Writers, Directors Don't Have Much Liberty in Hindi Cinema: Priyadarshan

New Delhi:With more than 45 Malayalam and some 25 Hindi films, many of them comedies, under his belt, Priyadarshan says he is "almost exhausted because nothing more is left". And given his unique perspective on the two major film industries, the "Hera Pheri" director can also see the fundamental differences between the two. While Bollywood films can suffer from sameness with directors and writers forced to stick to whatever format that has proved successful, Malayalam cinema is story centric.

"Hindi cinema has one habit which has been there for years -- from those days (where stories were) about brothers (getting) separated and would reunite years later. In Hindi, if one film works, everybody wants to make that kind of cinema and when people get fed up with those things, somebody makes another break (with a new story). Then everyone goes behind that kind of cinema," Priyadarshan told PTI in an interview.

"They have to listen to the ideas of many people, the producer, the actor, everybody interferes mostly... So the directors and writers are forced, their hands are tied, they have to make what others want, this is the situation," he added.

The main issue with Malayalam cinema is quite different. Filmmakers don't have budgets.

"I always say this -- we have shoestring budgets and our immediate competitor is Steven Spielberg. We don't have money, so what we do is we believe in content," he said.

The director, 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 flop, budgets do, and this philosophy, he said, has been at the centre of everything he does.

How does he then deal with interference from producers and starry tantrums of the stars that 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 everybody and I was very comfortable, even with actors like Govinda. I finished 'Bhagam Bhag' in one schedule. I never had an issue though I had heard that he doesn't come on time, he will never honour his dates and all that... It all depends on how you handle them, what confidence you give them," he said.

Priyadarshan is often credited for popularising the horror-comedy genre through his 2007 hit "Bhool Bhulaiya", starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role. It spawned a new franchise with Anees Bazmee taking over as the director and Kartik Aryan as the lead hero.

It feels good that the story carries on, Priyadarshan said.

"Manjulika (Vidya Balan's character from 'Bhool Bhulaiya') still lives on in 'Bhool Bhulaiya' two and three. I just started the genre, the rest of the people carried it forward very well. When you do something good to the industry and when your attempt is taken forward by others, you feel good."

"Bhoot Bangla" reunites Priyadarshan with some of his favourite stars, including Akshay Kumar, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and late Asrani in his last screen appearance.

It's the first Hindi film since 2021's "Hungama 2" for the prolific filmmaker, who has also directed several Tamil films.

"When one is working in multiple languages such gaps are natural... And I was not getting the right script to start again here, so suddenly when this came, I was very happy and, as you said, my two most favourite actors -- Akshay and Tabu -- are back in the film," he said.

The film has an exciting plot and will appeal to people, he said about the movie, which releases in theatres 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 is the first to admit that it is the most challenging genre to tackle.

"It is easy to make someone cry or feel sad but most 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 these double meaning comedies and all because a family should be able to sit together without embarrassment and watch films, so that's the way I make my films mostly. It is most difficult to make comedies and creating new situations, I think I'm almost exhausted, because nothing more is left," he said.

After "Bhoot Bangla" comes "Haiwan", starring Akshay again alongside Saif Ali Khan, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar.

There might be more ventures before he hits the milestone, but Priyadarshan has already announced that his 100th film will be with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.