BOMBAY TIMES (May 21, 2025)
What happened
Paresh Rawal, on Saturday, had put a post on X stating that he is quitting Hera Pheri 3 . The reasons behind Rawal’s exit remain undisclosed. When asked whether monetary reasons – as was being speculated – were behind his departure from the film, the actor told us earlier, “Money was not the issue. The love and respect of my audience are worth more than any amount of money.” Following this news, Akshay Kumar, his co-star and producer of the film, has sent a legal notice to Rawal, claiming Rs. 25 crore in damages for leaving the film after signing a contract.
‘If the demand is not complied with within seven days, will pursue appropriate legal remedies’
Confirming the legal step that Akshay took, Pooja Tidke, Joint Managing Partner of Parinam Law Associates, tells us, “Mr Rawal had publicly acknowledged his participation in the film on January 30, 2025… Acting in complete reliance on his public endorsement and contractual commitment, Cape of Good Films incurred substantial production and promotional expenditures, including those for the teaser and initial film shoot, in which Mr Rawal actively participated. The teaser shoot commenced on April 3 and over 3 minutes of footage was shot with him. He also engaged in creative discussions and planning with fellow cast members, including Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty. At no point during this period were any concerns raised by Mr Rawal regarding creative issues.”
Tidke adds, “It is only after these significant investments and scheduling commitments were made that Mr Rawal abruptly attempted to exit the project, citing vague and belated creative differences. Cape of Good Films firmly believes that this justification is an afterthought, contrived to inflict maximum disruption on a beloved film franchise and undermine the goodwill it commands.”
Tidke shares that “Cape of Good Films has demanded damages to the tune of Rs. 25 crores from Mr Rawal. If the demand is not complied with within seven days, the company will be constrained to pursue appropriate legal remedies, including civil and criminal action.” – Niharika Lal
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The buzz about Hera Pheri 3 going on floors had left fans of the cult comedy franchise quite excited. The anticipation was building to see the film’s trio – Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal – reprise their roles in the third intallment of the franchise. However, Rawal’s recent announcement of quitting the film led to Akshay Kumar sending him a legal notice, claiming Rs. 25 crore in damages. Buzz is that Rawal demanded around Rs. 25 crore as his fee. In a conversation with us, director Priyadarshan, who had returned to the franchise after stepping back from its sequel, opened up about the episode for the first time. “I have no idea what happened. His exit is actually a shock for me. All I can tell you is, I am hurt,” confessed the director.
The filmmaker, who shared a long-standing professional bond with Rawal, is taken aback by the actor’s sudden exit. Priyadarshan said, “I started it (the third part), and all of a sudden, he backed out. He hasn’t given me any explanation. I’m hurt. Paresh was like family, so it is strange that he has not given any explanation. He says he has nothing against me, he respects me, and that there are no creative differences, but I am hurt.”
We reached out to Paresh Rawal, but the actor was unavailable for comment till the time of going to press.
— Vinay MR Mishra
Priyadarshan on Akshay suing Paresh Rawal
Reacting to Akshay’s move to sue Rawal for Rs. 25 crore, the director responded, “Naturally.”
When asked whether there’s been a fallout between Akshay and Rawal, Priyadarshan said, “I don’t know about it. I live in Chennai, and I don’t know much about the politics of Bollywood. We just wrapped up Bhoot Bangla (the movie stars both the actors – Akshay and Rawal). I’ve never seen any tension on the set. Whatever Paresh asked for, money-wise, everything was agreed upon. He also signed the agreement and took a token as advance. We even shot for a day. After shooting, he never said anything about it. He told me, ‘Let us do it and make it a good film. I didn’t like the second part at all. But this time we have to make it better.’”
Asked if he reached out to Rawal, Priyadarshan replied, “I tried calling him once, but he didn’t answer, so I left it.” On whether he’s considering a replacement, he added, “No, not thinking of anything right now. I’m just shocked.”
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Akshay Kumar slaps Rs. 25-crore legal notice on Paresh Rawal for unprofessional conduct, as latter exits Hera Pheri 3 after signing contract, commencing shooting
HINDUSTAN TIMES (May 21, 2025)
In a shocking development, actor Akshay Kumar, through his production house, has sent a legal notice to actor Paresh Rawal, claiming Rs. 25 crore in damages for unprofessional conduct and leaving the film Hera Pheri 3 in a lurch after signing a legal contract. Reportedly, the lead cast of the film — Akshay aka Raju, Paresh aka Babu Bhaiya and Suniel Shetty aka Ghanshyam — had started shooting for the Priyadarshan directorial in April.
Paresh confirmed exiting the cult comedy recently. While the reason wasn’t clear, we have learnt that he did not “feel like” being a part of the film. Akshay, who is also the producer of Hera Pheri 3, bought the legal rights from producer Feroz Nadiadwala.
After reports cropped up speculating the reason for Paresh’s sudden departure, he had clarified that creative differences or money weren’t the reasons for the decision. Sources say that the actor was being paid more than thrice his usual fee for the film. “Paresh displayed a blatant disregard for professional integrity or commercial morality. If he didn’t want to do the film, he should have said so before signing the legal contract, accepting the signing amount and making the producer spend so much money on the shoot,” says a source close to the legal development.
“It is high time Indian actors realise that like Hollywood, producers here, too, will no longer give in to the whims of an actor walking in and out of a film as they please,” adds the source.
Notably, this is the first time in Akshay’s 35-year-long career that he has chosen to sue anyone for unprofessional conduct. When we reached out to Paresh, he says, “I am not aware of anything like this yet.” Paresh is not new to quitting films, sometimes on a whim. He refused to do OMG 2 (2023) claiming he did not like the script. Also, he walked out of the 2009 film Billu after committing to it, which, too, was a Priyadarshan directorial.
Inputs by Yashika Mathur
‘I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO LOSE, BUT AKSHAY HAS INVESTED MONEY’
Director Priyadarshan tells us, “I don’t know why this happened, because Paresh didn’t inform us. Before starting the film, Akshay asked me to check with both Paresh and Suniel, and I did. I don’t have anything to lose, but Akshay has invested money and that could be the reason why he is taking this action. Paresh Rawal hasn’t spoken to me till date.”