Industry insiders react to 'Hera Pheri 3' dispute- Excl

The entire industry went into a state of shock as Paresh Rawal announced his sudden exit from 'Hera Pheri 3' just when finally, everything was on track. The film has not seen the light of the day since so many years and when finally now, Akshay Kumar bought the rights from producer Feroz Nadiadwala and Priyadarshan on board to direct it, Paresh Rawal backed out.

Just as the actor announced his exit from the film, it was reported that Akshay's production house filed a lawsuit against the actor.The legal team of his production house told Times Of India, "Mr Rawal had publicly acknowledged his participation in the film on 30th January 2025 via a post on his official X.com (formerly Twitter) handle. He further formalised his commitment by executing a Term Sheet dated 27th March 2025, pursuant to which he accepted a part payment of Rs 11,00,000/- towards his remuneration.

Acting in complete reliance on his public endorsement and contractual commitment, Cape of Good Films incurred substantial production and promotional expenditures, including those for the teaser and initial film shoot, in which Mr Rawal actively participated.

"This of course leads to a larger perspective and conversation about the future prospects of the film considering the fact that fans cannot think of anyone else except for Rawal to play Baburao! As fans hope that Rawal joins the film again, here's what industry insiders have to say.

Deja Vu moment

In 2012, Deepika Padukonehad walked out of 'Race 2' which was produced by Ramesh Taurani after the shoot had begun. The actress had walked out of the project after shooting for 5-6 days and it came as a huge shock to everyone. Taurani had said that time in 2012, that Deepika's behaviour was 'unethical, unprofessional and unacceptable' He had also filed a lawsuit against the star as she left his film after signing the contract and after the shoot began.

He had also stated that this is also unfair to the other actors in the film. He had said that time, "On that day, people kept calling me asking whether Deepika was out of Race 2. I was clueless. I called her and asked her. She simply said that she would come to my office by 5 pm with her new manager to work out everything. At around 3 pm, she called to say that she wouldn’t be able to keep the appointment. However, her manager would be present on her behalf. Finally, when the manager arrived, he simply told me that Deepika wouldn’t be able to do our film. And that’s because she is doing a major Hollywood project. Now imagine!"However, now, with the fresh 'Hera Pheri 3' issue as Paresh Rawal backed out of the project, as ETimes contact Ramesh Taurani, he refused to talk about what had happened in the past with Deepika.

Infact, the producer said that there is no point of talking about what happened in the past as eventually the film got made, Deepika resumed 'Race 2' and all is now well between the actor and producer. The producer only commented, "All I want to say is that, mainly when the artist signs the agreement, takes the signing amount and commits his dates and everything, I think he shouldn't go back off, that's not correct.

That is not ethical.

Whatever the reason may be, but it shouldn't be done."

Trade perspective

A situation like this which has gotten serious now, may really affect 'Hera Pheri 3' and the future of it. However, one hopes that all goes well and in that case, a controversy like this only is a testament to people's anticipation towards the film. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh opines that this issue could just have been sorted internally.He says, "I wish Akshay and Paresh would have sat across the table and sorted it out.

This entire thing of sending a notice to Paresh Rawal is something which doesn't really sound nice. They have been friends and they have been colleagues for almost three decades now, and I think it's not right to actually take it to a legal level. I feel that way. But anyway, I hope good sense prevails and they sit across the table and sort it out.Film trade expert Girish Wankhede adds, "I believe that the ongoing controversy surrounding 'Hera Pheri 3' will not adversely affect its prospects.

In fact, it has garnered additional media attention, which can be beneficial. However, the conflict involving Akshay Kumar, the producer, and Paresh Rawal casts a shadow over the film industry as a whole. The chemistry between Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal is exceptional, and Paresh Rawal is one of the few actors who has consistently collaborated with director Priyadarshan.

Given that Priyadarshan has directed numerous successful films featuring Paresh Rawal, any deterioration in this relationship could reflect poorly on the industry, suggesting a lack of loyalty among friends."He added, "While the business side of things looks promising—after all, 'Hera Pheri' is a highly successful franchise that has the potential to grow even larger in terms of scale and brand recognition—the underlying issues are concerning. This situation serves as a reminder of the complexities within the film industry, where personal disputes can overshadow professional relationships.

Netizens react: 'No Hera Pheri without Babu bhaiya'

Paresh Rawal took to X and clarified, "I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences.

I REITERATE THAT THERE ARE NO CREATIVE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE FILM MAKER . I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr. Priyadarshan the film director." Here's how netizens had reacted to his exit.A user said, "Sir main nas kaat lunga, take your decision back. Paise jyada chahiye toh hum Hera pheri fan club crowdsource kar denge."

Another one said, "Hera Pheri without Baburao is hard to imagine.You made the role unforgettable with your perfect timing and expressions.No matter what, fans will always think of you first when they think of Hera Pheri. Still hoping that it’s just a marketing campaign to get some hype and there’s a surprise and you return — because no one can take Baburao’s place!"

Clearly, people unanimously believe there can't be 'Hera Pheri 3' without Paresh Rawal and hope the actor is back on board!