"Billa" was released on 26 January 1980, and became commercial success, running for over 25 weeks in theatres. It was a turning point in Rajinikanth's career, disproving detractors that claimed he was "finished" and which saw him accepted as a full-fledged hero. He was subsequently cast in a series of roles modelled after Bachchan's "angry young man" persona, in various Tamil remakes of Hindi films written by Salim–Javed and starring Bachchan, who Rajinikanth has credited as his inspiration. The success of "Billa" established Rajinikanth as one of the top stars of Tamil cinema. It was remade in 2007 in Tamil under the same title.