the typical sharp and inquisitive schoolgirl. Velu goes to Madurai for a kabbadi match, but circumstances force him to lend a helping hand to Dhanalakshmi (Trisha) who is fleeing from the cantankerous Muthupandi (Prakash Raj), a State Minister's son, madly in love with her. From then on, it is a long, hard run for the two, with Muthupandi and his numerous henchmen close on their heels. Once, Muthupandi manages to catch up to Velu and Dhanalakshmi, but Velu threatens to kill Dhanalakshmi unless he lets them go free, leaving Muthupandi and his men helpless. Enraged, Muthupandi vows not to return home without finding Dhanalakshmi. He chases them to Chennai beginning a cat-and-mouse chase, that sets up an enthralling second half of the film.
Velu hides Danalakshmi in his house and manages to get her a passport and student visa for America. But Dhanalakshmi is not willing to go to America as she has fallen in love with Velu and his family. Velu and his friends, overcoming many obstacles, get Dhanalaksmi to the airport in time for her flight before their kabaddi match against Punjab in the final of the national league, only to spot her in the stadium during the match. Velu's lack of focus in the game is replaced by his best on seeing Dhanalakshmi, winning Tamil Nadu the championship. The movie ends in a gripping climax when Dhanalakshmi incites Muthupandi to challenge Velu to a fight to prove his worth in which Muthupandi dies accidentally. Velu and Dhanalakshmi are finally united.
Cast
- Vijay as Saravanavelu
- Trisha Krishnan as Dhanalakshmi
- Prakash Raj as Muthupandi
- Ashish Vidyarthi as Sivasubramanian
- Janaki Sabesh as Saravanavelu's mother
- Baby Jennifer as Bhuvana
- Dhamu as Oteri Nari
- Nagendra Prasad as Prasad
- Mayilsamy as Narayana
- Vimal as Saravanavelu's team mate (uncredited role)
Production
Vijay expressed interest in starring in a Tamil remake of the successful Telugu action flick Okkadu and prompted producer A. M. Rathnam to purchase the remake rights of the film. Dharani was finalized as the director. Dharani's regular crew members including cinematographer Gopinath and music director Vidyasagar joined the film, while Rocky Rajesh and Raju Sundaram were chosen to choreograph the stunts and dances, respectively.
Trisha Krishnan was cast to play the female lead, while Prakash Raj was signed on to reprise the villain's character from the original. Dhamu and Nagendra Prasad were recruited for supporting roles. Ashish Vidyarthi, Janaki Sabesh and Baby Jennifer were selected to portray Vijay's parents and sister, respectively.
Filming began in mid-2003, and the film was completed by early 2004. Filming took place in Chennai surrounding the coastal areas like Mylapore and Besant Nagar. The film's introduction fight scene and a song were shot on set. A lighthouse set was also erected. Other action and chasing sequences were filmed near the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai. The climax scene was shot in a crowd of one lakh people on a Vinayagar Chaturthi occasion.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features 6 songs composed by Vidyasagar. The lyrics were penned by Vaali and Na. Muthukumar
| Song title | Singers | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Kabadi | Maran, Jayamoorty | 01:44 |
| Arjunar Villu | Sukhwinder Singh | 04:27 |
| Sha La La | Sunidhi Chauhan | 04:30 |
| Appadi Podu | KK, Anuradha Sriram | 05:53 |
| Soora Thenga | Tippu | 04:03 |
| Kokkarakko | Udit Narayan, Sujatha Mohan | 04:35 |
Reception
Ghilli opened up to overall highly positive reviews, and became the biggest commercial success for Vijay at that time. Sify appriciated the film for its fast moving screenplay and said as a racy entertainer giving a rating of 5/5 stars.[2]Nowrunning.com stated that "Gilli, story wise, is neither fresh popcorn nor spicy samosa found in theaters.. but the screenplay and overall treatment is as fresh and appetizing as full meals after a long day. and gave an overall rating of 4/5 stars[3]Oneindia gave the film 5/5 stars and stated the film as a Blockbuster.[4]The Hindustated that "Vijay, the hero whom the masses today identify with, and Prakashraj, the inimitable villain in tow, this remake of the Telugu flick, "Okkadu," comes a clear winner".[5] Indiaglitz called the film that Gilli is an out and out entertainer and comented that"Vijay and Trisha on track with another blockbuster".[6]Rediff stated that "Don't miss 'Gilli'.[7]
Box office
Ghilli was made at a budget of 6 crores[citation needed] was released approximately in 100 screens in Tamil Nadu on 14 April 2004. The film had a 250 days theatrical run on screens.[citation needed] The film's collection in the first four weeks from Chennai was Rs 1.60 crores.[citation needed] The film according to distributors has overtaken Autograph and Padayappa collections. The movie grossed around 40 crore rupees worldwide during 2004.
Awards
- Filmfare Award for Best Villain – Tamil - Prakash Raj
- Filmfare Award for Best Dance Choreographer – South - Raju Sundaram
- Madras Corporate Club Best Actor Award - Vijay
- Dinakaran Best Actor Award - Vijay
- Film Today Best Actor Award - Vijay
- Dinakaran Best Villain Award - Prakash Raj
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