Director Priyadarshan’s interview in Mid-Day about his new movie:

Many films on winning a lottery have been made in Bollywood over the years. Always in a lighter vein. It is Priyadarshan’s turn now to do one on this subject in his inimitable style… the way only he can handle situational comedies.

This one is called ‘Malamal Weekly’. Conceived by Priyadarshan himself. ‘Malamal Weekly’ is about a simple villager, who on hearing that he has won a lottery, is so overjoyed that he dies of a heart attack clutching the winning ticket in his hand. In a series of comic coincidences, a whole lot of people become privy to the secret and the film ends with the whole village trying to get a share of the winning lottery ticket.

Its one thing to plagiarize - but its totally not kosher to say its your idea. You are talking about Waking Ned Divine - a brilliant British film [IMDB Plot outline: “When a lottery winner dies of shock, his fellow townsfolk attempt to claim the money”]

Copying is nothing new - but it gets on my nerves when copy cats claim originality! His latest diwali release “Garam Masala” about a guy with 3 air-hostess girlfriends, is another direct lift off a french film in 1960s. When confronted in a rediff interview he says “Its a old film shot in 60s - after 25 years a film loses its copyright” - but Mr. Priyan “Walking Ned Divine” was released in 1998.

I wonder when film makers will be intellectually honest. Its not the 1950s anymore - when u can just go ahead and flick a flick and no one will know, times have changed, Indians have spread all over the world, now if you just release a single plot line - people around the world can smell your stink! Yash Chopra, Vikram Bhatt, Priyadharsan the list goes on…