After directing serious films like Saaza-e-Kala-Pani, Gardish, Virasat and comedies like Hera Pheri, Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar, Maalamal Weekly, and Bhagam Bhag, Priyadarshan is all set to make a film based on Indo-Pak relations.

"In my movie, there will be no hatred, no abuses directed towards Pakistan as people do while making a movie based on India and Pakistan," says Priyadarshan, known as Priyan among his friends.

"I will try to portray the problems faced by people of both the sides who are somewhere connected to each other," he says. Priyadarshan said, while shooting for his film Bhool Bhaliya in Jaipur and nearby locales.

"This is a film based on the subject of disassociated identity syndrome. Mind you this too would be comedy movie but there would be some mindblowing thriller scenes in it," he says.

The director says the film dealing with the period 100 years ago is set on the back drop of Benaras and will have a period element even though the shooting is predominantly done in Rajasthan. The film is based on the famous 1993 released Malayalam flick Manichithrathazhyu.

"It is a kind of remake of the movie, but we have changed something from the original for this Hindi version," he says.

After making hits in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu the South Indian director ventured into Hindi with Muskurahat in 1993 that fell flat at the box office. However, his next film in 1994 Gardish brought him acclaim.

To a question whether there was any particular reason why the director chooses to do remakes of Tamil, Malayalam and other movies, he says, "Yes, I have remade some popular Malayalam and other south Indian language movies because I found them effective in Hindi. I should thank writers like Neeraj Vora who have made these movie look convincing and good in Hindi.

Priyadarshan is often credited with bringing back the sequential comedy to Hindi cinema. "I am not against making slapstick comedy. I had only one thing in my mind while making Hera Pheri that I should also be able to portray the pain and difficulties that my characters went through."

The director explains further, "I mean there are two type of comedy movies which are made, one in which you add just some comedy tracks even in a serious film, and second in which you have comedy as the sequence of the film which gels well with the role of the characters. I always try not to use comic part to fill in the gaps in my movies," he says.

When asked about rumours that he was not happy with the remake of Phir Hera Pheri, despite the fact that it was a hit at the box office, Priyan says, "I was really not happy with the sequel. It is not a well made film. In Hera Pheri, all the characters have some pain in their lives and the movie involved bringing forth that pain along with wit and fun. But in the sequel there was nothing like that," he says.

On the use of the same artistes in all his movies, he chuckles, "You know, known devils are better than unknown angels."

Priyadarshan is also an avid sports buff, and loves to watch cricket. "I am desperately looking forward to the World Cup."

He had once aspired to become a cricketer and had played the game at college level. However, an accident during his playing days put him on the director's seat.