Priyadarshan’s 5 hilarious Bollywood comedies that are remakes of Malayalam films (2025)

Priyadarshan’s top Bollywood comedies that were brilliantly adapted from Malayalam classics, entertaining wider audiences.

Priyadarshan, the master of comedy, is back in the spotlight when he recently spoke about the challenges he will face with ‘Hera Pheri 3’! As the filmmaker gears up to helm the beloved franchise with the original cast comprising Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal, we can’t help but look at his impressive track record of Bollywood comedies.

With a knack for spotting humour in everyday situations, Priyadarshan has remade several Malayalam films into Bollywood blockbusters. Here are five of his most notable Bollywood comedies that originated from Malayalam hits, showcasing his skill in translating regional humour for a wider audience.

Hera Pheri

One of the biggest successes of Priyadarshan’s Bollywood comedies is ‘Hera Pheri’, which was released in 2000. The heist comedy drama starred Akshay, Paresh, and Suniel in the lead, alongside Tabu as the female protagonist, and Om Puri and Gulshan Grover in supporting roles. It is a remake of Malayalam director duo Siddiqui-Lal’s 1989 movie ‘Ramji Rao Speaking.’ Despite being a moderate success, ‘Hera Pheri’ is listed as one of the best Bollywood comedy films. Its sequel, ‘Phir Hera Pheri’, which saw the lead actors reprising their roles and Priyadarshan once again taking the director’s chair, was a major commercial success.

Hungama

In 2003, Priyadarshan released ‘Hungama,’ a comedy romance drama which is a remake of his own 1984 film ‘Poochakkoru Mookkuthi.’ Starring Akshaye Khanna, Paresh, Aftab Shivdasani, and Rimi Sen in the leading roles, it is said to be one of the best Bollywood directorials of Priyadarshan. Made on a budget of Rs. 6 crore, the film earned Rs. 20.24 crore worldwide, becoming another major commercial success for Priyadarshan. The film is hugely appreciated for its story, casting, and dialogue.

Garam Masala

Priyadarshan once again paired with his favourite Bollywood star, Akshay, for 2005’s ‘Garam Masala’, which also starred John Abraham in the lead and Paresh and Rajpal Yadav in supporting roles. ‘Garam Masala’ is a remake of Priyadarshan’s 1985 Malayalam movie ‘Boeing Boeing’ which was also a remake of a 1965 Hollywood film of the same name. Priyadarshan, who wrote and directed the Hindi and Malayalam films, achieved success with both. ‘Garam Masala’ went on to become a commercial success while ‘Boeing Boeing’ is regarded as one of the best Malayalam comedies.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa

With Akshay, Vidya Balan, and Shiney Ahuja in the lead, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is a psychological horror comedy, released in October 2007. The film is a remake of the 1993 Malayalam movie ‘Manichitrathazhu’, directed by Fazil, and starring Mohanlal, Shobhana, and Suresh Gopi. ‘Manichitrathazhu’ became the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time at the time of its release. While it was a huge box office hit, the Hindi remake was also declared a hit. However, with time, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ became a cult comedy in the Hindi film industry, and has also been developed into a franchise with its standalone sequels - ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’, directed by Anees Bazmee.

De Dana Dan

Released in November 2009, ‘De Dana Dan’ features an ensemble cast comprising Akshay, Suniel, Paresh, Katrina Kaif, and Sameera Reddy. Some scenes of the movie were taken from ‘Vettem’, a 2004 screwball comedy helmed by Priyadarshan himself. Over the years, ‘De Dana Dan’ also gained cult status among lovers of Bollywood slapstick comedies. At the box office, the film was declared a moderate success as it minted Rs. 81.90 crore against a budget of Rs. 60 crore.