Priyadarshan, the director behind Bollywood's beloved comedy franchise built around Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty, has finally opened up about why he stepped away from Hera Pheri 3. In a recent interview, he directly named producer Firoz Nadiadwala and made a series of striking claims about their working relationship.
Anticipation for the third instalment of the Hera Pheri series had been running high among audiences, with excitement building the moment the sequel was announced. But soon after, word spread that Priyadarshan would no longer be part of the project. Addressing that exit, he squarely blamed the producer's conduct.
What the producer allegedly told Akshay Kumar
Priyadarshan said Firoz Nadiadwala laid down a clear condition in front of Akshay Kumar. According to the director, the producer said he held all the rights to make Hera Pheri 3, but insisted the film should never be made with Priyadarshan attached. In the director's own words, Firoz told Akshay Kumar that this was his one request, that the film simply not involve Priyadarshan. He further claimed the producer humiliated him on multiple occasions.
Insults that go back to the first film
Priyadarshan also revisited the making of the original Hera Pheri, released in 2000. He said the producer had mocked his final cut at the time, remarking that it looked like a film made by a poor man. According to the director, his original cut ran five hours long, and the producer took it upon himself to have it re-edited. Priyadarshan alleged he was repeatedly put down throughout the making of that film.
Why he signed on in the first place
The director clarified that he had agreed to take on the project purely because of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. He said all three actors had personally requested that he direct the film, and when he narrated the story to them, they were thrilled. Priyadarshan said he was fully confident he could have turned Hera Pheri 3 into the country's biggest film franchise, adding that he believed he could have made it even bigger than the Dhurandhar franchise.
Legal trouble sealed his exit
Priyadarshan said that as soon as Hera Pheri 3 was announced, GP Vijaykumar of Seven Arts Films called him and warned that going ahead with the film would amount to a rights violation. Frustrated by the dispute, he admitted he did not know what to do at that point, as multiple legal complications had already surfaced. He expressed regret that Hera Pheri 3 may now never make it to the big screen with the same original cast. In his words, Hera Pheri was a hit when it was born, Phir Hera Pheri lost a bit of its shine, and now it seems Hera Pheri 3 may never get made at all.
