Mahesh Babu's biggest regret with Thalapathy Vijay's Ghilli

Ghilli is a milestone film in Thalapathy Vijay's career, playing a very instrumental role in elevating his stardom to the next level when it was first released in cinemas in 2004. The craze around the film has only intensified, as reflected in its reception following its re-release last week in cinemas worldwide.

Ghilli was re-released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the movie. In light of the re-release, a video has resurfaced online where Mahesh Babu shared his regret regarding Ghilli. In the video, Mahesh revealed that he "felt bad" when his film Okkadu was pulled out of theatres in Tamil Nadu to prevent it from reaching more people.

"After Okkadu became a big hit in Andhra, Vijay immediately bought the remake rights to that film. The film also received a phenomenal response in Tamil Nadu. But, when they bought the remake rights, I felt bad that they removed Okkadu from Chennai theatres. They didn't want a lot of people to watch it, I think. But, I remember Okkadu got a sensational reception (in Chennai)," Mahesh said.

ALSO READ: The Verdict: Mahesh Babu's Okkadu vs Vijay's Ghilli, which movie is the ultimate winner?

Where is Okkadu streaming?

Whenever fans debate about Ghilli, it inevitably draws comparisons to Okkadu, starring Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu. Did the remake outshine the original or not? It remains a contentious topic among fans of Mahesh Babu and Vijay.

This discussion often erupts into a social media war as fans defend their favourite movie. The differences in vision between filmmakers Gunasekhar and Dharani have shaped the distinct tones of Okkadu and Ghilli.

Okkadu offers a grounded narrative focused on the protagonist's mission to save a girl, while Ghilli leans towards masala entertainment, highlighting the hero's heroic deeds. Despite these differences, both films captivate audiences with their compelling stories and memorable characters.

ALSO READ: 20 years on, Ghilli reigns again: Thalapathy Vijay's old blockbuster comes to the rescue of Tamil Nadu theatres

Okkadu was also a career-defining film for Mahesh and expanded his stardom very early in his career. The film stars Bhumika Chawla and Prakash Raj in lead roles.

Okkadu is available for streaming on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium .

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