The Hera Pheri franchise is facing some unexpected bumps in the road. Actor Suniel Shetty has finally spoken up about the controversy surrounding Paresh Rawal’s sudden exit from Hera Pheri 3, describing it as a huge shock and even a “crisis” for the beloved comedy series.
In an interview, Suniel Shetty made it clear: Hera Pheri 3 just wouldn’t be the same without Paresh Rawal. “It cannot happen. 100 per cent cannot happen without Paresh Rawal. It can have 1 per cent chance without me and Akshay, but 100% can’t happen without Paresh ji. No, it doesn’t,” he stated, adding, “Raju and Shyam, if they’re not hammered by Babu here, it doesn’t work.”
“This is a crisis. We’re in the middle of this film, and it’s the biggest shock,” Suniel added, “You know, this film is really important for our mental health. I have no idea what’s going to happen.”
Interestingly, Suniel didn’t hear the news from the production team; it was his kids who filled him in. “They both sent it to me within 15 minutes, asking ‘papa what is this?’ And I was here doing my interviews, and I felt like ‘holy s***’,” he shared with a media house.
The situation has only become more complicated. While Paresh Rawal insists he informed both the cast and director Priyadarshan about his departure, the director disagrees. “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, and both were onboard,” Priyadarshan was quoted as saying.
Reports also indicate that Akshay Kumar’s production company, Cape Of Good Films, has sent an INR 25 crore legal notice to Paresh for allegedly walking out during filming. Meanwhile, Paresh is currently collaborating with both Akshay and Priyadarshan on another project, Bhoot Bangla.