There are no regrets, only lessons learnt: Priyadarshan

Filmmaker Priyadarshan (best known for films like Virasat and Hera Pheri) who’s completed more than three decades in the film industry remains as unpredictable as he was years ago. Swinging from comedy to action to drama, it’s not easy to say which genre the filmmaker will be looking at next and also the industry (he continues to juggle making films in five languages)! “That’s the whole attraction. You keep taking risks, experimenting and learning,” says Priyan. “I have never let myself be driven by trends, or language or even stars. It’s not always been easy but it’s the way I have chosen to go,” adds the filmmaker as we catch up with him for a tete a tete. Here Priyadarshan shares his equations with actors and talks about his upcoming comedy Kamaal, Dhamaal, Malamaal.

Your career has been a roller coaster ride of hits, superhits and also some flops. Do these highs and lows affect you?
Not after 32 years and 86 films (smiles). Too much water has flown under the feet to now be bothered about the outcome. All I know is that hits or not there have been no regrets, only lessons learned. And the biggest lesson to learn is that there’s just no hit formula for success. So I just work and move on.

But what about times when the outcome of a film at the BO has put pressure on your relationship with an actor? Wasn’t your equation with actor Ajay Devgn strained after Tezz flopped?
I don’t work with actors who are not mature enough to understand that no film comes with a guarantee of success. As for Ajay, he and I continue to share the same equation we have over the years. In fact, I had met him recently and all is well. We will hopefully work together again.

You oscillate between stars and character actors, action and comedy, and between industries too…
Trends only last till a new one comes. I have never followed trends and have only been dictated by the script, so if I like a script, the language and genre don’t matter. And depending on the script I decide on the casting. Big star or not, if he fits the bill he is in. 

You are working with Nana Patekar in your upcoming comedy Kamaal, Dhamaal, Malamaal…
Yes, I have been planning to work with him for over 10 years now and I am glad that it has finally happened. He and Shreyas (actor Shreyas Talpade) share a great chemistry on camera and shooting was a nice experience.

How much do awards matter?
My real achievement has been to look back at my journey and smile in acknowledgement that I have not wasted my life.  I have been making the kind of films I want to make and tried to keep the audience entertained.