Priyadarshan Says ‘Hera Pheri’ Made His Life Miserable: Why the Filmmaker Wants to Leave Comedy Behind

Priyadarshan may be one of Bollywood’s most celebrated comedy filmmakers, but the director has now admitted that he actually dislikes shooting comedies. In a candid conversation, he revealed that Hera Pheri changed the course of his career so dramatically that it pushed him into years of making films in the genre.

1. ‘Hera Pheri’ changed Priyadarshan’s career

Priyadarshan began his Hindi-film journey with serious stories and found success with films such as Gardish and Virasat. But Hera Pheri became a major turning point, after which audiences and the industry increasingly associated him with comedy.

2. The filmmaker admits he hates shooting comedies

Despite directing some of Hindi cinema’s most loved comedies, Priyadarshan says the process itself isn’t something he enjoys. He explained that after Hera Pheri, he found himself making “comedy, comedy, and comedy” for years, even though his personal preference has always leaned towards serious storytelling.

3. He doesn’t want to rely on jokes and gags

Priyadarshan says his approach to humour has evolved. Instead of filling a film with constant gags or separate comedy tracks, he prefers humour that naturally comes from serious characters and situations. His focus is now on situational humour, where the story remains grounded while the circumstances create the laughs.

4. ‘Haiwaan’ marks a major genre shift

His upcoming film Haiwaan sees him returning to a darker, more serious space. The thriller stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, with Akshay playing a menacing character and Saif portraying a visually impaired man caught at the centre of the story.

5. Akshay and Saif reunite after 18 years

Haiwaan brings Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together on screen after nearly two decades. The film also features Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Sharib Hashmi and others, with the story promising suspense rather than Priyadarshan’s trademark comedy chaos.

6. Priyadarshan wants storytelling, not a fixed ‘signature’

The filmmaker says he doesn’t want to be boxed into a particular directorial style. He believes directors can experiment rather than repeatedly deliver what audiences expect from their established image. For Priyadarshan, Haiwaan is a chance to return to the kind of serious cinema he genuinely enjoys making.

7. What about ‘Hera Pheri 3’?

Priyadarshan is no longer directing Hera Pheri 3. His exit followed a highly publicised clash with producer Firoz Nadiadwala, alongside reported legal complications surrounding the franchise. The filmmaker had previously said the project could become difficult to realise in its original form.

KnowBuddys Take

Plot twist: the man behind some of Bollywood’s funniest movies doesn’t even like making comedies.

Priyadarshan gave us Hera Pheri, Hungama and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but apparently his heart has always been somewhere darker. With Haiwaan, it looks like the filmmaker is finally choosing the stories he wants to tell, rather than the genre audiences expect from him.