MUMBAI: IN Entertainment, has tied up with Chennai based Wide Angle Creations led by Suresh Balaje and George Pius to produceBilla 2.
The film will star Ajith, carrying on from the blockbuster success of Billa in 2007in the lead Role. The Film, helmed by director, Vishnuvardhan, who also directed Billa, will go on the floors in early April, 2011 and is slated for a release between December, 2011 and February, 2012.
Soumik Sen, who heads development at INE, has worked on the screenplay along with Vishnuvardhan and the same is being developed into Tamil dialogue draft presently.
Billa was earlier made into Tamil with Superstar Rajnikanth as the remake of Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Don. The Film was remade in 2007 again into Tamil with Ajith playing the role essayed by Rajnikanth. However, unlike the Hindi remake with Shah Rukh Khan, where the ending of the film was changed to keep the lead protagonist alive, Billa maintained the same story as the original film. Billa 2 is therefore not a sequel but is being designed as a prequel to Billa.
IN Entertainment CEO Sunir Kheterpal said, “INE is looking to develop and produce films with talented Film-makers in Tamil and Telugu and it is an honour to be associated with a brand like Billa, original producers of Billa (which starred Rajnikant) represented bySuresh Balaje, Ajith and Vishnuvardhan in our first Tamil film.”
Balaje says, “We are delighted to be working with INE and the Hinduja Group for Billa 2. It is a nostalgic homecoming for us as we produced the original Billa with Superstar Rajnikant. Billa 2 will go on the floors in early April 2011 as soon as Ajith’s current projectMankatha is completed.”
Ajith adds, “Billa 2 is my next film and we start filming in early April 2011. Prequel to Billa is an exciting premise and I am delighted to be working with close friends, Suresh Balaje and Vishnu and am glad that we have a strong company like INE backing this project.”
