Jul 03, 2025 11:41 AM IST

In a delightful turn of events, veteran actor Paresh Rawal has confirmed his return to the beloved comedy franchise Hera Pheri 3, months after initially announcing his exit. Now, in a recent interview with Mid-Day, director Priyadarshan has opened up about his reaction to Paresh rejoining the team and how the original trio, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh, finally resolved their differences.

Priyadarshan revealed that Paresh apologised to him for leaving the film and said, "Both Akshay and Paresh called to say that everything is sorted. I was in shock when Paresh said, 'Sir, I'm doing the movie'. He added, 'I have never had anything except a lot of respect for you. I've done 26 movies with you, and I'm sorry to have left the film. There were some personal issues.' He said that Akshay, Suniel, and he met cordially and sorted it out."

The filmmaker revealed he will now sit down to write the script and added, "Whatever I do, I cannot surpass Hera Pheri [2000]. The second part [Phir Hera Pheri, 2006] was bad; it was a copy of a Hollywood movie. Hera Pheri cannot happen without any of the three lead characters. Recently, on a flight, a diamond merchant and his family came to me and requested me to bring Paresh back. They said they won't watch the film otherwise."

In May, Paresh revealed that he was no longer a part of Hera Pheri 3, stating that "it's not the role he wants to do right now". His decision left fans shocked and disappointed, with many believing that the film should be shelved without Baburao’s character in it. This was followed by Akshay Kumar, who is also the producer of the film, suing Paresh for his sudden exit. 

However, in a recent podcast with Himanshu Mehta, Paresh confirmed his return and said, "Pehle bhi aane hi waali thi (Earlier too the film was scheduled to release), but it’s just that we had to fine-tune ourselves (laughs). After all, all of them are creative, be it Priyadarshan, Akshay or Suniel. They are friends for many, many, many years."

Fans are now excited to see the OG trio of Akshay, Paresh, and Suniel Shetty reuniting on screen in Hera Pheri 3. The Hera Pheri franchise is celebrated for its timeless humour, unforgettable characters, and dialogues. The franchise began in 2000 with Hera Pheri, directed by Priyadarshan, which introduced audiences to the hilarious trio of Raju (Akshay Kumar), Shyam (Suniel Shetty), and Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Paresh Rawal). 

The film quickly became a massive hit and earned a cult following for its sharp writing and comic timing. Following its success, Phir Hera Pheri was released in 2006, directed by Neeraj Vora. While it didn't receive the same critical acclaim as the original, it was a box office success.