Bollywood was left stunned after Paresh Rawal, beloved for his iconic ‘Babu Bhaiya’ role, announced his exit from Hera Pheri 3.
And in a shocking turn of events, Akshay Kumar’s banner Cape of Good Films has taken legal action, filing a Rs 25 crore lawsuit against Rawal for breach of contract.
According to Times Of India, the legal representatives, Parinam Law Associates, confirmed that Rawal had publicly committed to the film on January 30, 2025 and formalized the agreement by signing a term sheet. TOI quoted the law associate, “Mr Rawal had publicly acknowledged his participation in the film on 30th January 2025 via a post on his official X.com (formerly Twitter) handle. He further formalised his commitment by executing a Term Sheet dated 27th March 2025, pursuant to which he accepted a part payment of Rs 11,00,000/- towards his remuneration.”
This statement further read, “The teaser shoot commenced on 3rd April 2025, and over 3 minutes of footage was shot with Mr Rawal. He also engaged in creative discussions and planning with fellow cast members, including Mr Akshay Kumar and Mr Suniel Shetty. At no point during this period were any concerns raised by Mr Rawal regarding creative issues.”
Earlier there was buzz that was doing rounds on social media that Paresh Rawal has quit Hera Pheri 3 due to creative differences with the makers, however Paresh Rawal clears the air by announcing that he is not quitting the iconic ‘Babu Bhaiya’ role because of creative differences but he also didn’t reveal the real reason for walking away.
Suniel Shetty also expressed his shock over Paresh Rawal’s sudden exit and said Hera Pheri 3 can not happen without him. Reacting to news of Paresh Rawal’s exit from Hera Pheri 3, he said, “It cannot happen. 100 per cent cannot happen without Paresh Rawal.” He added, “It can have a 1 per cent chance without me and Akshay, but 100% can’t happen without Paresh ji. No, it doesn’t. Raju and Shyam, if they’re not hammered by Babu here, it doesn’t work.”
In a candid interview with Media Portal, filmmaker Priyadarshan said he was not intrested to direct the film but agreed after Akshay Kumar’s request. He further revealed that Rawal later exited the project without offering any explanation. When asked about the film proceeding without Rawal, Priyadarshan expressed frustration, stating that he no longer wishes to deal with such stress and would prefer spending time with his family over working with unprofessional actors.