New Delhi, March 14 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 often face a lack of originality, with directors and writers forced to stick to proven formulas, Malayalam cinema is story-centric.
"Hindi cinema has a habit that has been around for years – stories about brothers who are separated and reunite years later. If one Hindi film works, everyone wants to make a similar film, and when people get tired of those kinds of stories, someone creates a new one. Then everyone wants to watch that kind of film," Priyadarshan told
"They have to listen to the ideas of many people – the producer, the actor, everyone interferes. So, the directors and writers are forced to make what others want. That's the situation," he added.
The main challenge for 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 money, so we focus on creating good content," he said.
Priyadarshan, known for memorable comedies such as "Hulchul", "Hera Pheri", "Bhool Bhulaiya", "Khatta Meetha", and "Chup Chup Ke" in Hindi, is now looking forward to his latest Hindi film: the horror comedy "Bhoot Bangla".
According to Priyadarshan, films don't fail, budgets do, and this philosophy has been central to everything he does.
How does he deal with interference from producers and the demanding personalities of the actors he has worked with?
"I always put my foot down and say that this is the only way I want to do it. And the actors don't have a problem with me. I have worked with everyone, and I am comfortable working with actors like Govinda. I finished 'Bhagam Bhag' in one schedule. I never had any issues, even though I had heard that he was often late and wouldn't honor his dates. It all depends on how you handle them and what confidence you give them," he said.
Priyadarshan is often credited with popularizing the horror-comedy genre through his 2007 hit "Bhool Bhulaiya", starring Akshay Kumar. This film 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 from 'Bhool Bhulaiya') is still alive in 'Bhool Bhulaiya' two and three. I started this genre, and the others have done a great job carrying it forward. When you create something good for the industry, and when others take your ideas and make them successful, 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 in his last screen appearance.
This is the first Hindi film since 2021's "Hungama 2" for the prolific filmmaker, who has also directed several Tamil films.
"When you are working in multiple languages, there are natural gaps. And I wasn't getting the right script to start again here, so when this came, 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 releases 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 someone laugh, and they should laugh from the heart because there is a child in every human being's mind. 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 without embarrassment and watch films, so that's how I make my films. It's most difficult to make comedies and create new situations, I think 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 may be more projects before he reaches the milestone, but Priyadarshan has already announced that his 100th film will be with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.