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Hera Pheri 3: Amidst Paresh Rawal`s Exit, His Old Interviews Go Viral
Updated on: 21 May, 2025 12:25 PM IST |Amruta Karulkar
Paresh Rawal
The beloved Hera Pheri franchise finds itself in turbulent waters. Veteran actor Paresh Rawal`s sudden departure from the much-anticipated Hera Pheri 3 has sent shockwaves through Bollywood. The situation escalated as Akshay Kumar, his co-star and reportedly a producer for the third installment, allegedly sued Rawal for Rs 25 crore. Reports indicate Kumar`s production company, Cape Of Good Films, sent a legal notice on May 20, just two days after Rawal confirmed his exit via an X post on May 18.
Seeking to break free from this image, Rawal shared anecdotes of his efforts. "I went to Vishal Bhardwaj [director] in 2007," he revealed, hoping for a different role in the same getup to shed the "Hera Pheri" image. He explained to Bhardwaj, "Whoever comes to me, he has an image of Hera Pheri in mind. I am an actor. I don`t want to get stuck at one place." After Bhardwaj declined, not being inclined to remake characters, Rawal later approached R Balki with a similar plea for an out-of-the-box character, admitting, "I felt happy but dum ghutta hai (I felt choked). I need mukti (liberation) from that role."
Rawal has also been vocal about his views on Bollywood`s sequel culture. He criticised the trend of making sequels merely "to spin money", citing "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai" as positive examples where "the two films have different trajectories as they picked up different subjects with the same protagonists."
Referring to Baburao, he noted, "It`s a 500 crore goodwill character. If a maker wants, he can upscale the character to a different height. But people have either mental bankruptcy or mental lethargy to take a plunge." This sentiment echoes his stated reason for previously exiting another Akshay Kumar sequel, OMG 2. Rawal had said, “I didn’t like the script, so I didn’t want to be a part of it. I don’t like making a sequel just to encash on the first part like we did in the case of Hera Pheri.”
Also Read: After Paresh Rawal`s Exit From Hera Pheri 3, Diljit Dosanjh Quits No Entry 2
Suniel Shetty expressed his shock, learning the news from his children. Emphasising Rawal`s importance, Shetty told ANI, “It cannot happen. 100 per cent cannot happen without Paresh Rawal." Priyadarshan, while also expressing surprise, said, “I don’t have anything to lose, but Akshay has invested money, and that could be the reason why he is taking this action."
In an interview with Mid-Day, Paresh Rawal acknowledged the shock his decision caused, stating, “I know it came as a shock to many... The fact is that I opted out because today I don’t feel like a part of it.” He termed his decision final "for now", but added, “One never knows what the future holds.” Adding another layer to the drama, Priyadarshan is currently working with both Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal on another film, "Bhoot Bangla", leaving fans puzzled as they await clarity on the future of Hera Pheri 3.
Also Read: Priyadarshan Opens Up On Challenges Of Making Hera Pheri 3, Shares Big Update
The Weight of an Iconic Character
As this news broke, Paresh Rawal`s past interviews began circulating widely. In these candid conversations, he expressed the complexities of being tied to his iconic character, Baburao Ganpatrao Apte. Rawal once described the role as feeling like a "gale ka phanda" (a tight noose), admitting that even if he reprised Baburao, he wouldn`t feel "happy" from within.Seeking to break free from this image, Rawal shared anecdotes of his efforts. "I went to Vishal Bhardwaj [director] in 2007," he revealed, hoping for a different role in the same getup to shed the "Hera Pheri" image. He explained to Bhardwaj, "Whoever comes to me, he has an image of Hera Pheri in mind. I am an actor. I don`t want to get stuck at one place." After Bhardwaj declined, not being inclined to remake characters, Rawal later approached R Balki with a similar plea for an out-of-the-box character, admitting, "I felt happy but dum ghutta hai (I felt choked). I need mukti (liberation) from that role."
Rawal has also been vocal about his views on Bollywood`s sequel culture. He criticised the trend of making sequels merely "to spin money", citing "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai" as positive examples where "the two films have different trajectories as they picked up different subjects with the same protagonists."
Referring to Baburao, he noted, "It`s a 500 crore goodwill character. If a maker wants, he can upscale the character to a different height. But people have either mental bankruptcy or mental lethargy to take a plunge." This sentiment echoes his stated reason for previously exiting another Akshay Kumar sequel, OMG 2. Rawal had said, “I didn’t like the script, so I didn’t want to be a part of it. I don’t like making a sequel just to encash on the first part like we did in the case of Hera Pheri.”
Also Read: After Paresh Rawal`s Exit From Hera Pheri 3, Diljit Dosanjh Quits No Entry 2
Conflicting Accounts and Co-Star Reactions
The circumstances surrounding Rawal`s exit from Hera Pheri 3 have become murky. Rawal stated on X that his departure wasn`t due to creative differences or money and claimed he had informed director Priyadarshan and co-actors Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty. However, both Priyadarshan and Suniel Shetty have publicly stated they were not informed.Suniel Shetty expressed his shock, learning the news from his children. Emphasising Rawal`s importance, Shetty told ANI, “It cannot happen. 100 per cent cannot happen without Paresh Rawal." Priyadarshan, while also expressing surprise, said, “I don’t have anything to lose, but Akshay has invested money, and that could be the reason why he is taking this action."
In an interview with Mid-Day, Paresh Rawal acknowledged the shock his decision caused, stating, “I know it came as a shock to many... The fact is that I opted out because today I don’t feel like a part of it.” He termed his decision final "for now", but added, “One never knows what the future holds.” Adding another layer to the drama, Priyadarshan is currently working with both Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal on another film, "Bhoot Bangla", leaving fans puzzled as they await clarity on the future of Hera Pheri 3.
Also Read: Priyadarshan Opens Up On Challenges Of Making Hera Pheri 3, Shares Big Update
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