'People Forget Those Who Planted The Tree': Actor Dhamu On Ghilli Re-release

Ghilli collected more than Rs 20 crore on its re-release.

To the surprise of Thalapathy Vijay’s fans, the 2004 film Ghilli was re-released on April 20. The film was well received by the fans and the public upon its re-release and fetched record numbers on its opening day. Consequently, the film is also grossing huge amounts at the box office. The film, starring Thalapathy Vijay and Trisha in the lead roles, was re-released in selected theatres 20 years after its original release.

Talking about the film, actor Dhamu said, “The film Ghilli was released 20 years ago. I played the role of Otteri in that film. Now, after 20 years, the film is being re-released and is running successfully.”

“People are whistling and celebrating the film Ghilli, which came out 20 years ago. But, the tree planted 20 years ago is now providing shade for many people. Have you ever whistled and celebrated those who planted the tree?” he expressed frustration.

The film was released in 320 theatres in Tamil Nadu and became a hit in most regions, as reported. On its first day of release, Ghilli grossed Rs 4.25 crore at the state’s box office. On its second day, Sunday, the film saw a slight drop in collections at Rs 3.90 crore. On its third day, Monday, the film is reported to have grossed Rs 1.70 crore. Till Monday, the film has collected Rs 9.85 crore in Tamil Nadu, a very impressive amount for a re-release. On Tuesday, the film managed to collect Rs 1.16 crore at the box office, taking its total to Rs 10 crore in the state alone.

According to industry insiders, this is the highest box office collection for a re-released film. Also, the distributors are predicting that the film’s collections will increase in the current week. On its release day alone, the re-release reportedly collected Rs 10 crore at the box office worldwide. And on April 22, it was reported that the worldwide collection had touched Rs 15 crore.

Now, the producers have decided to re-release another classic from Vijay’s filmography – Kushi. Originally released in 2000, Kushi is directed and written by S J Suryah. The film stars actors Vijay and Jyothika in the lead roles. They are supported by Vijayakumar, Shilpa Shetty, Mumtaj, Vivek and many others. A M Rathnam produced the film under the banner of Sri Surya Movies.