Mumbai: Last year, Paresh Rawal made headlines after announcing his exit from ‘Hera Pheri 3’.
In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, the veteran opened up about his decision to leave the project and described Akshay Kumar’s ₹25 crore lawsuit against him as an “emotional reaction.”
Explaining why he decided to leave the project, Paresh said, “No, it wasn’t about, ‘I’m uncomfortable working with Akshay Kumar.’ It was a contractual obligation. If I were to do the film, I needed the approval of Firoz (Nadiadwala, producer) because he is the sole owner of the Hera Pheri franchise. And also of other films like Awara Paagal Deewana, Welcome, and all of that. Until I had his approval, I simply couldn’t commit. When the legal notice came, I thought, ‘Why am I getting dragged into legal issues? Am I here to enjoy making a film or to get caught up in this?’ I told myself I didn’t want to be a part of it anymore.”
Following Paresh’s exit from the project, Akshay, who is also producing ‘Hera Pheri 3’, filed a ₹25 crore damages claim against him, alleging breach of contract and sabotage.
The legal dispute went on for several months before the matter was resolved and Paresh agreed to rejoin the film.
Reacting to Akshay’s legal notice, Paresh said, “I genuinely believe the legal notice was an emotional reaction. It was probably a case of, ‘How could he say no to me?’ He must have been emotionally disturbed. We never really sat down and discussed it, but we worked together afterwards. Sometimes you don’t even need to say the words. That’s the gentlemanly way of resolving the backings.”
Although Akshay and Paresh later sorted out their differences and the latter returned to the film, ‘Hera Pheri 3’ continued to face several challenges.
In 2026, the film became involved in a copyright dispute over who owns the franchise rights.
Akshay’s production house claimed exclusive ownership, while other legal issues created further uncertainty.
Around the same time, director Priyadarshan also left the project following disagreements with producer Firoz Nadiadwala.
As a result, ‘Hera Pheri 3’ remains delayed despite the return of its original cast.
