Priyadarshan Interview | On his evolution as a filmmaker, Malayalam cinema’s dream run and giving hits in Bollywood

Priyadarshan receives the Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema Award at the IIFA Utsavam in Abu Dhabi.
| Photo Credit: IIFA Utsavam/Instagram

Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan was recently honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema award at the IIFA Utsavam in Abu Dhabi. At the event, the directors was asked repeatedly about Bhoot Bhangla, his highly-anticipated collaboration with Akshay Kumar.

“I am back with a big Bollywood project after a long time. Moreover, I am reuniting with Akshay Kumar after ages. It’s going to be a special film, and I am positive about recreating the magic,” he told reporters.

Priyadarshan is also gearing up for his 100th film, and reports say the director is collaborating with his best friend and superstar Mohanlal.

In a conversation with The Hindu at the event, the actor looked back at his career, spoke about the evolution of the Malayalam film industry, and delved into the challenges faced by yesteryear filmmakers today.

Excerpts from the interview:

The Malayalam film industry surpassed the Rs 1,000-crore mark at worldwide box office with back-to-back hits. Has Mollywood moved beyond the star system? What explains this dream run from the industry?

Stardom is still there. Mammootty and Mohanlal are still ruling the industry. That said, newcomers are focussing on content over run-of-the-mill stories. Current filmmakers are making films in realistic situations. For example, how a love story is treated in a Malayalam film today has changed. Back then, a couple would separate because there was an objection from parents based on caste or class. Today, writers and filmmakers are exploring conflicts within the relationships. They delve deeper into the mindset of two individuals rather than focussing on the tried-and-tested trope of society opposing their love. That is modern cinema.

New-generation filmmakers hogging the limelight in the Malayalam film industry. How are yesteryear filmmakers such as yourself, Joshiy and Fazil reacting to the rise of young directors?

I don’t want to take names, but many of my colleagues, who were much better than me in filmmaking, are no longer in the profession. The main reason for their early exit from the film industry is their inability to adapt. They failed to accept that Malayalam cinema has changed. Secondly, they struggled to keep up with the changes in technology. Even if we don’t believe in a trend, we must acknowledge and adapt, if necessary. We have a lot to learn from the young generation. Filmmaker Peter Chan said that he learnt about the evolution of today’s films through his child. He is right. I learnt a lot from my children. I bounce ideas off them before I sit to write a script.

Director Priyadarshan says yesteryear filmmakers must use technology in innovative ways to survive in the film industry.
| Photo Credit:
SRINIVASAN L

Humour is your forte. How has comedy changed over the years?

Right from Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy days, the secret to good humour has remained the same. If you can make a child laugh, consider your job done. There is a child in everyone. I think filmmakers exploring the comedy genre are interested in double entendre. The problem with that approach is that you are restricting your audience base. Parents hesitate to take their children to such movies. The percentage of families going to theatres has been reduced not because of the OTT boom but because of vulgarity in films. Many comedy films are watched by only those between the ages of 16 and 30. Hridayam was a huge success in Malayalam because it was a clean relationship drama that dealt with modern issues.

As a filmmaker from Kerala, you were able to make a mark in Bollywood. Why do you think other filmmakers from Malayalam failed to make that transition?

When I watched Hindi movies back in the day, I would wonder why our heroes didn’t dress up like them or why our films didn’t look like theirs. Bollywood had a slight edge if you compare the production value between the two industries. So when I remade Manichitratazhuto Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Ramji Rao Speaking to Hera Pheri, and Boeing Boeing to Garam Masala, they all looked like Hindi movies. The audience in North India didn’t want to see the same kind of film again. They wanted to feel like they were watching a Hindi movie. Most Hindi remakes of regional movies are flops because filmmakers don’t understand this crucial fact. Our priority should be to cater to the Hindi audience.

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Veteran actor Kaviyoor Ponamma passed away recently. In the last couple of years, Malayalam cinema has lost many gifted actors from its golden era.

The passing away of so many wonderful veteran actors affected me for sure. For instance, someone like Sankaradi acted for 35 years because we wanted to see him in almost every movie. All these veteran actors came from the stage (theatre). They moulded their acting based on their respective characters. They were able to build a strong connection with the audience. Today, even the best character artistes survive only for five-six years in the industry. They have several limitations.