Priyadarshan Felt Insulted By Hera Pheri Producer Cut Was Like A Poor Mans Version

The last few weeks have been particularly disappointing for fans of Hera Pheri 3. After years of anticipation, filmmaker Priyadarshan announced that he had stepped away from directing the much-awaited comedy. He later went a step further, claiming that the film may never make it to theatres because of the legal disputes surrounding the project. Now, the filmmaker has once again spoken about the controversy, making serious allegations against producer Firoz Nadiadwala.

In an interview with Mid-day, Priyadarshan accused the producer of repeatedly insulting him over the years. He recalled, “Firoz told Akshay, ‘You have the rights to make Hera Pheri 3, but never make it with Priyadarshan. That’s my only request.’ He has insulted me so many times. He told me that my cut of Hera Pheri (2000) looked like a poor man’s version and that he had to edit my five-hour movie.”

Priyadarshan also revealed that he had initially agreed to direct Hera Pheri 3 because he believed the franchise had the potential to become one of the biggest in Indian cinema. He said that with the original trio on board, he was confident of taking it to a much larger scale, and surpassing even Dhurandhar. “I initially agreed to do the third part with Akshay because I thought I could make one of this country’s biggest franchises. If I had directed it, I could’ve made it bigger than Dhurandhar. Akshay, Suniel and Paresh requested me to make Hera Pheri 3. When I narrated the story to them, they were all excited.”

Last month, producer Firoz Nadiadwala was the first to reveal that Priyadarshan was no longer associated with the film, a statement that the director later confirmed. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Priyadarshan had also expressed little hope about the film’s future. “What Firoz has said is true. I am not associated with Hera Pheri 3 at the present. To the best of my knowledge, Hera Pheri 3 will never hit the screens due to lots of legal issues and personal conflicts. Whether I am involved or not is unimportant.”

Earlier this year, the film became embroiled in a legal battle over its rights after a South Indian producer approached the Madras High Court, alleging that Firoz Nadiadwala does not own the rights to the Hera Pheri franchise. According to Bar and Bench, production house Seven Arts International claimed that Nadiadwala had acquired the rights only to remake the Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), which was adapted into Hera Pheri (2000), directed by Priyadarshan. However, the company alleged that the producer went beyond the terms of the agreement by making the sequel, Phir Hera Pheri (2006), and later transferring the franchise rights to a third party. The third party, in this case, is Akshay Kumar’s production house, Cape of Good Films.

Following these claims, the Madras High Court questioned Firoz Nadiadwala on whether it would be legally permissible to proceed with Hera Pheri 3 while the ownership dispute remains unresolved. The project has also been hit by another controversy after actor Paresh Rawal abruptly exited the film, prompting his co-star Akshay Kumar to file a Rs 25 crore lawsuit against him. However, Paresh later confirmed that the matter had been resolved amicably with the makers.