Paresh Rawal’s legal team hits back at Akshay Kumar’s claims

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has officially addressed his much-discussed exit from Hera Pheri 3 through his legal representatives at Anand & Naik. The actor, who played the beloved character Babu Bhaiyya in the iconic franchise, had earlier hinted that a formal legal statement would soon set the record straight, and now, that response is here.On Sunday morning, the actor took to Twitter and wrote, “My lawyer, Ameet Naik, has sent an appropriate response regarding my rightful termination and exit. Once they read my response all issues will be laid to rest.” By evening, his lawyers shared a detailed explanation with IANS, defending his decision to walk away from the third installment of the fan-favourite comedy series.No script, no agreement, no clarityThe legal team claimed that key deliverables, like the screenplay and a draft of a long-form agreement, were never provided.

“Admittedly, they did not deliver the story, screenplay and also a draft of a long form agreement which was fundamental to the engagement of our client,” the lawyers told IANS.They further revealed that a notice was sent to Rawal by Firoz Nadiadwala, cousin of Sajid Nadiadwala and producer of the original Hera Pheri films, raising concerns over the film’s production. “In the absence of these and also since Mr. Nadiadwala, the producer of the original films, issued notice to our client and raised issues on the making of the film, our client chose to exit and returned the money with interest by terminating the Term sheet,” the statement read.

Paresh Rawal also clarified that his decision had nothing to do with creative disagreements with long-time collaborator Priyadarshan. “He holds huge respect for the filmmaker in his heart,” said the statement, adding that Rawal found the role of Babu Bhaiyya creatively unappealing at this stage of his career. His departure was not impulsive but a well-considered move.Legal response to Akshay Kumar’s claimsThe controversy took a legal turn when Akshay Kumar, one of the three leads in the franchise and now the producer after acquiring rights from Firoz Nadiadwala, reportedly filed a lawsuit against Rawal.

Akshay’s team claimed that the actor’s exit caused financial losses tied to the cast, crew, logistics, and trailer shoot.

Paresh Rawal’s team hit back, stating that the production house had accepted the signing amount of Rs 11 lakhs initially, only to later serve an “untenable” notice. “When knowingly nothing was and is ready, including no story and cloud over the title—there can never be any loss. I hope they would accept this reality and move on from our client,” they said.Rawal also returned the Rs 11 lakh signing fee with interest to Akshay Kumar’s production house.

With legal teams now involved and the iconic Babu Bhaiyya officially stepping away, the fate of Hera Pheri 3 remains uncertain.