Bollywood comedy fans are in for a treat as Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan are set to reunite after 14 years for a comedy horror film, Bhooth Bangla. The actor and director duo hit the box office bulls-eye in the 2000s with a string of comedies that had their signature touch. We revisit five Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan collaborations to tune into before Bhooth Bangla hits the theatres.

Hera Pheri (2000)

This comedy of errors was a defining moment in the Bollywood comedy genre for its character sketches and situational humour. Hera Pheri gave us a memorable trio in Raju (Akshay Kumar), Shyam (Suniel Shetty) and Baburao (Paresh Rawal) — three men living together as roommates and dreaming of getting rich. All three are temperamentally different and their interactions — often triggering a chain of misunderstandings — as they try to wriggle out of a money-making scheme gone wrong result in a laugh riot. The film worked wonders for the careers of Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan, while showing us that Suniel Shetty can do comedy with a straight face.

Watch it on: Prime Video

Bhagam Bhag (2006)

Six years later, Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan teamed up again for Bhagam Bhag, a film that added a touch of mystery and thrill to their comedy formula. Akshay plays Bunty, a quick-witted actor in a theatre troupe who is constantly at odds with his director (Paresh Rawal). When the troupe lands in London for a show, Bunty gets entangled in a chaotic murder mystery involving a missing heroine, gangsters and mistaken identities. Along with Govinda as Bunty’s friend and colleague, this was a moderately fun ride.

Watch it on: Prime Video

Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007)

Priyadarshan took a different turn with Bhool Bhulaiyaa by combining comedy and the supernatural with a gripping once-upon-a-time tale of kings and courtesans set in a haunted mansion. The thrill factor was high as Akshay’s Aditya Shrivastav, a psychiatrist, tries to crack the curious case of a woman acting strange and looking possessed.

While Vidya Balan held centre stage as the woman, Akshay switched between serious and comic moments with ease in this box-office hit.

Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar

De Dana Dan (2009)

By the time De Dana Dan hit theatres, the Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan combo was synonymous with chaos-driven comedies. The film relied on situational comedy and an ensemble cast featuring Suniel Shetty, Katrina Kaif and Paresh Rawal but didn’t have the impact of Hera Pheri or Bhool Bhulaiya. Akshay’s performance as a broke man in love with a wealthy woman, caught in a web of confusion and complications as he hatches a plan to kidnap the dog of his boss, delivered the laughs fans had come to expect.

Watch it on: JioCinema

Khatta Meetha (2010)

Priyadarshan took a more grounded approach to comedy with Khatta Meetha, focusing on the struggles of ordinary people pitted against the bureaucracy. Akshay played Sachin Tichkule, a hapless road contractor dealing with corruption, administrative inefficiency and personal problems. Turning away from the slapstick formula of their previous ventures, Priyadarshan used satire to showcase Akshay’s range as an actor in Khatta Meetha.

Watch it on: Prime Video