Akshay Kumar To Sue Paresh Rawal For Rs 25 Crore For Walking Out Of ‘Hera Pheri 3’: Report
Paresh Rawal has caused quite a storm after walking out of Priyadarshan’s ‘Hera Pheri 3’, co-starring Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty.
Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has stirred major controversy by abruptly exiting Priyadarshan’s much-anticipated ‘Hera Pheri 3’. Known for his iconic role as ‘Babu Rao’ in the beloved comedy franchise, Paresh Rawal confirmed his departure via social media, clarifying there were no creative differences with the director. However, he left fans guessing by withholding the real reason for his sudden exit. Now, tensions have escalated. According to Hindustan Times, Akshay Kumar’s production house, Cape of Good Films, is reportedly planning to sue the veteran actor, adding legal drama to an already heated situation.
The report stated that the production house has sent a legal notice to Paresh Rawal, claiming Rs 25 crore in damages for “for grossly unprofessional conduct”.
It must be mentioned that all three actors – Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal – had earlier commenced shooting for the film under veteran director Priyadarshan. Akshay is the producer of the film after he bought rights from the producer Feroz Nadiadwala.
“Paresh displayed a blatant disregard for professional integrity or commercial morality. If he wanted to not do the film, he should have said so before signing the legal contract, accepting the signing amount and making the producer spend so much money on the shoot,” Hindustan Times quoted a source as saying.
“It is high time Bollywood actors realise that like Hollywood, producers here too will no longer give in to the whims of an actor walking in and out of a film as he pleases,” the source added.
It must be mentioned that this is the first time that Akshay Kumar has decided to sue a fellow actor in his 35-year-long career.
“Paresh himself announced doing the film on his X handle in January, he participated in all pre-production planning, shot for a day (including the teaser promo) willingly. When he never expressed dissatisfaction at any point, for him to now suddenly play with the emotions of the fans of this franchise and inflict losses on the producer is clearly in bad faith,” the source said.
Paresh Rawal, on his part, is not new to quitting films. He refused to do ‘Oh My God 2’ in 2023 claiming he did not like the script. In 2009, he reportedly walked out of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Billu Barber’ after committing to it.
‘Hera Pheri’ had released in 2000 and it was directed by Priyadarshan. The movie was a remake of 1989 Malayalam film ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’.
It was the first installment of the ‘Hera Pheri franchise’. The plot revolved around two tenants, Raju and Shyam and a landlord Baburao, in desperate need of money and how they chance upon a ransom call via a cross connection. They hatch a plan to claim the ransom for themselves.
‘Phir Hera Pheri’ had released in 2006 and the plot revolved around how a twist changes the fortunes of the lead characters when they get cheated by a fraudster named Anuradha.
In the movies, Akshay Kumar played Raju, Suniel Shetty played Ghanshyam, while Paresh Rawal Rawal played Babu Rao.
