Destination Bollywood-2: This film spread 'Khushi' all over

Summer of 2000 saw a young director S Justin Selvaraj, (known more popularly as S J Surya) come up with a venture starring Vijay and Jyothika in the lead. Titled 'Khushi', it was a typical social actioner, shot in Kolkata and other parts of India. The film had a raw, infectious energy exhibited by both the hero and the heroine which was very well backed up by foot-tapping numbers and a racy storyline.

Made on a budget of Rs 20 crore, a fairly high investment given the money spent on regional films two decades ago, it was a risk taken on the young Vijay's market appeal. The film went on to make a mark and collected Rs 30 crore, firmly adding its name to the list of hits that the industry saw in the first year of the new millennium.

From Chennai, as it was an established trend by then, hit films first made it to the neighbouring market of Hyderabad where younger heroes were also just stepping in for their share of limelight. Pawan Kalyan, the youngest brother of megastar Chiranjeevi had also put in a few years in the industry. In that six-year phase, he already had made his restless presence matter in the hearts of the audience.

S J Surya reprised his film once again in Telugu and the fans lapped it up as the infectious enthusiasm of the original was carried on into the new audience's hearts and minds. It was a cult classic of sorts, releasing a year after the 2000 Tamil film. Here, the film collected Rs 21 crore which was phenomenal for a young star.

The remake was obviously headed towards the Hindi market when as a hat-trick, Surya was entrusted with the task of making it for the upcountry market. Produced by Surinder Kapoor and Boney Kapoor, who have always eyed southern films for the local market, it had Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor who were into the first five years of their career.

Somehow, the run of success ground to a halt in Hindi. The star selection was also a prime reason as Fardeen could not recreate the magic the heroes in Tamil and Telugu managed. While Kareena managed to carry off the self-possessed heroine' role well, Fardeen was found struggling to catch up. The only plus point was the music by Anu Malik which was well received. Despite a low budget outlay of Rs 9 crore, the film crashed badly at the BO..