By:
Faridoon
Shahryar,
IndiaFM
Tuesday,
September
25,
200
"You
don't
have
to
look
like
a
buffoon
to
make
comedy
films," says
Priyadarshan,
the
Director
responsible
for
a
unique
brand
of
comedy
films
with
a
dash
of
South
Indian
Sambar
flavour.
With
twenty
five
years
in
the
film
industry
(count
South
as
well
as
Bollywood),
he
is
one
of
the
most
prolific
film
makers
around
who
has
churned
out
quality
films
like
Virasat,
Gardish,
Hera
Pheri
and
Saza-e-Kaala
Paani
and
cool
comedies
like
Hungama,
Hulchul,
Malamaal
Weekly
and
Bhagam
Bhag.
Ask
him
about
his
proficiency
in
Hindi
language
and
he
says
with
a
twinkle
in
his
eyes,
"People
like
Tabu
start
making
fun
of
me
the
moment
I
start
talking
in
Hindi."
In
his
exclusive
interview,
Priyan
Sir
(that's
how
he
is
famously
called)
talks
about
his
forthcoming
films
Dhol
and
Bhool
Bhulaiyaa.
Get
stirring....it
tastes
good!
You
have
a
serious
looking
face,
how
come
you
make
such
hilarious
films?
(Laughs)
That's
a
major
complaint.
I'm
too
serious
to
be
a
comedy
filmmaker
they
say.
But
I
have
also
made
serious
films
also.
You
don't
have
to
look
like
a
buffoon
to
make
comedy
films.
I
only
enjoy
humour
but
I'm
not
delivering
it
as
a
person.
I
enjoy
humour
in
my
films.
Even
my
children
and
wife
don't
consider
me
a
very
enterprising
person
as
far
as
cracking
jokes
or
reacting
in
a
lively
way.
I
think
all
my
sense
of
humour
has
come
from
Charlie
Chaplin,
Laurel
Hardy
and
Mickey
Mouse.
You've
made
serious
films
like
Saza-e-Kaala
Paani
and
Virasat.
But
now
you
are
only
making
comedy
films....
After
Virasat,
Gardish
and
Saza-e-Kaala
Paani
I
burned
my
fingers
with
two
films
Doli
Saja
Ke
Rakhna
and
Saat
Rang
Ke
Sapne.
I
thought
there
were
two
ways.
Either
I
have
stay
in
Bollywood
or
run
away.
Then
I
thought
that
a
lot
of
my
comedies
have
worked
in
south
so
I
thought
this
is
the
best
thing.
I
also
thought
that
Hindi
films
are
lacking
in
humour
so
I
started
with
Hera
Pheri.
And
it
started
a
trend
that
even
today
everyone
is
making
comedies.
But
mind
you...Hera
Pheri
1
and
not
Hera
Pheri
2....
(laughs
again).
You
are
a
successful
director
both
in
South
as
well
as
Bollywood.
You've
been
making
Hindi
films
for
some
time
now....but
how
comfortable
are
you
with
Hindi
language?
I
can
read
and
write
but
I
can't
speak.
I
can
speak
only
to
my
drivers.
People
like
Tabu
start
making
fun
of
me
the
moment
I
start
talking
in
Hindi.
I
can
read
and
write
because
it
was
my
second
language
in
college.
I
understand
Hindi
completely.
The
dialogues
especially
the
one-liners
in
your
films
are
always
very
interesting....
I
tell
my
writers
two
things.
I
always
insist
that
they
shouldn't
be
bookish
and
write
as
if
you
talk
in
real
life.
I
also
tell
artistes
just
to
behave
and
not
to
act.
In
Malayalam
films
however
exaggerated
the
subject
may
be,
they
want
the
performances
to
look
real.
That's
what
I
tried
in
Hindi
and
it
worked
very
well
for
me.
After
seeing
Bhool
Bhulaiyaa,
Akshay
said,
Priyan,
I'm
feeling
very
good
because
I
feel
I
haven't
acted
in
the
film.
It's
only
reacting
to
the
situations.
That's
how
most
of
Hollywood
directors
do.
They
just
like
to
react
to
situations.
They
don't
like
to
perform.
An
actor's
performance
should
never
dominate
the
sequence.
That's
why
I
think
dialogues
are
looking
good.
Bhool
Bhulaiyaa
is
looking
very
interesting.
It
doesn't
seem
to
be
trademark
comedy....
After
Virasat,
I
think
Bhool
Bhulaiyaa
is
the
first
film
when
I've
changed
my
lensing
and
everything
else.
I
went
for
bigger
visuals.
The
subject
has
a
serious
note
and
I'm
trying
to
prove
that
ghosts
exist.
Scientifically,
psychologically
every
which
way
I've
proved
I
believe.
Dhol,
if
you
ask
me
is
a
regular
Priyadarshan
time
pass
film.
It
was
not
meant
for
intellectuals.
It's
meant
for
children,
paisa
vasool
kind
of
film.
How
would
you
describe
your
latest
film
Dhol?
Dhol
is
basically
a
film
for
Coffee
Day,
Barista
film.
It's
a
film
for
youngsters.
Even
when
I
was
in
college
even
I
thought
about
falling
in
love
with
a
good
looking
rich
girl
so
it
becomes
easier
to
become
rich.
Staying
in
rented
house
with
four
or
five
friends.
Those
dreams
are
getting
realized
through
this
film.
Dhol
is
a
comedy
for
youngsters.
Bipasha
Basu
recently
said
on
a
chat
show
that
one
actress
who
needs
a
makeover
is
Tanushree
Dutta.
How
differently
do
you
think
you
have
presented
her
in
Dhol?
Problem
is
that
in
my
film,
there's
no
romance.
I
wanted
a
particular
kind
of
girl.
I
didn't
want
an
innocent
looking
beautiful
girl.
I
just
wanted
a
girl
who
fits
in
this
role
where
romance
is
not
the
most
important
thing.
I
thought
Tanushree
was
the
right
cast.
All
these
twenty
five
years
all
my
heroines
look
good.
When
you
are
working
with
them
you
are
in
love
with
them.
I
always
prefer
people
should
have
their
original
skin
tone.