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Priyadarshan set to begin work on fantasy horror film with Akshay Kumar, confirms the subject

Filmmaker Priyadarshan and actor Akshay Kumar are reuniting for a fantasy horror film, and the shoot is expected to begin soon.

Updated on: Apr 26, 2024, 01:16:56 IST
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Priyadarshan is all set to begin work on his next film, which will mark his reunion with Akshay Kumar after 14 years. The director-actor jodi has given us some cult hits together such as Hera Pheri (2000) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), which is why their upcoming project is bound to create buzz.

Filmmaker Priyadarshan with actor Akshay Kumar
Filmmaker Priyadarshan with actor Akshay Kumar

He shares, “Now that I am done with my docu-series on the Ram Mandir’s history, my most important film on which I am beginning work is the one with Akshay, produced by Ekta Kapoor. It is a horror fantasy with humour.”

Is it something like BB? “That was a psychological thriller, but this one will be fantasy, in the backdrop of black magic, the oldest superstition of India. It is always a pleasure collaborating with Akshay. From our first film, to this one, it has always turned out well with him, he handles the emotions so well. I was waiting for a good subject to get back with him, and this one I feel will be that.”

Since we bring up BB during our conversation, coincidentally two of his cults mentioned earlier are getting a third instalment in their respective franchises, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Hera Pheri 3.

The 67-year-old is not a fan of remakes, “The first one is always the best, like Hera Pheri. It will always be good, you can make whatever second or third parts. People will always say they liked the original. In sequels, makers exploit the success of that market. There’s nothing wrong in doing that. The world over people make sequels. Terminator 2 was bigger than Terminator 1, the former was made by another director. I, somehow, don’t like to do sequels.”

Though he is okay with remakes, as he remade the Malayalam film Ramaji Rao Speaking (1989) into Hera Pheri. “But I never remake films which I have made only for my satisfaction. As a maker, I have tried horror, comedy, romance. I know when I make certain films they are meant for an audiences who likes realistic films, while some are for the common man. I always make sure my films have no double meaning, or content that cannot be watched by parents with their children,” he ends.

  • Rishabh Suri
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rishabh Suri

    Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More