Bad news just landed for ‘Hera Pheri’ fans. Director Priyadarshan has walked away from ‘Hera Pheri 3’. And he’s not sure the film will ever come out at all.
Producer Feroze Nadiadwala broke the news first. He said the third part is moving ahead, but without Priyadarshan on board.
Priyadarshan told HT City that Feroze’s statement is accurate and that he has no connection to the project right now.
He didn’t stop there. Priyadarshan went further and said he doubts the film gets made at all. He pointed to ongoing legal battles and personal disputes as the reason. He also said whether he returns or not barely matters at this point.
Why the film is stuck
‘Hera Pheri 3’ has been a mess behind the scenes for a while now. The core problem is a rights dispute.
Seven Arts International, a production house from the South, claims it owns the rights to the ‘Hera Pheri’ franchise and its characters. Feroze disagrees and says the rights belong to him.
So right now, nobody quite agrees on who actually controls this franchise. That alone has stalled progress for a long time.
The cast drama
The film was originally going to reunite the original trio. Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal were all expected to return, with Priyadarshan back in the director’s chair.
But even the cast side hit turbulence. Paresh Rawal abruptly exited the project in May 2025. He eventually returned to the fold later.
Interestingly, all three actors, Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh, have already worked together again. They appeared in ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, which released recently. And in another twist, that film was also produced by Feroze Nadiadwala.