On the Comeback Trail

The walls of his opulent home tell the tale of a life harnessed in glory and yet one that stopped short of a wholesome outcome. Filmmaker Priyadarshan has had it all and yet nothing. Broken by circumstances, he valiantly tries to pick up fragments of his life and bring them together because togetherness is a word he perhaps values the most today. Togetherness, or “Oppam” in Malayalam, the title of his latest attempt at what he does best, therefore seems rather inspired.

Bereft of family bonding, an emotional Priyadarshan opens out that creativity was often lost as he struggled to come to terms with the worst phase of his life following the separation with actress-wife, Lissy. An apparent mental block which resulted in a string of box office disasters had taken its toll on the filmmaker. But, he had to pull himself up, for, as he says, “creativity cannot die. It draws on experience only to emerge stronger and more vivid.” An ardent disciple of the Hollywood great Sir David Lean, Priyan, as he is often called, had to do justice to his guru. He couldn’t flounder and had to reinvent himself, just like Lean did, after a series of failed marriages. “Oppam,” the movie was hence born, an amalgamation of the genius of Priyadarshan and Mohanlal, the duo that gave the Malayalam film industry some of its biggest blockbusters. It is a need, nay, a necessity for both the veterans to prove their element and reassert that all is not over and done with. The verity of Priyadarshan’s claim that he has offered us “Mohanlal at his best” will be known come this Onam.

Is Priyadarshan on a comeback trail? The subdued director is quick to point out that this long break was just a “brief hiatus” as he approached the last reel of his life and would like to make this one the most memorable. 

“Nothing gives me more happiness than that moment when a young director walks up to me and attributes his knowledge and success to me,” Priyadarshan told Stance in an interview at his house in Thiruvananthapuram. “I want to impart knowledge as was my father’s desire, teach the young, for, today there is no aspect of cinema that I cannot speak on. I am so well versed that I can speak as well, as with the best in the world, and passing this knowledge on to our youngsters would be my greatest contribution to Indian cinema.” As if to prove his point, he tells me that all the members of his crew on the sets of “Oppam” were well below the age of 25. “I am not tech savvy and have a lot to learn from these youngsters. They pick up the finer aspects of the game with me as a team leader, and I am often dumbstruck at their technical ability.”

While admitting that Malayalam films have a long way to go in terms of technical advancement, as compared to Bollywood cinema, nothing could beat the satisfaction he derives from making a Malayalam film. “My heart lies here, where I picked up real-life incidents that translated into reel life. For instance, when I saw my parents bickering over little things at home, I knew it had to be shown on screen, and the outcome was the hilarious and argumentative couple in the movie ‘Odarathu Ammava Aal Ariyam.’ I couldn’t do this anywhere but here and such comedy actually got accepted.”

However, this apart, he is unable to digest the absurdity of his own films made in the early days and laughs out loud as he wonders how he could’ve made such astronomical nonsense. “There was neither technical expertise nor a well-thought of script, but each character was comical and hugely loved — and yes, I loved it too, though I still wonder how I could have made such films!”

He recounts his experience in the U.S, while shooting for the film ‘Akkare Akkare Akkare’ when he was made to use a wheelchair as a camera trolley. “That day, I swore to myself I would never shoot outside India unless the same facilities were given to me as any other Hollywood director.” On a lighter vein, he says, “I did shoot in the U.S. later though, but this time things were different. I made sure that my team and I were given everything that Woody Allen, who was shooting next door had. Trust me, I was indeed relieved to see that we actually had one more urinal than Woody Allen and his crew!”

Touted as a film maker who has done the most number of Hindi films after David Dhawan, he continues his unabated stint in Bollywood. “Making a Hindi flick is an enjoyable experience for me simply because of the ease of process. A film such as ‘Bhool Bhulaiiya for instance, was far superior technically as compared to its original ‘Manichithrathazhu’, although on the acting front it came nowhere as close.” As if as an afterthought he adds: “the money is undeniably superior too! You make more money in Bollywood shelling out trash flicks than you do when you make a good Malayalam film.” And yet Priyadarshan commands more respect in Bollywood than many others, a place where the only test of endurance is the survival of the fittest.

Nine short of his 100th film, Priyadarshan has indeed evolved as a filmmaker. But has he evolved as a human being? He is candid enough. “Emotionally disturbed and still surviving in this thankless world. I’ve done a lot of things that I regret today. I only dream big for my children and wish they settle down well.” Pouring himself a drink, he seems transported to another world. “It was only a clash of egos that ruined my family life...it was actually nothing… After eight years of seeing each other and 24 years of marriage, it’s all gone, just like that!” The pictures of a once happily married couple still adorn the shelves of his lonely home, as if he still clings on to memories, desperately hoping that all would be fine in the end. Just like the happy endings in his Bollywood films.