Priyadarshan is that one filmmaker, who is in many people's opinion, the 'Modern king of comedy in India'. He is one of the few filmmakers in the country who has turned many actors into stars. Although he began his career in the Malayalam film industry, he also transitioned into Hindi cinema and gave them a series of timeless films. With three National Film Awards, Padma Shri, Jaihind Rajat Mudra Award, two Kerala State Film Awards, and others, he is one of the most successful filmmakers of his era.
Priyadarshan has been working in Indian cinema for the last four decades and has directed over 95 films in four languages, Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. His last film was Appatha, a Malayalam film which was released in 2023. Just when people were curious about Priyadarshan's upcoming movie, Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar announced Bhoot Bangla on his birthday. The duo confirmed that they're coming together to create a horror-comedy after a gap of 14 years and it instantly broke the internet.
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As soon as the film's name, Bhoot Bangla, made its way on social media, several netizens started wondering whether Priyadarshan's Bhoot Bangla has some connection to the Malayalam horror-comedy, In Ghost House Inn or not. Some people mentioned Aziz Sejawal's Bhoot Bhungla, that featured Govinda and Twinkle Khanna in leading roles. Well, the ground is open for speculations and predictions till the film's release, but one thing is sure that Priyadarshan's return to Bollywood has excited almost everyone.
The reason why Priyadarshan's return to Hindi cinema is one of the best things that happened in 2024 is due to the fact that he has given so many timeless movies in the past to Bollywood. Some of his iconic Hindi films include, Hera Pheri, Hungama, Hulchul, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Chup Chup Ke, Dhol, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, De Dana Dan, and Khatta Meetha.
Talking about Priyadarshan's renowned films in South Indian cinema include the likes of Kanchivaram, Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, Thenmavin Kombath, Kaalapani, Kilukkam, Oppam, Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu, Thalavattam, Vellanakalude Nadu, Megham, and the list goes on.
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On one hand, while Priyadarshan's professional life is known to everyone, his personal life remained in the shadows of his excellence as a film director. For the uninitiated, Priyadarshan was married to a woman named Lissy. She was a former actress, who was one of the rising stars of her time. She made her acting debut with the film, Ithiri Neram Othiri Karyam in 1982. Some of her notable acting performances were in the film, Odaruthammava Aalariyam, Mutharamkunnu P.O., Boeing Boeing, Thalavattom, Vikram, and Chithram.
Priyadarshan and Lissy fell in love with each other when they were making their mark in the Malayalam cinema. After dating each other for some time, they decided to take the plunge in 1990 when they felt that they were made for each other. While Priyadarshan belongs to the Hindu community, Lissy was a Christian, but the latter left her religion and converted to Hinduism to marry him. The madly-in-love couple got married on December 13, 1990. After her marriage to Priyadarshan, Lissy adopted the name, Lakshmi and quit acting.
It was a major decision for Lissy, who was getting a lot of projects in the Malayalam film industry. However, she didn't think twice, she sacrificed her career for her husband, Priyadarshan, and started caring for his family and business. The couple welcomed their first child in 1993, a baby girl, whom they had named Kalyani Priyadarshan and a baby boy in 1995, for whom they chose the name Siddharth. However, cracks soon started appearing in their marriage, and finally, they got separated in 2014, ending 24 years of their married life. The couple granted an official divorce in 2016.
Even today, the exact reason behind Priyadarshan and Lissy's divorce isn't known to anyone but them. However, once in an old interview, the ace director admitted that there was a lot of ego in his family, which is probably the reason behind their divorce. During their divorce proceedings, there were specualtions that Lissy had reportedly asked for a Rs. 80 crore alimony from Priyadarshan. However, the former actress reacted to the rumours and clearly stated that she didn't ask for Rs. 80 crore. Despite her clarification, there were still some murmurs in the media corridors related to the alimony amount for some years, even after their divorce.
Priyadarshan and Lissy fought over a series of issues during their divorce battle in court. In an old interview, the latter even labelled her divorce as 'ugly' and said, "Our divorce was as ugly as our marriage." Talking about the impact of their divorce on their children, Kalyani and Siddharth, it was a huge blow for them, but they were mature enough to understand that it was much needed.
Once, in an old interview, Priyadarshan's daughter, Kalyani talked about her parents' divorce. The stunning actress admitted that after her parents parted ways with each other, they developed a strong bond that drove them through mutual respect. Priyadarshan and Kalyani share a friendly bond and are often papped together at their family events. While the ex-couple's son, Siddharth is married to an American lady, Kalyani is still single and is leading a successful career as an actress in South Indian cinema. We hope Kalyani and Siddharth continue to make their parents proud.
What are your thoughts on Priyadarshan and Lissy's ugly divorce? Let us know
Also Read: Ajith Kumar And Shalini Fell In Love After He Cut Her Wrist: Unusual Start To Power Couple's Story
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