They
both
are
masters
of
the
comedy
genre.
Priyadarshan
has
made
over
60
movies
(across
various
languages
and
genres)
and
is
still
counting.
However,
in
Bollywood,
he
is
known
mostly
for
his
comic
outings.
On
the
other
hand,
Johnny
Lever
is
Bollywood's
longest
surviving
comedian,
especially
in
the
times
when
leading
men
have
started
enacting
comical
and
villainous
characters.
A
veteran
of
over
200
movies,
he
has
literally
seen
it
and
done
all.
However,
in
spite
of
both
Priyadarshan
and
Johnny
Lever
being
a
part
of
the
industry
for
more
than
25
years,
they
never
crossed
path.
Even
though
Priyadarshan's
films
usually
boast
of
at
least
half
a
dozen
comic
characters,
there
was
never
a
place
for
Johnny
Lever.
There
were
regulars
like
Paresh
Rawal,
Asrani,
Rajpal
Yadav,
Manoj
Joshi
and
Shakti
Kapoor
in
most
of
his
outings
but
Johnny
Lever
was
always
conspicuous
by
his
absence.
This
is
why
it
makes
for
an
event
of
sorts
when
Priyadarshan
and
Johnny
Lever
join
hands
for
De
Dana
Dan,
the
first
film
ever
that
sees
the
two
together.
Though
the
film
has
more
than
two
dozen
characters,
hence
being
the
makers
biggest
ever
comedy,
there
is
promise
of
a
well
etched
out
role
for
Johnny
Lever
who
would
finally
be
making
a
debut
in
a
Priyadarshan
setup.
"Johnny
has
a
very
funny
role
in
De
Dana
Dan.
He
plays
a
professional
killer
who
has
never
been
caught",
informs
Priyadarshan
when
asked
about
the
comedian's
part
in
the
film,
"He
dumps
people
with
chloroform.
The
situation
in
the
film
is
such
that
he
has
been
assigned
the
responsibility
of
killing
somebody
but
he
gets
a
wrong
identity.
He
starts
hunting
down
someone
whom
he
is
not
really
supposed
to
kill.
All
his
attempts
prove
to
be
futile
and
how
he
keeps
failing
all
the
time,
brings
in
a
lot
of
humour
in
the
film."
One
can't
help
but
ask
the
filmmaker
though
as
to
what
took
him
so
long
to
rope
in
Johnny
Lever?
After
all
there
would
have
been
countless
other
opportunities
where
he
could
have
fit
in?
"Johnny
is
a
superb
actor
and
both
of
us
coming
together
should
have
been
something
special",
says
Priyadarshan,
"I
wanted
to
give
him
a
role
which
should
disappoint
neither
him
nor
me.
It
should
have
been
worthy
enough.
Finally,
in
De
Dana
Dan,
I
got
a
very
interesting
role
for
him.
When
you
watch
the
film,
you
would
see
for
yourself
that
how
he
actually
enhances
the
original
Hera
Pheri
team
of
Akshay
Kumar,
Suniel
Shetty
and
Paresh."
Well,
one
really
hopes
so.
After
all
the
man
can
be
trusted
to
stand
tall
in
a
massive
crowd
that
comprises
of
Archana
Puran
Singh,
Asrani,
Chunky
Pandey,
Manoj
Joshi,
Rajpal
Yadav,
Tinu
Anand,
Sharat
Saxena
and
Himani
Shivpuri
other
than
the
principal
star
cast.