'Never laugh while making a comedy'

He doesn't like posing for the camera, but Priyadarshan, director of 79 films in 26 years with an almost 85 per cent hit graph, certainly knows what clicks. Ahead of his new release De Dhana Dhan, the comedy king tells us how he pulls it off

1 Comedy works

When I began making comedies, there was a huge scarcity in that genre. My first was Poochakkoru Mookkuthi in 1984, a hit. I entered Bollywood in 2000 with Hera Pheri, a remake of the Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking. People used to say what works in the south won't work in the north. I disagree. Movie audiences are the same everywhere.



2 Never remake a film as it is

Frame-by-frame remakes don't work. Kerala's literacy level is higher, the audience needn't be spoon-fed. In the north, I need to add detail. Some south directors fail in Bollywood because their films look like south films. Mine don't. When I wanted to remake the Tamil film Thevar Magan as Viraasat, Kamal Haasan said it wouldn't work. But I gave it a northern rural flavour and it did.

3 Don't cast south-Indian actors in Hindi films

I do cast a couple of my actors from the original Malayalam films, but the problem is the language. In that respect, I'd say the actresses are far better. They make an effort to learn the language, to get the accent right. I once wanted Mohanlal to work with me, but he refused because he admits to having limitations with Hindi.

4 Never laugh while shooting a comedy film

Seriously! Most filmmakers get carried away with comedy. If you laugh while shooting a comedy, the audience almost never laughs. And you need to have control over the cast. I don't let my actors say one word more than what is in the script. The situations in my films are funny, the characters are serious. There's a very thin line between buffoonery and humour.

5 Cast a known devil instead of an unknown angel

In comedy, timing is all important, so I cast actors I am sure about. If the performance fails the whole film can fail. If a scene only involves a postman and he does a bad job, the whole movie could sink. If the theatre isn't resounding with laughter, you know you've failed.



6 It's simpler making a realistic film than a comedy

I made Kanjeevaram only for myself. I wasn't bothered by what the audience would think. But when I make a comedy, it's for the audience. I have to make them laugh and that's obviously tougher. But it has been quite a smooth ride for me. Apart from Aamir Khan, I've worked with every big actor.

7 Hindi films are easier to make

Hindi films have a huge budget, and being trained in the south, I know how best to utilise it. Also, the area of exploitation in Bollywood is 10 times bigger. I used to feel that Hindi actors are inferior to south actors. Not anymore. Hindi heroes perform better because the industry is so full of actors, each one has to work hard to maintain his spot.

8 Reviews can't make or break a film

I completely agree with Alfred Hitchcock's statement, "I can't take reviews to the bank." I don't want rating 'stars' for my films, I want the audience to enjoy them and make them hits. All of my successful films have been panned. That said, genuine criticism can teach a filmmaker to do things better.

9 No one sets out to make a bad film

I wouldn't comment on other comedy directors. I don't feel happy if their films flop nor do I become sad if they deliver hits. All I am bothered about is how my film fares. Before you judge another director's work, remember that no one sets out to consciously make a bad film.

10 Remain detached from your cast

Paresh Rawal has worked in 15 of my films, but I've never sat down and had a drink with him. I never go beyond a working relationship. Once you do that, actors start expecting a lot and if you're unable to give them that, they could turn into enemies overnight. I treat my cast with respect and they respect me too. I've worked with Salman Khan and Govinda. I had heard that they report to sets at odd timings, but that didn't happen even once. The only exception to this 'detachment' rule of mine is Mohanlal who has been a friend through childhood and college. Fortunately, working together has only brought us closer. He has done 39 movies for me, of which 37 were hits.