Actor Paresh Rawal’s iconic Hera Pheri character, Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, had become a noose around his neck, he said in a recent interview amid controversy surrounding his exit from the third instalment of the comedy film franchise led by Akshay Kumar.

“It (the character) is a noose around the neck. I went to Vishal Bhardwaj ji in 2007, a year after Phir Hera Pheri released, and said, ‘Vishal Bhai, I have a film. I want to get rid of its image, can you give me a role in the same get-up?’,” Rawal, 70, said.

“What happens now is, whoever comes to me has Hera Pheri in mind. I am an actor — I don’t want to be stuck in that swamp,” he added during an interview with Hindi news portal Lallantop.

Rawal said that he felt trapped in the role. “Then I went to R Balki in 2022, I said, 'Do something, break something, give me another character in the same getup. Otherwise, it suffocates me.”

Released in 2000, Hera Pheri narrates the story of two tenants — Raju (Akshay) and Shyam (Suniel) — and their landlord, Baburao (Paresh Rawal), in desperate need of money. When the trio chance upon a ransom call via a cross connection on their landline phone, they hatch a plan to claim the ransom for themselves. Phir Hera Pheri, a sequel to the film, written and directed by Neeraj Vora, released in 2006.

Rawal highlighted how he felt increasingly boxed by the franchise’s legacy. “This is a very binding thing, I want freedom from it, I want liberation. Otherwise, it is very dirty. You know what happens when you do a sequel after a sequel, you show the same thing again,” he said.

In January, filmmaker Priyadarshan expressed his willingness to direct the third part of the comedy franchise Hera Pheri, provided the original cast members — Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal — reprise their roles from the 2000 original.

However, in May, Rawal announced his exit from Hera Pheri 3. “I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences. I reiterate that there are no creative disagreements with the film maker. I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr. Priyadarshan the film director,” Rawal wrote on X.

According to media reports, Akshay Kumar, who is the lead actor and producer of Hera Pheri 3, has filed a lawsuit of Rs 25 crore against Rawal for “sabotaging” the shoot for the film.

Rawal had reportedly signed the contract for the film and had shot for a portion.

Taking to X, Rawal said that his lawyer has sent an “appropriate response” regarding his “termination and exit”. “My lawyer, Ameet Naik, has sent an appropriate response regarding my rightful termination and exit,” he wrote in response to reports of a lawsuit against him.

Rawal assured that once the concerned parties review his lawyer’s response, the ongoing legal tussles will come to an end. “Once they read my response all issues will be laid to rest,” he said.

Paresh Rawal is also part of Priyadarshan’s upcoming comedy film Bhooth Bangla, which marks Akshay and Priyadarshan’s reunion after 14 years.