It was a time when Vijay had just made a pretty decent return to form with his 2003 Diwali hit Thirumalai, after a number of flops. The actor had next teamed up with director Dharani for Ghilli, the remake of 2003 Tollywood movie Okkadu, which was a huge blockbuster there. Though the trailer was promising, and Dharani had scored back to back hits with Dhill and Dhool, whether or not the Telugu masala content will work in Tamil, whether Vijay can score blockbuster to assert his box office supremacy, were running in the minds of many fans.

There was some disappointment for fans ahead of Ghilli's release on April 17, as Vijay's much delayed Udhaya had come two weeks prior to Ghilli. However, as Tamil New Year celebrations ended on April 14, the celebrations began for die-hard fans of Vijay in theatres from April 17, as the movie was a full on mass entertainer that clicked big time. Dharani had made drastic changes in the screenplay, with several characterizations and mass sequences, and sharpened the screenplay, making it much better than the original.

Vijay was at his energetic best, and right from the moment he enters jogging wearing a hoodie and mouths the punchline "All are ayya Ghilli", the moment he vows to protect Dhanalakshmi, and says once he sets foot he will win(erangitanna Jeyikkanum!), his energetic dance moves and his screen presence, Ghilli was a complete Vijay treat for fans. Prakashraj as the menacing Muthupandi had a unique sadistic comedy flavor laced, with the way he says "Chellam I love you", "Aalaaluku Tamil Naade en pinnala irukundreenga neenga enna Andhra border laya irukeenga", "Paatu paadava paadam sollava Gemini Ganesan paa", while also terrifying with his deadly moves as he eliminates people. Trisha was apt as the damsel in distress Dhanalakshmi, and scored her first big blockbuster in Tamil, and emoted well within the scope she got in the mass entertainer. Even the supporting characters like Ashish Vidyarthi, Jennifer, Janaki Sabesh and Dhamu had their share in the entertainment, as they were aptly cast.

One of the biggest highlights of Ghilli other than Dharani's mass screenplay was Vidyasagar's music as he gave a variety of numbers, right from the introduction song of Trisha - Sha la la, the motivational number Arjunaru Villu, the peppy Appadi Podu that ruled FMs and musical events for a long time, the energetic Soora Thenga and the appealing Kokkara Kokkarako, each song offered a unique experience and even the Kadhala bit that appears towards the end still remains the ringtone of many. Besides his pulsating background score also elevated Vijay's heroism to a great level. With Bharathan's dialogues adding value to the proceedings, the captain of the ship Dharani was able to deliver a wholesome package that had all emotions in it and entertained big time, making it one of the most memorable blockbusters of Vijay.

It's been 15 years since Velu aka Ghilli arrived on screens, and the blockbuster stays fresh even now, with prime slots allotted for TV telecasts and an engaging screenplay without a dull moment, that makes it watchable n number of times.