Did you know Vijay and Trisha weren’t the initial choices for the blockbuster ‘Ghilli’? Vikram and Jyothika were first approached but couldn’t commit due to prior film projects. This led to Vijay and Trisha stepping in, creating an iconic on-screen pairing that resonated with audiences and cemented the film’s enduring popularity.
Vijay and Trisha Krishnan are considered one of the most popular on-screen pairs in Tamil cinema today. Interestingly, their successful collaboration began with the blockbuster film ‘Ghilli.’ This film was released in 2004 and directed by Dharani.
It turned out to be a blockbuster and added to Vijay’s popularity. This lovable film was the Tamil remake of the successful ‘Okkadu,’ in which Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu acted. Fast-paced storytelling, stunningly shot action sequences, and crowd-pleasing songs composed by Vidyasagar made Ghilli the Tamil movie that topped the box office charts that particular year.
Did you know who the first choice was?
Vijay and Trisha’s collaboration turned out to be one of the film’s focal attractions, but fans might be oblivious to the fact that they were not initially the selected actors for the movie.
As per the news, the roster for the lead pair was initially booked for Vikram and Jyothika. However, both stars were actually engaged with their own film projects and couldn’t give their dates for the film. As a result, the makers decided to move ahead with Vijay as the lead actor.
After he came on board, the team finalised Trisha as the female lead. This interesting fact was shared by ZEE5 in a report.
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A blockbuster that changed Vijay’s career
When ‘Ghilli’ was released in 2004, it proved to be a super hit.
The movie reportedly collected around 50 crores in revenue, which was a lot in those days. The state that saw a lot of appreciation apart from Tamil Nadu was Kerala. Vijay’s overacting, Trisha’s expressions, and Prakash Raj’s rough and tough villainism seemed to work out well for the movie. ‘Ghilli’ has always been a public favorite and is a regular feature on television.
‘Ghilli’ re-release proves the film’s lasting popularity
The popularity of ‘Ghilli’ was evident again when the movie was re-released in April 2024 and February 2026. The theaters were jam-packed, and the audience celebrated the film by singing the tunes and reciting the dialogue. The re-release gave a sense of a new film release and reportedly collected Rs 30 crore at the box office. The film’s second re-release was launched this February 2024, but it seems that Vijay and Trisha’s first collaboration is the favorite in Kollywood.
