![]() ![]() In comparison, "Billa" is also hurt by the lack of exotic locations ("Don" was filmed primarily in Kuala Lumpur, with its famous twin skyscrapers almost a character in the film). Without the outrageous sense of humor that drives "Don," "Billa" is more like a typical gangster film, and certainly less noteworthy. After literally blowing away some treacherous drug buyers, Don sighs and says, "nobody says 'please' anymore," while Billa just grunts with satisfaction-where's the fun in that? Since I don't understand Tamil and have to rely on the English subtitles, I can't speak to the quality of the dialogue, but certainly the character of Billa lacks the sly and comic affectations of Don's 3rd person catchphrases and ultra politeness which gave him his deadly charm. This new "Billa" owes more to the new "Don" than the old "Billa," but like its predecessor, it pays strict attention to the regional differences and is more Hindu-centric than the rather secular "Don." Like the Tamil film industry itself, the movie is less polished and rougher around the edges than the Bollywood version, and Billa is more of a brutish "gunda" (gang leader) than the fatally sophisticated Don. So it is no surprise that current Tamil superstar Ajith remade "Billa," which is "Don," which is.well, you get the idea. In 2006, however, the unthinkable happened when writer/director Farhan Akhtar, son of Javed, re-imagined his dad's story and installed current Hindi superstar Shah Rukh Khan as the new "Don," creating some fierce debate and another hit. Both films became classics of their respective industries, just as both stars became absolute icons, so it was generally beyond imagination that anyone would dare to remake these films. The film was a big hit, and soon after Tamil film god Rajnikath came out with "Billa," a knock-off that tailored the story more to regional sensibilities, and it was a big hit for him as well. ![]() Back in the day, Hindi film god Amitabh Bachchan made a gangster film called "Don," penned by the classic writing duo Salim-Javed, about a ruthless gangster who is secretly replaced by a rather sweet and naive look-a-like when a cop captures him. Bollywood (Hindi pop film) and Tollywood (Tamil pop film)have been robbing each other even before somebody coined those ridiculous terms for Indian regional movies, and "Billa" is no exception. ![]()
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