Director Priyadarshan, who made a name in Bollywood through his slapstick comedies and had recently vowed to stay away from comedies and sequels, has had a change of heart. His next film will be both a comedy and a sequel -- Malaamal Weekly 2. The original Malaamal Weekly was produced in 2006 and starred Paresh Rawal and Om Puri.

According to sources, last month, the director had a closed-door meeting with Shailendra Singh, joint managing director of Percept Pictures, where Singh convinced him to change his mind. Percept Pictures produced Malaamal Weekly.

The source said, "Shailendra argued that Priyadarshan's serious films don't do well in Hindi, be it Billu, Aakrosh or Khatta Meetha, while his slapstick comedies do. He told him, 'Why abandon what is seen as your forte, especially when others are minting money making films in your style?'" Priyadarshan is reported to have relented and agreed to direct the sequel.

Earlier, Priyadarshan had refused to direct a sequel to Malaamal Weekly saying he couldn't find a script to carry the story forward. He had also refused to direct sequels to some of his other films like Hera Pheri and De Dana Dan.

Interestingly, while the producers have managed to get on board the same director, the sequel will see some new faces. Shreyas Talpade will now replace Riteish Deshmukh, who was an integral part of the original film.

Apparently, Deshmukh wants to avoid comedies for the moment, while Talpade, after his successes with comedies like Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3, wants to essay more comic characters.

Nana Patekar will also be added to the cast. When contacted, Singh refused to comment on whether Priyadarshan will direct the sequel. He said, "It's slightly premature to talk about Malamaal Weekly 2. But the lineup has many surprises."