Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has left his fans disappointed after he announced his exit from one of the most iconic and loved franchises, Hera Pheri 3. It's been almost a month that the actor informed the media about his decision to quit, however, fans have been urging him to return to the franchise.
On Monday (June 9), Rawal reacted to a fan who called him the 'hero' of the franchise and urged him to play Baburao in the upcoming third installment.
The fan took to X (formerly known as Twitter), to request Rawal to consider being a part of the film and wrote, "Sir please think 🤔🤔 Once again to join HERA FERI movie 🍿 You are the hero of this movie (sic)."
To this, the 70-year-old actor replied, "NO … There are Three Heroes in Hera Pheri," and added a red heart and folded hand emoticon. Take a look:
While Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty are set to reprise their roles in Hera Pheri 3, it is not known who will play Baburao after Rawal's exit.
Paresh Rawal's Hera Pheri 3 controversy
For those unversed, after Akshay's production house sued Rawal for Rs 25 crore for quitting Hera Pheri 3, the latter also recently responded to Akshay legally.
Amidst the raging chatter around Akshay and Rawal's fallout, Rawal wrote on X on May 25, 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 (sic)."
While the actor did not acknowledge if Akshay has indeed sued him for Rs 25 crore, the fact that he has involved his legal team into the controversy confirms that there is some truth to the reports.
More about the controversy
Akshay's production house, Cape of Good Films, which is producing Hera Pheri 3, had earlier stated that Rawal was paid Rs 11 lakh as the signing amount for the film, and that he, along with Akshay and Suniel Shetty, had also shot the teaser, which was to be unveiled soon.
"The sudden and unjustified withdrawal has caused severe financial loss, disrupted schedules, and jeopardised the momentum of a high-value production. In view of this, Cape of Good Films has demanded damages to the tune of Rs 25 crores from Mr Rawal. If the demand is not complied with within seven days, the company will be constrained to pursue appropriate legal remedies, including civil and criminal action," a statement issued by the production house read.
According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, Rawal has returned the Rs 11 lakh that was paid to him in advance, along with 15 per cent interest and "a little more money for stepping away". His total remuneration for the film was reportedly Rs 15 crore.
A source close to the development also reportedly said that the shoot of Hera Pheri 3 was scheduled to begin in 2026 and only a promo of it was shot.
