Monday began on a good note for Hera Pheri fans, the OG Babu Rao is back in Hera Pheri 3. Paresh, who had earlier stormed out of Hera Pheri 3, has now confirmed that he is returning to the film.
The veteran actor Paresh Rawal opted out of the film, citing creative differences and was reportedly sued by Akshay Kumar's production company.
Paresh Rawal elated to shoot for Hera Phera 3
In a podcast with Himanshu Mehta, Mr. Rawal was asked about the Hera Pheri 3 controversy. He replied, "There's no controversy. I believe that when people love something so much, then you have to be extra careful. It is our responsibility towards the audience. The audience has given you so much adulation. You can't take things for granted. Mehnat karke unko (film) do."
The actor added, "So, I was of the opinion that sab saath mein aaye, mehnat karein. Aur kuch nahin. It is all resolved now."
When asked about the trio reuniting, Rawal spoke about his wish for everyone to grow together. "Pehle bhi aane hi waali thi (The film was supposed to happen earlier too). It's just that we needed to tweak our own style," he laughed. "All of them—whether Priyadarshan, Akshay, or Suniel—are brilliant. They've been buddies for years and years."
However, Paresh taking a U-turn hasn't gone down well with netizens, who slammed the makers for what they called cheap publicity.
One user wrote, "Absolutely simple—publicity stunts, publicity controversies. Recent trend of the cinema industry! Shame that the media is making all this a news item and giving the industry exactly what it wants."
Another added, "Lost all respect for him.."
What was the controversy?
The film has been making headlines since May, after Paresh Rawal announced his exit from the project through an X post. Just two days later, Akshay Kumar reportedly sued him for sabotaging the shoot and demanded Rs 25 crore in compensation.
Following the legal tussle, Paresh's legal team stated that the actor had paid back ₹11 lakh along with 15 per cent interest to Akshay's production company. The veteran actor also wrote on X, "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."
When asked about the legal battle with Paresh Rawal at the Housefull 5 trailer launch, Akshay Kumar publicly defended his long-time co-star.
"Using such words for one of my co-stars—like calling him foolish or something—I would not appreciate it. That's not right," Akshay said. "I've worked with him for the last 30–35 years. We are very good friends. He's a great actor, and I really admire him."
He added, "It's a very serious matter. It's something that will be handled by the court."
