Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal feud resolved, says not PR; confirms Hera Pheri 3 announcement soon

After much ado, controversy, and legal wrangling, Akshay Kumar has finally confirmed the third instalment of the iconic 2000s comedy Hera Pheri. Putting all rumours to rest, Kumar announced that Paresh Rawal is officially back, with a formal announcement scheduled for September 9.

In a recent appearance on The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra (Season 2), Akshay said, "Nahi, yeh publicity stunt nahi hai (No, this is not a publicity stunt). The matter went legal, and when legalities are involved, we can't call it a publicity stunt—it's real." Reassuring fans, he added, "But ab sab kuch thik ho gaya hai (But now everything is fine). Very soon, there will be some kind of announcement. Yes, there were ups and downs, but now everything is resolved. We're back together, and honestly, we never really split up. Yes, that's it!"

In a candid conversation with Mid-Day, director Priyadarshan shared that Paresh Rawal had personally called to apologise for stepping away from the project. "Both Akshay and Paresh called to say everything was sorted. I was in shock when Paresh said, 'Sir, I'm doing the movie.' He added, 'I've never had anything but respect for you. I've done 26 films with you, and I'm sorry for leaving. There were some personal issues.' He told me that he, Akshay, and Suniel met and cleared the air."

This statement comes as a major relief to fans who were disheartened by earlier reports suggesting that Rawal had exited the film and that Akshay had filed a lawsuit over his departure.

In May this year, Paresh Rawal announced that he would no longer be a part of the third instalment. However, during a recent appearance on Himanshu Mehta's podcast, he confirmed his return.

Paresh said, "It was always meant to happen, but we needed to fine-tune a few things. All of them, Priyadarshan, Akshay, Suniel, are not only creative minds but also longtime friends."

Addressing the reported legal dispute, he added, "There's nothing like that. I believe that when the audience has showered so much love on something, it becomes our responsibility to deliver our best. You can't take that love for granted. Work hard and give them a good film. My view was that everyone should come together and work sincerely. That's all. Everything is resolved now."

Directed by Priyadarshan, Hera Pheri first hit screens in 2000, introducing audiences to the beloved trio of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Rawal), Raju (Kumar), and Shyam (Shetty). The characters returned in the 2006 sequel Phir Hera Pheri, directed by Neeraj Vora.