I don't believe in favouritism: Priyadarshan

Filmmaker Priyadarshan has worked with Paresh Rawal in most of his Hindi films, but he claims he doesn't believe in favouritism. In fact, he says he casts actors only according to the script's requirement.

"I do not believe in favouritism. The actors are cast according to the script once it is complete. That is the way I always function," said Priyadarshan.

The filmmaker is currently busy shooting for his new film "Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal" with an ensemble cast of Nana Patekar, Om Puri, Shreyas Talpade, Asrani, Shakti Kapoor and once again, Paresh.

Such is the camaraderie between Priydarshan and Paresh, that the filmmaker had once said that if he was a woman, he would have married Paresh.

"Yes, I did. It is because he has been with me in almost 20 films. If he was a woman, they would have stated, we have an affair. He is a man. So I made that statement," said the Padma Shri awardee.

In a hugely successful career spanning close to three decades, the filmmaker churned out 83 films in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Some of his popular Hindi films are "Hera Pheri", "Garam Masala", "Malamaal Weekly" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa".

He is looking forward to the release of "Tezz", and also excited about "Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal".

"'Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal' is a big film in terms of narrative, the plot size, number of days of shoot etc. The production values are great, the cast is also a treat to work with. When you have actors, who trust you completely, it is a delight," added Priyadarshan.

The filmmaker, who was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award this year, feels Shreyas has a lot of acting potential.

He says Shreyas has been underused as an actor, and hopes "Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal" will push him into a new league.

"Shreyas is one of the most talented actors I ever met. He has not been exploited to his fullest potential. This film will bring him to a new league altogether," he said.

The film has also given a first time chance to the director to work with Nana, and he is only all praises for the actor.

"We share a mutual admiration for one another. He is a pleasure to work with," said the 55-year-old, who chose to stay mum on the lead actress of the film.

"She is opposite Shreyas Talpade and I will talk about her when the time is right. All I can say is that we found her after auditioning almost 22 girls.

"She has the look we need, is a good dancer and is sensible. I think, we will add another girl to the list of Bollywood's wanted leading ladies after this film," he said.