Billu Barber

Billu, previously known as Billu Barber, is a 2009 Indian

It is a remake of 2007 Malayalam film Katha Parayumpol^[4][5] and loosely based on the story of friendship between Krishna and Sudama in the Bhagavata Purana.^[6] The film was screened at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival.^[6]

Plot

Billu is a poor

Billu had mentioned to his family that he knows Sahir from the past but has never elaborated how he knows the star. When his children talk about their father's friendship with the star, word spreads throughout the village. Virtually overnight, Billu, who had previously been scorned by most due to his lowly state, becomes the center of attention. People who had spurned him only the week before now call him a close friend so that he will introduce them to Sahir. Billu refuses and downplays the friendship. Even so, the powerful businessman Sahukaar Daamchand demands to see Sahir and offers Billu expensive gifts in order to gain such a meeting. When Billu consistently fails to introduce the people of the village to Sahir, his situation changes once again. He is accused of lying about his friendship and everyone – including his wife and children – begins to doubt his character and integrity. Rather than defend himself, Billu remains quiet about the nature of his and Sahir's friendship.

On Sahir's last day in the village, the star speaks at Gunja and Ronak's school function. He tells the children about his own impoverished childhood when he had nothing but a special bond of friendship with another young boy, named Billu. It was Billu who had taken care of Sahir and eventually helped him travel to Mumbai by giving him his gold earring where Sahir became a star. Billu, who is standing at the back of the event, leaves during the talk without revealing to Sahir that he is there. However, the townspeople realizing their fault in ostracizing Billu, take Sahir to Billu's house. Billu's children come home and apologize to their father for the trouble they caused him. All of a sudden, Sahir enters Billu's home, reuniting with his best friend. They hug and embrace each other, with the whole village and Billu's family happily watching. In the end, Sahir must leave for another shoot but promises that his and Billu's friendship is reignited and will remain friends.

Cast

• Shah Rukh Khan as Sahir Khan, a Bollywood Superstar and Billu's dearest childhood friend
• Irrfan Khan as Bilas Rao Pardesi / Billu
• Lara Dutta as Bindiya Pardesi, Billu's wife
• Om Puri as Sahukaar Daamchand
• Asrani as Naubat Chacha
• Rajpal Yadav as Zallan Kumar / Budbudiya
• Manoj Joshi as Damodar Dubey
• Jagadeesh
  as 'Modern' Madan
• Rasika Joshi as Principal Gahalot
• Mitali Mayekar as Gunja, Billu's daughter
• Pratik Dalvi as Ronak / Duggu, Billu's son

Special appearances

• Kareena Kapoor
  in "Marjaani" as Sahir Khan's heroine
• Priyanka Chopra in "Khudaya Khair" as Sahir Khan's heroine
• Deepika Padukone in "Love Mera Hit Hit" as Sahir Khan's heroine

Production

Director Priyadarshan cast Shah Rukh Khan and Lara Dutta in pivotal roles in the film. While these roles were initially offered to Akshay Kumar and Tabu, Kumar eventually opted out of the project due to date clashes,^[7] as did Tabu.^[8] The director then offered Kumar's and Tabu's role to Shah Rukh Khan and Ameesha Patel respectively, and both of them agreed to do the film.^[4] Patel also opted out of the film^[5] and sources have indicated that Juhi Chawla was signed on for the role.^[9]

In April 2008, the director announced that he had cast