‘Akshay Kumar had tears in his eyes, asked why is Paresh Rawal doing this?’: Priyadarshan answers if Paresh’s Hera Pheri 3 exit due to less fee, his scenes being cut

Chaos ensued over the internet when Paresh Rawal decided to leave Here Pheri 3 out of the blue, without informing co-stars Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty, or director Priyadarshan. Akshay is now suing him for Rs 25 crore.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 23, 2025 01:13 PM IST

4 min read

Priyadarshan talks about Paresh Rawal's exit from Hera Pheri 3.

Legal action, disappointed co-stars, casting rumours and just plain confusion, Hera Pheri 3 has the plot points for a great film, and the actual movie is nowhere close to completion. Since Paresh Rawal’s exit from the project, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, and director Priyadarshan is definitely not happy with the developments. He revealed in a recent interview that he feels like Rawal could have at least called him before taking this decision; he owed him that much after being friends for so long.

Priyadarshan says ‘hurt, shocked’ by Paresh’s actions

While talking to Mid-Day, the director revealed how he was hurt by the way Rawal left the project and said, “I am very hurt and shocked, as Paresh didn’t inform any of us. He could have picked up the phone and told me before telling the media because we’ve been friends for years. Until last week, we shot Bhooth Bangla together with Akshay Kumar.” According to the director, Rawal messaged him after announcing his exit and told him, “I have nothing against you. I have a lot of respect for you, but I have my reasons for not doing the film.”

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‘Akshay Kumar doesn’t cut roles’

Priyadarshan also responded to claims that Paresh Rawal’s exit from Hera Pheri 3 came after his role was truncated at the behest of Akshay Kumar. He dismissed the speculation and said, “With me, Akshay has never cut down anybody’s roles. He does not interfere with a director’s vision at all.”

He also explained that the decision had nothing to do with Paresh’s fee. “All our contracts were signed. Ten days ago, Suniel, Akshay, and Paresh shot a scene and the IPL teaser. It was only after we unanimously agreed to do Hera Pheri 3 that Akshay bought the rights (of Hera Pheri 3). Akshay had tears in his eyes when he asked me, ‘Priyan, why is Paresh doing this to us?’ Akshay shouldn’t suffer financial losses because Paresh walked out on a whim. I understand that he will have to take whatever action is required.”

‘I didn’t stop Paresh because…’

Paresh Rawal has mentioned his shaky feelings about the character of Baburao on several occasions, and in a recent interview with the same publication, he talked about how Priyadarshan convinced him to stay on for the project. However, the director claims that no such conversation ever took place because he was never made aware of Rawal’s position or intent regarding the film. He said, “I didn’t try to stop him because he never told me that he was leaving the project. When I tried calling him, he texted, saying, ‘Please don’t call me. This is my decision, and it has got nothing to do with you.'”

Rawal’s decision to step away from the film is clearly affecting his personal relationships with people, and things aren’t looking particularly great on the legal front. Akshay Kumar brought a Rs 25 crore lawsuit against Rawal for exiting the project midway, and the former’s legal rep told PTI that “severe legal consequences” are right around the corner. The attorney in question, Pooja Tidke, said, “I think there will be severe legal consequences. It’s, of course, hurt the franchise. We have written to him letting him know that there are a lot of legal consequences involved. There have been expenses incurred towards the cast, towards the crew, towards leading senior actors, logistics equipment, and shooting of the trailer.”

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