Filmmaker Priyadarshan is known for delivering some of Bollywood’s most popular comedies, but the director has revealed that the genre was never his preferred choice. Ahead of the release of his upcoming film Haiwaan, Priyadarshan opened up about his journey in Hindi cinema, his association with comedy and his decision to return to serious storytelling.
Priyadarshan began his Bollywood career with Muskurahat, a drama, before Gardish and Virasat established him as a filmmaker capable of handling serious subjects. However, the success of Hera Pheri in 2000 changed the trajectory of his Hindi film career and strongly influenced how audiences perceived him.
“I started with serious films. Gardish worked for me, Virasat worked for me. Then Hera Pheri made my life miserable. After that, it was just comedy, comedy, and comedy. To be honest, I hate shooting comedies,” Priyadarshan said in an interview with Hindustan Times.
Between 2001 and 2021, the filmmaker directed 20 Hindi films, with 16 of them being comedies. Even films such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Billu featured substantial elements of humour. His Hindi comeback, Bhooth Bangla, was also a horror-comedy.
Priyadarshan now wants to move away from the expectation of having a recognisable filmmaking formula. Explaining his approach, he said, “Now, I have realised I can shoot films with humour and stories that have humour, instead of just joke after joke.” He added that he prefers situational humour and does not rely on gags or separate comedy tracks.
The filmmaker also stressed that he does not want to develop a fixed “Priyadarshan signature”. “When you make so many films in the same genre, you need a change. A lot of directors have a signature. But I don’t want that,” he said.
Haiwaan, a remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam film Oppam, stars Saif Ali Khan as a blind man and Akshay Kumar as a killer. Boman Irani, who has previously worked with Priyadarshan, praised his kinetic filmmaking style and said the director keeps both the camera and audience constantly engaged.
The psychological thriller also features Shriya Pilgaonkar, Saiyami Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, Rajesh Sharma, Manoj Joshi and Jisshu Sengupta. Mohanlal will make a cameo, while the film marks the final screen appearance of late actor Asrani. Produced by KVN Productions and Thespian Films, Haiwaan is scheduled to release in theatres on September 11.
More Pages: Hera Pheri Box Office Collection
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