25 Years of Hera Pheri: Priyadarshan on the success, controversies & unwanted songs of the film; says, “It’s my film, except for two songs”
After the surprise success of Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan had plenty to smile about. Unfortunately, the film’s success was marred by controversy. Your film Hera Pheri was a hit, but you weren’t in Mumbai to enjoy its success? By that time, I had already directed around fifty films in various languages. I’ve seen more ups and downs in my career than most. At this stage, success or failure doesn’t make much of a difference to me. I enjoy my success, but to some extent, I’ve become immune to its trappings. I’ve seen how people in Mumbai ignore you after a flop, and then when you succeed, they—well, let’s just say they start treating you very differently (laughs). You don’t see this attitude in the South. Once a director is accepted there, they remain respected regardless of box office failures. But in Mumbai, a filmmaker’s fate changes from Friday to Friday. How much of the original Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking did you retain in Hera Pheri? I changed about thirty percent of the ...