Yes, Ajith Kumar's Billa is all set to explode on the big screen. This Tamil film is a remake of the 1980s Bollywood blockbuster Don, which subsequently spawned a Tamil version, Billa starring Rajnikanth.

And as we get ready for Ajith's Billa, here's a recap of the 'original' released 27 years ago.

The year 1980 was indeed a turning point in Rajnikanth's, personal as well as professional life. The Rajnikanth-Sripriya starrer Billa released in 1980 was a watershed in his career (1980 was also the year Rajni met Latha who became his wife and self-confessedly a solid anchor in his life).

In Billa, Rajnikanth enacted the role immortalised by Amitabh Bachchan in Don, while Sripriya reprised Zeenat Aman's role. The Tamil film audience simply lapped up the film which was mainly due to Rajni's charisma.

M S Viswanathan's music, especially the title track, My name is Billa. powerfully rendered by S P Balasubramaniam, was another highlight of the film.

Text: Saraswathy Srinivas

Also read: The old and the new Billa

Next