Priyadarshan announces retirement after 100th film, says he’s getting ‘tired’; reveals Mohanlal will make a cameo in Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar’s Haiwaan

Speaking about Mohanlal’s role in Haiwaan, Priyadarshan said, “His character will definitely be a surprise for the audience.” He also revealed that his next directorial venture will feature the Malayalam superstar in the lead role as it marks his 100th movie. Childhood friends Mohanlal and Priyadarshan have been collaborating since the director’s debut movie, Poochakkoru Mookkuthi (1984).

In fact, they made their foray into cinema together, working in Thiranottam (1978). While Mohanlal played the lead role, Priyadarshan served as an assistant to director V Ashok Kumar. Unfortunately, they couldn’t release the film until much later in 2005. While the screenplay for Priyadarshan’s 100th venture is yet to be finalised, the director said he wishes to start shooting next year.

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‘Akshay Kumar is Bollywood’s Mohanlal’

Bankrolled by KVN Productions and Thespian Films, Haiwaan is being mounted on a massive budget. It also features Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher in key role. After the shoot in Kochi, which will go on for a few more days, the cast and crew will travel to Vagamon, Ooty, and Mumbai where the remaining portions of the film will be shot. “We had originally planned to shoot the current sequence in Mumbai, but couldn’t secure the necessary permissions. That led us to scout for alternatives, and Kochi turned out to be an ideal choice,” he said.

In fact, a scene from Oppam was also shot at the same location in Kochi, nine years ago. When asked about his many collaborations with Akshay Kumar, Priyadarshan replied, “It’s all about comfort. For me, he is Bollywood’s Mohanlal.”