Priyadarshan's multi-utility story idea clicks

Alongside Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma, the films of Malayalam film director Priyadarshan too were keenly patronized by the Hindi film audiences round the world in the first decade of the millennium for its light-hearted treatment and comical overtones. Indirectly, it had made a parallel stream in the careers of action heroes Akshay Kumar and Sunil Dutt too, who could showcase their humane, comic, even goofy sides to the audience and walk away with their applauses.

The film being discussed in this column – Vettam – released in 2004 in Kerala was based on a screwball comedy genre which satirized traditional love story plotlines and gave the upper hand to the female characters in the film. Starring Dileep and Bhavana Pani, the film had multiple inspirations right from a 1995 movie 'The French Kiss'. Already this English film had been suitably customized earlier in two Hindi films and the Priyadarshan venture too spun a watchable yarn in Hindi for the upcountry audience and the diaspora round the world.

In Hindi, it was further updated with yet another Hollywood release – Screwed (2000) at that time when it was released in 2009. The duo of Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty play bankrupt lovers who are stuck in an endless chase of mistaken identities and situational comedy. Along these two, was also Paresh Rawal's thunderous performance which took the viewers back to the 'Hera Pheri' days when all the three were rocking and funny. Despite mixed reviews and critical comments on the film's screenplay, narration and pace as the Wikipedia points out, the 167- minute film was a commercial success. One song in the film ' Paisa Paisa' sung by rapper RDB and set to music by Pritam and performed by Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif was specially noticed and it was the stand-out element in the film. The oomph of Sameera Reddy and Neha Dhupia to go along with the heroine's attractive screen presence worked wonders for the film at the BO.

Priyadarshan, who had by then earned a name for clean, family-type entertainers in Hindi cinema kept the momentum going with this venture as he managed to hold on for many more years later with this brand of movie-making. Till date, he has the distinction of being the longest surviving film director from Kerala in the Hindi film industry, no mean achievement from any angle.