Priyadarshan admitted Hera Pheri was a direct copy

Priyadarshan explained that Hera Pheri was a frame-for-frame remake, with the Hindi dialogues simply translated.

Honest Revelation

Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan recently made a shocking revelation.

While he remakes most films with cultural changes, Hera Pheri was an exception.

In this, he recreated every frame from the original film, Ramji Rao Speaking, and simply translated the Hindi dialogues.

Allowing the Actors to Work Freely

Priyadarshan believes that showing actors original films leads them to imitation.

Previously, when remaking Telugu films from Malayalam, he had shown Mohanlal films, but this suppressed the actors’ individuality.

Since then, he has learned to avoid this mistake and has given the performers the freedom to adopt their own body language.

The Truth About Remaking Hera Pheri

Priyadarshan made Hera Pheri after watching the 1989 film Ramji Rao Speaking.

He neither changed the scenes nor altered the structure—he simply translated the dialogues into Hindi.

This is why Hera Pheri brought the strengths of the original to Hindi audiences without loss.

Why remakes flop

Most South-to-Hindi remakes fail at the box office.

According to Priyadarshan, “Ninety percent of remakes flop because they fail to shed the South Indian flavor and blend smoothly into Hindi.”

Lack of cultural adaptation, the proliferation of locations, and characters not fitting into the Hindi milieu are major obstacles.

Cultural fit is essential

Priyadarshan himself cites the example of Bhool Bhulaiyaa, based on Manichitrathazhu.

He kept the same plot, but by weaving the story into Hindi sensibilities, he ensured that it was not just a transplant, but a new creative work.

Sequels: Not creative, but business

For Priyadarshan, sequels are more a decision based on the mind than the heart.

“When a film reaches its peak, audience expectations become so high that it becomes difficult to meet them,” he said.

Therefore, he would only tackle a script like Hera Pheri 3 if the story truly upholds the legacy of the original.