Priyadarshan-Akshay Kumar to reunite for comedy

Panaji: The credit of establishing Akshay Kumar as one of the most bankable actors in the comedy genre goes to Priyadarshan and the veteran filmmaker on Monday revealed they are collaborating again for a film which would be a laugh riot.

The director-actor duo, who has given blockbuster comedies like Hera Pheri, Garam Masala, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and De Dana Dana, will start working on the project later next year.

It is a comedy. I’m currently writing it and will start working on it next year around September-October, Priyadarshan told PTI here on the sidelines of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Fortunately, Akshay has not been doing many comedies. He did this Housefull 4′ and it didn’t do really well, the way he wanted it to be, he added.

The filmmaker said after south superstar Mohanlal, with whom he has collaborated on 47 films, Akshay is the only actor he feels comfortable working with.

I’ve done so many films with him. I have done 47 films with Mohanlal and after him, Akshay became the most comfortable person for me to work with because he completely trusts me. He doesn’t ask what I’m making. He doesn’t want to know what I’m doing. He asks me Sir are you excited?’ and I say ‘yes’ and we just start working.

That confidence is there so I have a responsibility towards him. He trusts me so much that I make sure it works. That trust works well for us. He always says he learns a lot while working with me. His body language has become better. He has evolved a lot. We did Khatta Meetha’ and after that, he started playing a lot of these middle-class characters like Padman and others.

Priyadarshan said he will start working with Akshay after finishing his Bollywood comeback Hungama 2. The film marks his first Hindi movie after 2013’s Rangrezz.

Hungama 2, he said, is not a direct sequel to the 2003 film but has the same spirit.

The first movie featured Akshaye Khanna, Rimi Sen, Aftab Shivdasani, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav among others.

The director revealed that apart from Akshaye and Rimi, all other cast members are set to return. Hungama 2 will also be actor Shilpa Shetty’s comeback to the movies.

The story is completely different. It uses a similar kind of entertainment. I have completed the writing process and will start shooting the film in January. The lead pair will be confirmed in a week or so. Shilpa Shetty is also making a comeback with this film, he added.