Priyadarshan, filmmaker with Midas touch, turns 67

Any kid growing up in the 1980s and 90s, would definitely have been in awe of Priyadarshan and his style of filmmaking. By churning out one blockbuster after another, Priyadarshan proved he was a maverick filmmaker who knew how to keep the audiences entertained. After his successful tryst with Malayalam films in his heyday, he then shifted base to other industries, making a mark, especially in Bollywood, during the early 2000s.

Unlike in Malayalam, where he tasted success with his first film 'Poochakkoru Mookkuthi' starring Mohanlal in the lead, the ace filmmaker was unable to deliver any hits initially in Bollywood. He started off with 'Muskurahat', the Hindi remake of 'Kilukkam', but that failed to create the impact he expected in the North Indian belt. His later associations with screenplay writer Neeraj Vora, changed his destiny and established him as a bankable name in Bollywood. Here's a look at some of his well-loved films in Malayalam and Hindi, that went on to become blockbusters.

Thenmavin Kombathu
The movie, which hit theatres in 1994, featured Mohanlal, Shobana and Nedumudi Venu in the lead. The love triangle and the humour in the film appealed to the audiences. The movie went on to win two national awards – cinematography and best production design. The chemistry between Shobana as Karthumbi and Mohanlal as Manikyan also were well-appreciated. Priyadarshan himself remade the film in Hindi as 'Saat Rang Ke Sapne' while K S Ravikumar helmed the Tamil version 'Muthu' and Om Prakash Rao directed the Kannada remake 'Sahukara'.

Kilukkam
Priyadarshan may have failed to recreate the magic in 'Muskurahath' but its original movie 'Kilukkam' remains everyone's favourite, even today. Who can forget the lottery scene featuring Kittuni (Innocent) and Nandini (Revathy) or the conflicting relationship between Nandini and Justice Pillai (Thilakan)? But superseding all these is the direction by Priyadarshan who showed the audience how to make a feel-good movie, though the film has its share of pathos. The film went on to win several national awards.

Thalavattam
Priyadarshan may be famous or 'infamous' for making movies inspired from Hollywood flicks but there is no denying the fact that he lends a Midas touch to his films. 'Thalavattam' was loosely based on Ken Kesey's movie 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and featured Mohanlal, Lizy, Karthika and M G Soman in the main roles. The movie revolved around a mentally-disturbed man who falls in love with a psychiatrist as she shows kindness to him at the mental asylum where he is lodged. Though not a comedy movie, it was a huge money-spinner for Priyadarshan.

Hera Pheri
Hera Pheri was the Hindi remake of the hit Malayalam classic 'Ramji Rao Speaking' helmed by the Siddique-Lal duo. The Hindi movie was directed by Priyadarshan and written by Neeraj Vora. It starred Akshay Kumar in the lead and was a huge success. It also was a path-breaking film for Priyadarshan since it was his first blockbuster in Hindi. The humour-laced dialogues in Malayalam were altered to appeal to the North Indian audience, which worked in its favour.

Garam Masala
Garam Masala was the Hindi remake of Priyadarshan's own 1985 hit comedy film 'Boeing Boeing', which was already a remake of the French movie of the same name. Akshay Kumar, who worked with Priyadarshan in a couple of movies, was able to elevate the movie to a cult status in Bollywood, with his comic timing. The actor went on to win a Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance.