Laughter is the best medicine

Akshay Kumar and National Award winning director Priyadarshan prescribe a dose of comedy this season

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

On the fateful night of 26/11, National Award winning director Priyadarshan, Bollywood’s Khiladi Akshay Kumar, and the prolific producer Ratan Jain launched their comedy De Dana Dan. “We were asked to cancel the mahurat, but we didn’t because it would seem like we had cowered under pressure. If we hadn’t shown the spunk, it would have been a victory for the terrorists,” recalls Priyan.

Now, a year later, Venus Productions’ De Dana Dan is releasing worldwide today. Akki’s all smiles because his producer just brought in the news that the film’s got a good advance booking all over India. “Comedies are the in-thing this season. Films like All the Best and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani have done brisk business. We too should have a winner in De Dana Dan,” says the actor.
Priyan thinks the film should work because it has got everything going for it — the jodi with the midas touch, Akshay and
Katrina Kaif, and 25 of the best comic talent of the country.
Looking affectionately at his star he says, “Akshay is as dedicated to his work as Mohanlal. Both of them will go out on a limb for their craft. It is because of this trait alone,
that I like working with Mohanlal in the South and Akshay in the North.”
Though Akki’s flattered with Priyan’s comments, he still ribs his director. “Sir, I’ve done only five films with you. If I’m your favourite, how come I was missing in so many of your films?” To which Priyan chortles, “Well, I offered you Hungama and Hulchul but you didn’t give me dates.”
Apparently both were brought together by Ratan for the blockbuster Garam Masala in 2005. “It was then that they rediscovered each other,” says the producer about the winsome twosome who did Bhagam Bhag and Bhool Bhuliya before they went on to do De Dana Dan. Candidly Priyan admits that sometimes comedies can fail (Dhol) because laughter is serious business, and film-makers don’t always get the formula right. However, Akshay feels that with terrorism and discontentment looming large over real life, a reel life comedy is what the doctor in him would prescribe. “Laughter is the best medicine,” he says to which Ratan adds, “If the audience take the prescription, then the producer can laugh all the way to the bank.”