Priyadarshan doesn't 'blame' Kartik Aaryan, Ayushmann Khurrana for rejecting Hungama 2

Priyadarshan has said that he doesn't blame actors such as Kartik Aaryan and Ayushmann Khurrana for rejecting Hungama 2. The movie will be out on Disney+ Hotstar.

Director Priyadarshan has spoken about actors such as Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan not wanting to work with him on Hungama 2, a spiritual sequel to his hit 2003 comedy starring Akshaye Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani and Rimi Sen.

Ayushmanna Khurrana is one of the most bankable actors in Bollyood. (Photo: Instagram/IshaBhansali)

Priyadarshan said that he doesn't face a similar situation in the south, where actors are more familiar with his work. In an interview, the director said that he isn't offended, because it is vital for actors to trust their directors.

He told The Quint, "I don't face it in the south, because they know more about me. But here, I don't blame them for refusing, because if an actor doesn't feel confident about a director, they shouldn't do the film. Because then there will not be a comfortable interaction. Maybe these boys are more comfortable working with the new school; I belong to the old-school."

That being said, however, Priyadarshan noted that he won a National Film Award recently, so he must know what he's doing. "See, it's a question of, of course, they think that we don't update. But I keep updating everything... So if you ask me, the film Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, which won the National Award for best feature of this year, so if I can win the National Award for best film of this year, I'm still good."

Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, reunites Priyadarshan with actor Mohanlal. The film will be released in theatres in August, after suffering multiple delays because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hungama 2, starring Meezaan, Shilpa Shetty, Paresh Rawal, and Pranita Subhash, will arrive on Disney+ Hotstar later this month.

In an earlier interview with PTI, Priyadarshan had spoken about offering Hungama 2 to Kartik Aaryan, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Sidharth Malhotra. “I didn’t go directly to meet them but my concept was narrated to a lot of actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Kartik Aaryan and Sidharth Malhotra. They all refused to do the film. Now, I am working with Meezaan. They all refused because maybe they thought I am an outdated director, because I was out of the Hindi film industry for five years,” Priyadarshan said.

Hungama 2 will be out on Disney+ Hotstar on July 23.