On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar spoke about the ongoing controversy over the exit of his co-star Paresh Rawal from the highly anticipated movie "Hera Pheri 3." Kumar called the problem a "serious matter" that is being addressed through legal means at the moment.
Rawal’s unexpected exit from the project about two weeks ago sent ripples through the film community and disappointed fans eagerly awaiting the third installment of the beloved franchise, which has been in the making for nearly two decades.
Kumar, who also holds the producer's role on “Hera Pheri 3,” has initiated a ₹25 crore lawsuit against Rawal for damages.
At his trailer launch event of his new release "Housefull 5," Kumar was asked about the outrage from fans, who have called Rawal "foolish" for backing out of "Hera Pheri 3." Kumar disapproved of such a term being used against his "good friend."
"It's not proper to call one of my co-actors such a foolish word or anything like that. I would not like it," Kumar replied. We have worked together for the past 30-35 years, and we are very good friends. He's an excellent actor, and I admire him a lot. Whatever the matter is, I don't think this is the forum to talk about it, as it's a very serious issue. The court will decide, so I am not going to say anything more here," he said to the journalists.
Rawal, however, earlier broke his silence, confirming that his lawyer has already replied to the legal notice.
The first "Hera Pheri" was directed by Priyadarshan and released in 2000. It featured Rawal, Kumar, and Suniel Shetty. The plot was about Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Rawal), a gentle and quirky garage owner; Raju (Kumar), a cunning loafer; and Shyam (Shetty), a down-on-his-luck man. The sequel to the franchise, "Phir Hera Pheri," directed by Neeraj Vora, was released in 2006. The third installment is to be directed by Priyadarshan once more.
On May 18, Rawal went on to social media site X to officially declare that he was walking away from "Hera Pheri 3."
"I want to place on record that my decision to walk out of 'Hera Pheri 3' was not based on any creative issues. I want to reiterate that there are no creative differences with the director. I have deep love, respect, and trust in Mr. Priyadarshan," Rawal declared.
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