Weeks after shocking fans with his decision to exit Hera Pheri 3, veteran actor Paresh Rawal has confirmed that he is back on board the much-anticipated threequel of the comedy franchise.
Speaking on Himanshu Mehta’s podcast, Rawal cleared the air on the speculation surrounding his exit and emphasised that there was never any real controversy to begin with.
“Controversy kuch nahi hai. I believe that when people have loved 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 do,” Rawal said.
“I was of the opinion that sab saath mein aaye, mehnat karein. Aur kuch nahin. It is all resolved now,” added the actor, widely adored for his role as the iconic Baburao Ganpatrao Apte.
Rawal further added that the original team was always meant to return and that the delay was more about creative fine-tuning. “Pehle bhi aane hi waali thi, but it’s just that we had to fine-tune ourselves. After all, all of them are creative, be it Priyadarshan, Akshay or Suniel. They are friends for many, many, many years.”
Hera Pheri (2000), directed by Priyadarshan, became a sleeper hit and was followed by Phir Hera Pheri (2006), helmed by the late Neeraj Vora. The trio of Raju (Akshay Kumar), Shyam (Suniel Shetty), and Baburao (Rawal) has attained cult status over the past two decades.
After Rawal exited the third instalment, reports emerged that Akshay Kumar, who also serves as a producer on the film, had taken legal action against him. As per a Bollywood Hungama report, Rawal had returned the signing amount along with an interest of 15 per cent.