david billa 2012

Billa II
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Billa II

Theatrical poster
Directed by Chakri Toleti
Produced by Sunir Kheterpal
Suresh Balaje
George Pius
Screenplay by Chakri Toleti
Sarath Mandava
Jaffer Mohammed
Ee. Raa. Murugan (dialogue)
Story by Chakri Toleti
Eric Felberg
Starring Ajith Kumar
Parvathy Omanakuttan
Bruna Abdullah
Vidyut Jamwal
Sudhanshu Pandey
Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja
Cinematography R. D. Rajasekhar
Editing by Suresh Urs
Studio Wide Angle Creations
IN Entertainment
Distributed by Aascar Films (India)
GK Media (USA)
Release date(s)
13 July 2012[1]
Running time 129 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
Budget 33 crore (US$6.24 million)[2][3]
Billa II is a 2012 Indian Tamil gangster-thriller film directed by Chakri Toleti. It is a prequel to the 2007 film Billa and focuses on how David, an ordinary man from the coastal regions of South Tamil Nadu, becomes Billa, a dreaded underworld don, with Ajith Kumar reprising the role of the titular character.[4] Supporting roles are essayed by Parvathy Omanakuttan, Bruna Abdullah, Vidyut Jamwal and Sudhanshu Pandey, all of whom make their debut in Tamil cinema. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while R. D. Rajasekhar handled the cinematography and Suresh Urs worked as the editor.
The film, produced by Wide Angle Creations in association with the Hinduja Group company IN Entertainment, was officially announced in November 2010, with Vishnuvardhan as the director. Due to conflicting dates, he was replaced by Chakri Toleti, while a new script was penned by a team involving Toleti and Eric Felberg.
Filming, which commenced in July 2011 and was completed by December 2011, took place primarily at Tamil Nadu, Goa, Hyderabad and Georgia. Billa II was released worldwide on 13 July 2012 and a dubbed Telugu version titled David Billa was also simultaneously released in Andhra Pradesh.[5] Billa II received mixed critical response upon release, [6] but opened well at the box office.[7]
Contents [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Development
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
4 Soundtrack
5 Marketing
6 Release
6.1 Reception
6.2 Box office
6.3 Impact
7 References
8 External links
[edit]Plot

David Billa (Ajith Kumar), a Sri Lankan refugee arrives at the city of Rameswaram in a boat. He is interrogated by a corrupt police officer before he is allowed to enter the refuge camp . At the shelter he befriends Ranjith (Yog Japee) and others. After a series of events the corrupt police officer Raghubir Sinha (Krishna Kumar) conspires against them, but is eventually killed by Billa. Soon, Billa and Ranjith are made to transport fish from Rameshwaram to Chennai. But the fishes had diamonds hidden them and as per the plot they get caught in the check post . Soon after realizing what had happened he kills all the cops and delivers the fish on time to Selvaraj (Ilavarasu) who recruits them for his illegal activities . He then goes back to meet his elder sister (Janaki Sabesh) and her daughter Jasmine (Parvathy Omanakuttan) in a church. When they see his gun, they realize that he is involved in crime, and he is forced to leave the church.
Kotiswara Rao (Manoj K.Jeyan) comes to meet Selvaraj and expresses his grievances that he was unable to sell cocaine in Goa. Billa promises to sell it and sets out to meet a local thug who betrays them and one of Billa's friend gets killed in the process. Billa evades the scene with both the money and the cocaine. He goes to meet Abbasi (Sudhanshu Pandey) in Goa who is the boss of Kotiswara Rao. He likes Billa and recruits him. He also introduces his girlfriend Sameera (Bruna Abdullah) to him. After a party held at his club he receives a phone call from the Russian mafia led by Dimitri (Vidyut Jamwal) telling him that his arms consignment has been held by the Indian coastal guards and he asks for his help. Billa and Ranjith retrieve the consignment for him. Both are congratulated by Dimitri for their work. After Billa's sister dies, he brings back Jasmine with him to live in a big villa. Then he goes to Russia to meet Dimitri who happens to own an arms and ammunition manufacturing unit, with Kotiswara Rao where he signs a deal with Dimitri without the knowledge of Abbasi in presence of Jagdish (Rahman). Abbasi became furious and Kotiswara Rao adds fuel to the fire. Abbasi turns against Billa, and eventually gets killed by him in the series of events.
Now Billa becomes the most powerful crime lord extending his business without any boundaries . Dimitri meets David Billa and asks him to provide a safe passage for the arms consignment through India. Billa denies it as his payment intended was very low . Angered by the wrath of David Billa he hires Kotiswara Rao, along with a government minister and his son to eliminate Billa . They conspire a plot to eliminate Billa and they kidnap Jasmine. Billa rescues her and he informs Sameera to come to the church to take Jasmine away to Malaysia to safety . But Sameera conspires against them and the goons with the minister's son arrive and held both Billa and Sameera captives. Billa is stabbed by one of the goons . After a verbal argument between them, the minister's son slits Jasmine's throat. Unable to witness the death of his love, Billa kills all the goons including the minister's son .
Meanwhile in Russia, Dimitri is having an auction for sale and kotiswara Rao is also present with him . He shows his factory in his computer via a series of webcams and Billa is seen destroying his factory . He also sees his delivery train go off course . Angered with fear he kills Kotiswara Rao for not killing Billa as promised and he sets out himself to finish the task . The delivery train is blown by Billa and he encounters Dimitri on his helicopter. After an intense battle, Billa kills Dimitri by throwing him out of the helicopter. In the concluding scene, Billa and Ranjith board a plane to Malaysia, and the former's goons eliminate the rest of the conspirators including Sameera.
[edit]Cast

Ajith Kumar as David Billa
Sudhanshu Pandey as Abbasi
Vidyut Jamwal as Dimitri
Manoj K. Jayan as Kotiswara Rao
Ilavarasu as Selvaraj
Bruna Abdullah as Sameera
Parvathy Omanakuttan as Jasmine
Yog Japee as Ranjith
Rahman as Jagdish
Sricharan as Bobby
Krishna Kumar as Raghubir Sinha
Sriman
Rohit Khurana as Satish Kumar
Dinesh Lamba as Praveen Kumar
Janaki Sabesh
Ashok Bentwal
Sarath Mandava as Ram
Theepatti Ganesh as Muthu
Yuvan Shankar Raja in a special appearance ("Gangster")
Gabriela Bertante in a special appearance ("Yedho Mayakam")
Meenakshi Dixit in a special appearance ("Madurai Ponnu")
Nicole Amy Madell in a special appearance ("Gangster")
[edit]Production

[edit]Development
In 2008, reports claimed that Soundarya Rajinikanth was planning to make a follow-up after noting Billa's commercial success, to be produced by Ocher Studios in association with Warner Bros.[8][9] However, the sequel did not materialise and the idea was dropped, with Ajith Kumar, Vishnuvardhan and Soundarya getting busy with other projects.
In 2010, sources confirmed that Vishnuvardhan had finished penning the script for a prequel, which would star Ajith Kumar as the titular character again,[10] and would commence in 2011.[11] The project became officially announced in late 2010, after Ajith Kumar signed up to the prequel and first production poster were published to the media.[12][13] Further details were disclosed, with Suresh Balaje, son of producer and actor K. Balaji, who produced the original Billa with Rajinikanth, and George Pius from Wide Angle Creations banner, being confirmed as the producer,[12] who would associate with Mumbai-based IN Entertainment Limited, a Hinduja group company.[13][14] The entire production team of the Billa remake, including cinematographer Nirav Shah, editor A. Sreekar Prasad and music director Yuvan Shankar Raja, were announced to be retained for the sequel.[15]
In a turn of events, Vishnuvardhan opted out of the project citing that his dates clashed with the making of his Telugu film, Panjaa (earlier titled as The Shadow).[16] Chakri Toleti who directed the 2009 Kamal Haasan-Mohanlal starrer Unnaipol Oruvan was subsequently signed on by the producers to direct the venture.[17] In May 2011, Chakri Toleti held his first press conference stating that production would begin in late June 2011 and revealing that "Billa 2 would focus on how David, an ordinary man from the coastal Thoothukudi in South Tamil Nadu, becomes Billa, a dreaded underworld don".[18] David's character was afterwards widely reported to be either a refugee from Tamil Eelam or a Tamilian from Sri Lanka.[19][20] Both the director and the producer refused to confirm the statements, disclosing only that the film would depict David's journey over a period of five years.[21]
With Vishnuvardhan's exit from the project, his script was also scraped, and Toleti along with Ajith Kumar began penning a new script for the prequel.[17] Yuvan Shankar Raja only was retained from the original production team,[22] with the rest of the technical crew being finalised in the following weeks.[23] Hemant Chaturvedi, who hitherto had worked in Bollywood productions only, was signed on to replace Nirav Shah as the cinematographer after the latter's schedules clashed with the making of his other film, Vettai.[24] However in July 2011, Hemant Chaturvedi too moved out of the project, fearing that the delay in commencement of Billa 2 may hurt his chances in Bollywood, and R. D. Rajasekhar was appointed as the new cinematographer.[25] Selvakumar who had notably worked in Madrasapattinam was selected as the art director.[26] The crew also announced that the film would become the first Indian production to be filmed with an RED EPIC Camera, being shot at 5K resolution.[27] Writer Ee. Raa. Murugan, who had previously collaborated with Chakri Toleti in the Kamal Hassan-starrer Unnaipol Oruvan, was appointed to write the dialogue.
[edit]Casting
From the previous film, the producers made it clear that apart from Ajith Kumar,[28] Prabhu and Rahman, most of the other characters would not be retained. The female lead role was expected to be handed to Anushka Shetty, but despite media speculation she was not signed on.[29][30] The female lead role was handed to debutant Huma Qureshi, a Mumbai-based theatre actor who had previously been featured in commercials, with Toleti finalising Huma after a nationwide search for an actress.[31][32][33] However, she was removed from the project by September 2011, owing to changes in the script,[34] and became replaced by Miss India World 2008 Parvathy Omanakuttan later that month,[35] who the director had spotted and offered the role of Jasmine at a fashion show.[36] Parvathy described her character as a "simple girl who transforms into a modern person" and that Billa looks up to, adding that she was had more scenes in the "emotional part" of the film.[37] Bollywood actress and model Bruna Abdullah was selected to portray another significant character,[38] which she went on term as "super powerful, very strong and sexy".[39] Besides Abdullah, another Brazilian model Gabriela Bertante was recruited to perform a dance number alongside one more model.[40] In June 2012, reports confirmed that model Nicole Amy Madell would be doing another item number.[41]
Television actor Krishna Kumar, was signed on to play a "dirty cop".[42] In June 2011, Sudhanshu Pandey, a former model who has appeared in several Hindi films, was given the role of a "greying ganglord", who becomes the mentor to the yound David,[43] whilst Malayalam character actor Manoj K. Jayan was roped in for a "key role".[44] Actress Vimala Raman was signed on to make a special appearance in the film,[45][46] however she opted out in July 2011 citing date problems.[47] Meenakshi Dixit was later finalised for that role and shot her scenes in July 2011 during the first schedule.[48] Vidyut Jamwal, who played negative roles in the Hindi film Force (2011) and the Telugu film Oosaravelli (2011), was selected to play the villain, also making his debut in Tamil cinema.[49] In December 2011 sources revealed that Sricharan, who starred in Payanam, was shooting for a supporting role in the film.[50] Reports in February 2012 suggested that the team was trying to sign Nayantara, who played the female lead in Billa, for a cameo role;[51] the actress refuted the rumors.[52] Furthermore, composer Yuvan Shankar Raja on Toleti's insistence agreed to make a brief appearance in one of the songs.[53] Sources also reported that director Seeman would be acting in the film.[citation needed]
[edit]Filming
The film's production was delayed as Ajith Kumar's previous film, Mankatha, progressed beyond the anticipated completion dates. In March 2011, the producers released a press note that the film would begin in early May 2011, however this failed to happen.[54] During that period, it was also suggested that Billa II may not be Ajith Kumar's successive project and commence only after the actor completed a film with M. Raja.[55] Eventually, a photo shoot was held in June 2011 with Ajith sporting an appearance of a man in his mid-twenties.[56] Principal photography commenced on 14 July 2011 at the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.[44] Filming during the first 30 day schedule throughout July and August 2011 was held in Hyderabad and Vizag.[38] As part of the schedule, one song was shot in Pondicherry under the direction of choreographer Raju Sundaram.[57] Both actresses Parvathy Omanakuttan and Bruna Abdullah joined the crew for the second schedule in Goa,[58] that lasted for 39 days and ended in the first week of November.[59]
In the third week of November, a unit of thirty-six members left for Georgia in Eastern Europe for the final 20 day schedule of the film.[60] In Georgia, the crew filmed at the country's capital, Tbilisi, Borjomi and Rustavi.[61] Billa II became the first Indian film to be shot at the Likani Palace, which functions as a summer residence of the President of Georgia.[62] Midway through the filming, heavy snowfall began. The crew, however, carried on shooting and later reshot the complete sequence with the snowy background to maintain the continuity.[63] The climax portions were also filmed there against a snowy backdrop, for which aerial shots were done from a helicopter.[64] Approximately half a million dollars were spent for the whole schedule in Georgia,[65] which was finished by mid-December.[66] In February 2012, the remaining scenes, including the film's title song,[67][68] were canned at the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad,[69] despite the ongoing strike in the film industry.[70] An item number featuring Brazilian model Gabriela Bertante was shot in a studio in Goa.[71] Although producer Kheterpal had named Bangkok, Thailand as a potential location for filming,[72] shooting was not held there. The entire filming was completed over a period of 90 days.[73]
Three stunt choreographers were involved in the making of Billa II. The stunt sequences in Georgia were partly choreographed by an award-winning German-based company led by stuntman Stefan Richter,[74][75] while the climax action scenes were done by Kecha Khamphakdee's Jaika Stunt team.[76][77] K. Rajasekhar choreographed the fight sequences in Hyderabad and Goa.[77] Madhu Sudhanan, a VFX creative director, said that VFX had been used in action sequences, in "set extensions" and in sequences involving 3D.[78]
[edit]Soundtrack

Main article: Billa II (soundtrack)
Yuvan Shankar Raja, who had also worked on the score of Billa (2007), composed the soundtrack and score of Billa II, becoming his fifth project starring Ajith Kumar. The album conists of six tracks, five songs and a theme music track.[79] The producer however confirmed that the film would feature a sixth song, not included in the soundtrack that was composed for a belly dance sequence.[80][81] Na. Muthukumar agreed to write the lyrics for the songs.[82] In a departure from convention, the lyrics were penned first which were set to tunes later.[83]
The audio launch was initially to be released in mid-March 2012, but was then pushed to second week of April. Actor Rajinikanth was approached to unveil the soundtrack, with the