/> We could call it the comedy of arrears. Prolific Priyan's Shahid Kapoor-Kareena comedy Chup Chup Ke is being released on the same Friday (June 9) as Neeraj Vora's Phir Hera Pheri.

"I'm aware of this," says the unamused Priyan from Chennai. "But the best part is, I was supposed to direct the sequel. I refused. I couldn't take the second part of anywhere new. There's no point in doing an instant replay of what I've already. I'd rather do something completely new.

That's exactly what I'm working on. It's a project in Tamil called Kanjeevaram. With this film on the silk weavers of Kanjeevaram I'll be going back to my roots. It's just a 1–hr-20-mins' experimental film that comes straight from my heart."

What he leaves unsaid is that he had a horrific time doing Hera Pheri with producer Sajid Nadiadwala who had had insisted on adding glamorous content after Priyan had completed the film, without the director's consent. Hence Priyan's reluctance to work with the extra-enthusiastic producer.

Priyan shoots Kanjeevaram in the monsoon.

From the silk...back to sulk. The simultaneous release of a film he has made and one he could've made is weighing on Priyadarshan's mind. "Neeraj Vora (the director of Phir Hera Pheri) is a friend and a close associate.

He writes the dialogues of most of my films including Chup Chup Ke. I wish him and the project all the best. Fortunately Chup Chup Ke isn't an all-out slapstick comedy. About 75 percent of the film is humorous. But the last 25 percent is so unpredictable audiences are going to be shocked."

Kareena plays a deaf and mute girl while Shahid is her suitor pretending to be physically challenged in order to win her over.

"I'd say Chup Chup Ke is my first true love story since Doli Sajaa Ke Rakhna (the Akshaye Khanna-Jyotika starrer). That bombed. But I'm sure Chup Chup Ke will touch people's hearts at a time when love stories seem to be out of favour.

One speciality of Chup Chup Ke... "The entire film has been done in white. Everything from the indoors to the outdoors is done up in that shade."

Priyan is still smarting over the scathing reviews of his last comedy Malaamal Weekly. "I was asked what I'd do if I win a lottery. I said I'd give the money to a critic of my choice to make a film of his choice. It's so easy for critics to rip a film. Have they eaten back their words after Malaamal's success? Or are they waiting to tear my next film apart?"