Priyadarshan ‘deeply hurt’ by Arshad Warsi’s claims of being shortchanged in Hulchul: ‘After the release, he had called and thanked me’

Priyadarshan "shocked" over Arshad Warsi's claims from the sets of Hulchul.

Hulchul director Priyadarshan is “shocked” and “deeply hurt” by actor Arshad Warsi’s claims that he was shortchanged in the 2004 hit ensemble comedy. Warsi, who played lead actor Akshaye Khanna’s friend, claimed he was promised by writer Neeraj Vora that it’s a parallel lead role akin to Akshay Kumar’s Raju in Priyadarshan’s seminal 2000 comedy Hera Pheri.

“I was very upset (when I read what he said). I could be wrong and maybe it has been misinterpreted, but if he has (said it), I am shocked,” said Priyadarshan. He pointed out that Arshad’s Hulchul character Lucky Bhalla was much-loved by the audience, and even the actor acknowledged that in a phone conversation with the director after the release.

“After the release, he called and told me, ‘Priyan sir, I never thought that I would get this kind of appreciation.’ Hulchul was a big hit, but Arshad said it was a flop film. That has pained me; why would he say that when it was one of my hit films,” Priyadarshan told Mid-Day. “People loved and appreciated his performance in Hulchul. I am very upset and deeply hurt by these accusations from Arshad. He had no reason to complain,” added the filmmaker.

While Arshad didn’t refer to Hulchul as a “flop,” he did confess it was a “bad experience”. He recalled he was given the wrong pitch by Vora only so that he could take time out from his busy schedule after his breakout role of Circuit in Rajkumar Hirani’s 2003 blockbuster comedy Munna Bhai MBBS.

“Neeraj Vora told me that there is a film which is being directed by Priyadarshan. I was like wow, and said, ‘Done!’ I asked for my role, and I was doing good work at that time. Neeraj told me that my role in the film would be similar to what Akshay Kumar played in Hera Pheri. He told me it was one of the leads. He said it is the same thing as Akshay’s role and Akshay’s role was superb in Hera Pheri, and I said yes thinking that,” Warsi told The Lallantop last month.

Warsi added that he found out the actual role of the hero’s sidekick only once he reached the set. He said he can’t blame Priyadarshan since the filmmaker also seemed unfamiliar with the initial pitch by Vora. “He just knew that there is this guy who is doing this character,” said Warsi.

He even recalled how he was made to wear an oversized shirt fashioned by the film’s assistant director, which prompted him to wear his own clothes for most of the film. “It was a mess but since it was a commitment, I finished the film,” he added. Actor Sharad Kelkar also revealed on the Cyrus Says podcast last year that he was duped into accepting a role in Hulchul.

A remake of Siddique-Lal’s 1991 Malayalam action comedy Godfather, Hulchul also starred Kareena Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Jackie Shroff, late Amrish Puri, Arbaaz Khan, Farah Naaz, Shakti Kapoor, and the late Asrani. Made on a budget of Rs 10 crore, it went on to earn over Rs 32 crore at the box office.