'No, I Didn't Walk Out Of The Film'

'Two of the songs haven't been shot by me. When I saw the film, they came as a shock.'

Priyadarshan's cult classic film Hera Pheri turns 25, and makes the film-maker go down memory lane.

He takes the time to discuss the things that went wrong with the film, and tells Subhash K Jha, "My producer thought I was trying to make an art film in Hera Pheri. He told me my film looks as though it was made for Rs 1 crore -- when, in fact, it cost much more! -- because the characters wear shabby clothes and live in a chawl."

Hera Pheri was a hit but you aren't around to enjoy its success in Mumbai.

By then, I had done around 50 films in several languages. I have seen more ups and downs in my career than most.

I have reached a point in my career where success or failure don't make a difference.

I enjoy my success but to some extent, I have become immune to its trappings.

I have seen how people in Mumbai look through you when you make a flop film.

And when you succeed...

You don't see the same attitude in the South.

There, once you are accepted as a director, they accept you regardless of your failures at the box office.

In Mumbai, a filmmaker's fate fluctuates from Friday to Friday.

How much of the original Malayalam film Ramaji Rao Speaking did you retain in Hera Pheri?

I must have changed about 30 percent of the original.

I changed the ambience and several scenes.

I did not want so many songs in Hera Pheri.

In fact, two of the songs haven't been shot by me. When I saw the film, they came as a shock.

When I asked my producer (A G Nadiadwala) why he saw the need to add the songs, he said the film didn't have any gloss.

I requested him not to spoil the film but he was adamant.

The matter was out of my hands.

The impression in Mumbai is that you walked out of the film even before it was ready.

No, I didn't walk out of the film.

If I had done that, why would the producer keep my name in the credits?

Because your name sells?

No. My producer said he was unable to sell the film because after Virasat. I hadn't made any successful Hindi films.

After Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, he felt I knew nothing about commercial Hindi cinema.

He thought I was trying to make an art film in Hera Pheri.

He told me my film looks as though it was made for Rs 1 crore -- when, in fact, it cost much more! -- because the characters wear shabby clothes and live in a chawl.

That's why he added the two songs?

He shot the two songs without my consent with Choreographer Ahmed Khan.

I felt they didn't gel with the rest of the film.

But he persisted.

Apart from those songs, everything else that you see in Hera Pheri is done by me.

Since the final film was in his hands, there was nothing I could do about it.

Unfortunately, I hadn't signed a proper contract with him.

Producer Feroz Nadiadwala did concede that Hera Pheri didn't need those songs.

The day the film released, he called me up to admit that it was liked for its simplicity, humour and emotion, not for the gloss.

I was happy he admitted his mistake. Normally, people don't.

But it's your film the audiences have got to see?

Absolutely. You have seen Suniel Shetty and Akshay Kumar in other films, and then you saw them in Hera Pheri.

Obviously, the performances have to be sourced to me.

I was very happy with my artistes, Akshay, Suniel, Tabu and Paresh Rawal were very co-operative.

Thanks to them, I finished Hera Pheri very fast.

The delay was because the producer was trying to release his previous film, Kartoos.

A major part of Hera Pheri took just 17-18 days.