New Delhi, March 13 With over 45 Malayalam and approximately 25 Hindi films under his belt, many of which are comedies, Priyadarshan says he is "almost exhausted because there's nothing more to do."
Given his unique perspective on the two major film industries, the director of "Hera Pheri" can also see the fundamental differences between them. While Bollywood films can suffer from a lack of originality, with directors and writers forced to stick to proven formats, Malayalam cinema is character-driven.
"Hindi cinema has a habit that has been around for years – stories about separated brothers reuniting years later. If one Hindi film is successful, everyone wants to make that kind of film, and when people get tired of those things, someone makes a new break with a fresh story. Then everyone goes after that kind of film," Priyadarshan told
"They have to listen to the ideas of many people, including the producer and the actors. This can be a challenging situation for directors and writers, as they have to make what others want," he added.
The main issue with Malayalam cinema is the lack of budgets.
"I always say that we have very limited budgets, and our main competitor is Steven Spielberg. We don't have a lot of money, so we focus on creating good content," he said.
The director, known for memorable comedies such as "Hulchul," "Hera Pheri," "Bhool Bhulaiya," "Khatta Meetha," and "Chup Chup Ke," is now looking forward to his latest Hindi film, "Bhoot Bangla."
According to Priyadarshan, films don't fail; budgets do, and this philosophy has been central to his career.
How does he deal with interference from producers and the demands of the stars he has worked with?
"I always make it clear that this is the way I want to do things. And the actors don't have a problem with me. I have worked with everyone, including Govinda, and I am comfortable working with them. I finished 'Bhagam Bhag' in one schedule. I never had any issues, even though I had heard that he was often late and didn't honor his dates," he said. "It all depends on how you handle them and the confidence you give them."
Priyadarshan is often credited with popularizing the horror-comedy genre through his 2007 hit "Bhool Bhulaiya," starring Akshay Kumar. This spawned a new franchise, with Anees Bazmee taking over as director and Kartik Aryan as the lead hero.
"It feels good that the story continues," Priyadarshan said.
"Manjulika (Vidya Balan's character in 'Bhool Bhulaiya') is still relevant in 'Bhool Bhulaiya' 2 and 3. I started this genre, and others have carried it forward very well. When you do something good for the industry, and when your efforts are taken up by others, it feels good," he said.
"Bhoot Bangla" reunites Priyadarshan with some of his favorite stars, including Akshay Kumar, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, and the late Asrani.
This is the first Hindi film since 2021's "Hungama 2" for the prolific filmmaker, who has also directed several Tamil films.
"When you're working in multiple languages, these gaps are natural. And I wasn't getting the right script to start again, so when this came along, I was very happy, and as you said, my two favorite actors, Akshay and Tabu, are back in the film," he said.
The film has an exciting plot and will appeal to audiences, he said, about the movie, which will be released in theaters on April 10. It is produced by Ektaa Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures and Kumar's Cape of Good Films.
Priyadarshan has been one of the most successful comedic directors in Hindi cinema in the past three decades, and he admits that making comedies is the most challenging genre.
"It's easy to make someone cry or feel sad, but it's very difficult to make people laugh, and they should laugh from the heart because there's a child within every human being. You have to bring out that child and make them laugh," he said.
"I basically don't believe in double-meaning comedies because a family should be able to sit together and watch films without embarrassment, so that's how I make my films. Creating new situations and making comedies is the most difficult thing, and I'm almost exhausted because there's nothing more to do," he said.
After "Bhoot Bangla" comes "Haiwan," starring Akshay again alongside Saif Ali Khan, Saiyami Kher, and Shriya Pilgaonkar.
There might be more projects before he reaches the 100-film milestone, but Priyadarshan has already announced that his 100th film will be with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.