Thaindian News

February 16, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): The prolific Priyadarshan’s reputation after his television appearance calling the conflict between the Shiv Sena and Shahrukh Khan a publicity stunt, has put him in the “block’ list of many important cell phones in Mumbai.

Predictably Priyan pleads innocence. “I was quoted out of context. I’d never speak like that about Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar. They’ve both been very nice to me. If I’ve hurt either of them I apologize to them publicly, and would like to add that in any conflict between filmmakers and politicians I’d naturally and inevitably support my own fraternity.”

Priyadarshan wanted to call his new film with Ajay Devgn, Bipasha Basu and Akshay Khanna “Ishaq’. In fact he had all but finalized the title when to his horror Priyan found out that a film titled “Ishqiya’ is already out.

“Vishal Bhardwaj beat me to it!” laughs Priyan. “He took the title “Ishqiya’. And once that was out there was no point in calling my film “Ishaq’. So we’ve named it “Garam Hawa’ after M S Sathyu’s classic.”

Priyan hopes to live up to the title of Sathyu’s film. “I’m not such a bad filmmaker, you know. If I’m the director of “De Dana Dan’ I also made “Kancheevaram’.”

-Subhash K Jha/ Sampurn Wire