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Exclusive| Priyadarshan breaks silence on Paresh Rawal's return to Hera Pheri 3: The difference of opinion…

Filmmaker Priyadarshan finally opens up to HT City about actor Paresh Rawal's return to Hera Pheri 3, after quitting the film earlier.

Published on: Jul 2, 2025, 18:50:08 IST
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Fans of the Hera Pheri franchise heaved a big sigh of relief when actor Paresh Rawal shared recently that he is back to the third installment. The controversy around his exit, in May, had made headlines, reasons for which ranged from monetary issues, to creative differences. Akshay Kumar, one of the leads and co-producer of Hera Pheri 3, had decided to sue Paresh for 25 crores for sabotaging the project.

Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan

Now that Paresh has confirmed his presence again in the film, filmmaker Priyadarshan talks to HT City and expresses his thoughts about things coming back on track, “I am living in south India, whenever a film is signed, I will go to shoot it. I am only committed to Akshay Kumar to do this film (as a maker), I don’t know anybody else.”

He continues, “You won’t see a single comment of mine on the whole issue till today. I don’t believe in the politics of cinema. Suniel, Akshay and Paresh are my best friends. There was difference of opinion between them, that has been sorted. This is all I know. I don’t think anybody else is involved in it.”

Priyadarshan doesn’t name anyone when he says this. But the deduction is that he seems to be referring to the latest statement from producer Firoz Nadiadwala, claiming his brother Sajid played a role in mediating the issues.

“Akshay, Paresh and Suniel told me we all discussed and have decided to do the film, it has nothing to do with any other individual. Somebody is saying so and so is involved, but there’s nothing. To the best of my knowledge, the three actors decided to do the film and informed me,” shares the 68-year-old.

How soon will Hera Pheri 3 go on floors now, we prod. Priyadarshan shares, “I have just wrapped up work on my next Bhooth Bangla, and starting another film with Saif Ali Khan and Akshay. I think I will be doing Hera Pheri 3 next year.”

  • Rishabh Suri
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rishabh Suri

    Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More