'Hera Pheri' drama: Akshay Kumar sues Paresh Rawal for ₹25cr!
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, actor Akshay Kumar has reportedly sent a legal notice to fellow actor Paresh Rawal. Kumar's production company, Cape of Good Films, sent the notice to Rawal seeking ₹25 crore in damages, reported HT City on Tuesday. The notice accuses Rawal of "grossly unprofessional conduct" regarding his sudden exit from Hera Pheri 3 after signing a legal contract and starting the shoot. This comes after Rawal recently confirmed that he is exiting the much-loved franchise.
Departure details
Rawal's exit from 'Hera Pheri 3' caused fan disappointment
While Rawal's exit from the film disappointed millions of fans of the Hera Pheri franchise, he revealed that he did not "feel like" being a part of the project. The film's lead actors—Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Rawal—commenced shooting under veteran director Priyadarshan in April. Incidentally, Kumar is also producing the film after acquiring rights from producer Feroz Nadiadwala.
Departure reasons
Rawal's departure not due to money or creative differences
Despite previous speculation, Rawal clarified that his decision to leave Hera Pheri 3 was not due to "creative differences" or money issues. Reports claimed he was being paid over three times his usual fee for this film. However, a source aware of the legal proceedings said, "Paresh displayed a blatant disregard for professional integrity or commercial morality." "If he wanted to not do the film, he should have said so before signing the legal contract."
Legal action
First time, Kumar has sued a fellow actor
Reportedly, this is the first time in Kumar's 35-year-long career that he has opted to sue a fellow actor for unprofessional conduct. The source added, "It is high time Bollywood actors realize that, like Hollywood, producers here too will no longer give in to the whims of an actor walking in and out of a film as he pleases." Notably, Rawal has quit films unexpectedly in the past too, like Oh My God 2 (2023) and Billu Barber (2009).
Fan reactions
Rawal apparently 'never expressed dissatisfaction at any point'
The source further told HT, "Paresh himself announced doing the film on his X handle in January, he participated in all pre-production planning, shot for a day (including the teaser promo) willingly." "When he never expressed dissatisfaction at any point, for him to now suddenly play with the emotions of the fans of this franchise and inflict losses on the producer is clearly in bad faith." Will we get the iconic trio back on screen?