If the 90’s had David Dhawan, creating some iconic comedy classics with Govinda, there was also Priyadarshan who worked parallel to give us a different kind of laughter through the genre. But unlike Dhawan, Priyadarshan’s films always seemed more refined, whose characters were more well-crafted and seemed to have been inspired from real lives.
His comedies didn’t entirely rely on slapstick or making funny faces, yet he was able to tickle our funny bones.
While the director and producer hasn’t been seen around much in the Hindi film scene for nearly a decade, his films are now celebrated more than ever – just as is the case with David Dhawan, as they continue to get played on rotation on multiple TV networks, receive steady viewership.
Looking back at some of the filmmakers best works in the genre of comedies, here are his ten absolute best films:
10) Garam Masala
Released in the year 2005, this film follows the story of two major playboys sharing an apartment with the many girls they’re trying to sneak behind and hide their lies from. Largely filmed within the apartment-set, the film is reminiscent of an old-school on-stage play, yet doesn’t look or seem monotonous and never fails to take you on a ride.
9) Mere Baap Pehle Aap
Starring Akshay Khanna and Paresh Rawal, this one is about a man trying to marry off his father before him in a bid to reunite him with his lost love from the past. After a series of amusing and hilarious failed attempts, he manages to settle their scores – remarrying his father, against the wishes of many. Whatever goes in-between is a thoroughly entertaining, laugh-fest.
8) Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar
A lesser known gem from Priyadarshan starring Sunil Shetty and Mahima Chowdhary. This movie was about a property related discrepancy between two individuals – the man who’s trying to vacate his deceased father’s house, and the woman who occupies the place on rent and refuses to leave. What follows – is a series of shenanigans by the two ward each other off from their respective paths. A heart-warming, sweet little comedy from Priyadarshan.
7) Bhaagam Bhaag
A group of stage and theatre artists, struggling to keep it all together on a foreign land – trapped in the midst of a murder/suicide mystery. Starring Akshay Kumar and Govinda in the lead, this 2006 released flick was based on Malayalam film Mannar Mathai Speaking, and manages to keep you hooked with it’s mix of several thrills and tickling jokes.
6) Chup Chup Ke
One of the biggest highlight of this laugh-riot was the performance of Rajpal Yadav, who absolutely nailed his role as the quirky, Bandya. A story about a young man in the midst of a financial crises, living off as a mute person to escape his problems. But of coarse, like most Priyadarshan movies – the story is never linear and the ruckus that follows because of it, contributes to it’s entertainment quotient. This one doesn’t get boring no matter how many times you watch it.
5) Bhool Bhulaiyaa
One of the first times (or may be the first time in a long time) a mainstream Hindi movie amalgamated Horro and Comedy genres with all their respective mights. Bhool Bhulaiyaa was both scary and funny at parts, which was quite a big task, but achieved with performances from Vidya Balan, Rajpal Yadav and Akshay Kumar. Before Houseful 4 incorporated the concept of “ghosts from the past”, Bhool Bhulaiyaa did it and did it so well.
4) Hulchal
A big cast leads the messy pack of two families, fighting it out to ensure two young love-birds don’t unite and end their years-long enmity. Ending with a massive carnival-ish and thoroughly entertaining fiasco – like most Priyadarshan flicks, this too serves as a complete dose of old-school and all-round Bollywood entertainer. With Akshay Khanna and Kareena Kapoor in the list, and the likes of Paresh Rawal and the great Amrish Puri in supporting cast, this one is not to be missed.
3) Hungama
Yet another Priyadarshan movie, which heavily relies on the performances of it’s supporting cast. The likes of Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Shoma Anand, Manoj Joshi and even Akshau Khanna, lead the pack with their mischievous shenanigans, leading to hot and boiling pot of ‘Khichdi’, served as the ultimate Priyadarshan recipe for constant laughter.
2) Malamaal Weekly
An entire village gets embroiled in the greed of a 1-crore lottery won by someone who’s no longer alive to claim it. Malawmaal Weekly is assisted stellar performances from Om Puri and Paresh Rawal, who light-up each and every scene they are in. With a ruckus and hullabaloo that follows, this one too packs up a massive entertainment throughout it’s run.
1) Hera Pheri
This one is certainly an all-time classic on the level of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Golmaal or Bawarchi. With iconic characters created with the help of Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar and Tabu, this film still manages to stay relevant and is remembered for it’s original sense of humour and some great performances.
Priyadarshan has certainly given us some of the best films in the genre for the past 20 years or so.
Even after years of release, these movies continue to find their ways to our television sets, for an easy, laid-back Sunday morning watch. That’s what makes them classic comedies.