Paresh Rawal confirms Kartik Aaryan was dropped from ‘Hera Pheri 3’

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has confirmed that Kartik Aaryan was originally cast in Hera Pheri 3 but was later dropped from the project. He clarified that Kartik Aaryan was never meant to replace Akshay Kumar’s iconic character, Raju, but was set to play a different role in the film.

Why was Kartik Aaryan dropped from Hera Pheri 3?

The Hera Pheri franchise, known for its cult comedy status, stars Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal as the beloved trio — Raju, Shyam, and Baburao. While the 2000 original became an instant classic, its sequel, Phir Hera Pheri (2006), was also a hit. However, Paresh admitted in a recent interaction that the sequel didn’t reach its full potential and lost its way due to unnecessary sequences.

Over the past year, there was widespread speculation that Kartik Aaryan might step in for Akshay Kumar in Hera Pheri 3, similar to what happened with the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise. Paresh has now put those rumours to rest. He explained that Kartik was indeed part of the film at one point, but he wasn’t replacing Akshay. In fact, the plan was to have both actors in the film in separate roles.

However, things took a different turn when the film’s storyline changed, and filmmaker Priyadarshan, who directed the original Hera Pheri, came on board. Following these developments, Kartik was removed from the project.

The news clarifies the confusion around the casting of Hera Pheri 3, which has been in the making for a long time. While fans were eager to see Kartik in the franchise, they can now look forward to seeing the original trio — Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh — back together in the much-awaited third installment.