Directed by Dharani · Music by Vidyasagar · April 2004
Legendary all-time blockbuster. Tamil remake of Telugu Okkadu. Iconic whistle moments.
This was Vijay's film 38 of 69 as a lead actor — counted from his debut Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) — released in 2004 during the 2000s.
Soundtrack composed by Vidyasagar
First Tamil film to cross ₹50 crore — broke a 35-year-old attendance record (site records).
A remake of the Telugu blockbuster Okkadu; Vijay's kabaddi-player Velu became an era-defining role.
'Appadi Podu' became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the most played Tamil dance numbers ever.
Prakash Raj's Muthupandi is counted among Tamil cinema's most memorable villains.
Ghilli (2004) stands among the commercial high points of Vijay's 69-film journey as a lead actor — a film that resonated deeply with audiences and reinforced his stature as one of Tamil cinema's most bankable stars of the 2000s. Every blockbuster in this filmography was another step on the road that ultimately led from cinema halls to the Chief Minister's chair.