Priyadarshan, the director who gave us timeless classics like Hera Pheri and Viraasat, opens up about his journey, the highs and lows of his career, and the challenges behind creating iconic films. From his unexpected return to the Hera Pheri franchise to dealing with the complexities of Bollywood’s commercial demands, Priyadarshan shares candid insights into his filmmaking process, his collaborations, and the lessons learned along the way. Excerpts…
Are you planning to make Hera Pheri 3?
Yes, I am. I think it’s the best announcement I could make. Everyone wants Akshay Kumar and me to reunite for Hera Pheri.
But didn’t you once tell me that you would never do a sequel to Hera Pheri?
I did. But then the pressure to return to the beloved franchise became too much.
Your Hera Pheri released in 2000 was a big hit, but you weren’t around to enjoy its success in Maharashtra?
I’ve seen more ups and downs in my career than most. Now I’ve reached a point in my career where success or failure doesn’t make a difference. I enjoy my success, but to some extent, I’ve become immune to its trappings. I’ve seen how people in Mumbai look through you when you make a flop film, and I’ve seen how, when you succeed, they praise you. You don’t see the same attitude in the South. Over there, once you are accepted as a director, they accept you regardless of your failures at the box office. In Mumbai, a filmmaker’s fate fluctuates from Friday to Friday.
How much of the original Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking did you retain in Hera Pheri?
I must have changed about thirty percent of the original. I changed the ambience and several scenes. I never wanted so many songs in Hera Pheri. In fact, two of the songs that you see in Hera Pheri weren’t shot by me. When I saw the film, those songs came as a shock to me. I had already edited the film when they were added. When I asked my producer (Firoz Nadiadwala) why he felt the need to add songs, he said the film didn’t have any gloss. I requested him not to spoil the film, but he was adamant about adding those songs. The matter was out of my hands.
The impression in Mumbai is that you walked out of the film even before it was ready.
No, I didn’t walk out of the film. If I had done that, why would the producer keep my name in the credit titles?
Because your name sells?
No, my producer said he was unable to sell the film because after Viraasat I hadn’t made any successful Hindi films. He had signed me after Virasat. He would have never signed me after my failures in Hindi. After Doli Sajaa Ke Rakhna, he felt I knew nothing about commercial Hindi cinema. He thought I was trying to make an art film with Hera Pheri. He told me my film looked as though it was made for Rs. 1 crore when, in fact, it cost much more to make, because the characters wore shabby clothes and lived in a chawl.
That’s where the songs came in?
He shot the two songs with choreographer Ahmed Khan without my consent. He did inform me that he was shooting two extra songs. I told him I was against it. I felt they didn’t fit with the rest of the film. But he persisted. Apart from those songs, everything else you see in Hera Pheri was done by me. Since the final copy of the film was in his hands, there was nothing I could do about it. Unfortunately, I hadn’t signed a proper contract with him. The day the film was released, he called me up to admit that the film was liked for its simplicity, humour, and emotion, not for gloss. I was happy he admitted his mistake. Normally, people don’t accept their mistakes. I want to produce my own films, so there will be no interference in the future. I think many meritorious directors in Mumbai have turned producers to avoid meddlesome producers.
You became a celebrity director after Virasat clicked?
Viraasat may have been a hit, but it was Kala Pani that got me national recognition. The film didn’t succeed because some of its historical references were incomprehensible to Hindi moviegoers.
Like Gulzar Saab, you love putting flashbacks in your films, don’t you?
Yes, I love nostalgia. So, I love flashbacks. That’s why I love Gulzar Saab’s films.
