It was in his days as a youngster that Priyadarshan used to play cricket in the fields of Kerala. Cricket was his passion then but Priyan, as he’s fondly called, is glad that he became a filmmaker instead.

“I would not have been a good cricketer,” he recalls with a smile, “I was never one of the best players. But this is much better. When I shoot for commercials with cricketers now, they tell me that I’m so lucky not to have so many restrictions on me as they do. I guess it’s better to be a filmmaker than the number one cricket player in India!” he laughs. Priyan’s been watching the IPL matches as well. He adds, “I went with Shah Rukh Khan to watch it. I don’t know why some people think that cricket has lost its charm because of IPL. That’s like saying the songs of the 70s were better than today. I agree, but then youngsters don’t want to listen to them. That’s the reason remixes are happening. So in the same way, IPL is the remix of one-day or test cricket!”

But it’s not just watching IPL matches that Priyadarshan’s been upto. He’s here with his latest offering, Mere Baap Pehle Aap starring Akshaye Khanna, Paresh Rawal and Genelia D’Souza.

“It’s a comedy film about relationships,” is how Priyan puts it, “I expect every father and son to watch this film together.” He’s dedicated this film to his cinema gurus like Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. “It’s that kind of a film, it’s not like my Bhagam Bhaag or Hera Pheri. This is a sweet film about relationships,” he says. And for him, an appreciative word about his films from such veterans counts much more than any award. “Hrishida is my guru. He wanted to watch my film Malamaal Weekly but he could not come to the theatre, so I sent him a DVD. After watching the film, he said to me ‘You make me feel that I can still make these kind of films even today’. It’s not the awards you win, the ultimate thing is to receive a compliment from people you adore and respect,” adds Priyan. The film is about a son trying to get his widowed father remarried, so is there a hidden social message there too? “I don’t believe in sending messages through my films, I’d rather just send an SMS!” he guffaws.

The director has become synonymous with comedy films. Why this obsession with comedy? “I love comedy!” declares Priyan, “When my first child was born, I just prayed to God to give him two things — common sense and a sense of humour! I love reading comics and watching cartoons. I find humour in every moment in real life. Maybe that’s why I succeed at comedies.” But he is aware that making comedy films is risky business. “That’s because the results are immediate. If nobody’s laughing in the theatre, then you immediately get to know it’s a flop. That’s why I never depend on dialogue-based comedies but situational comedies,” he says.

Another accusation against the director is that all his Hindi films are remakes of hit regional films. How true is that? “Yes, most of them are remakes,” he admits. “One of the greatest directors Martin Scorsese made a number of great films and never got an Oscar. Then he made a remake of a Hong Kong film called The Departed and got an Oscar! So is remake better or original?” he asks with a grin. But on a serious note, Priyan says Billo Barber that stars SRK will be his last remake. “The next one with Akshay Kumar is an original script. Earlier I couldn’t find writers but now I am, so next year I won’t make remakes. Then people will ask me why I’m not making remakes!” he smiles. That’s classic Priyadarshan for you!