Priyadarshan: ‘I could have been bigger than Dhurandhar’: Priyadarshan breaks silence on walkout from Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Hera Pheri 3’ for repeated ‘insults’ | Hindi Movie News

‘I wish I was bigger than Dhurandhar’: Priyadarshan breaks silence on Akshay Kumar’s exit from ‘Hera Pheri 3’ due to repeated “insults” from producer Firoze Nadiadwala

‘Hera Pheri 3’ has also found itself in troubled waters. Although the third installment of the beloved sports drama was announced in January 2025, the film recently faced another problem after production. Firoz A. Nadiadwallah he confirmed that Priyadarshan he would no longer lead the work. The filmmaker has now revealed that a combination of legal issues and his strained relationship with the producer led to his exit.In a recent interview with Mid-day, Priyadarshan said that Nadiadwallah had insulted him repeatedly over the years, which made him go ahead with the film despite his interest in bringing the iconic trio to the big screen.Recalling his conversation with the producer, Priyadarshan said Firoz A. Nadiadwallah asked. Akshay Kumar not to make the film with him. “Firoz told Akshay, “You have the right to make ‘Hera Pheri 3’, but don’t do it with Priyadarshan. That is my only request.’ They mocked me many times, they told me that my ‘Hera Pheri’ voice sounded like a poor person, so they had to edit my five-hour film.”The director added that he accepted the project because Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal He wanted to go back.“Initially I agreed to do the third part with Akshay because I thought I could make one of the biggest films of the country. If I had directed, I could have been bigger than ‘Dhurandhar’. Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh asked me to make ‘Hera Pheri 3’. When I told them the story, they were all happy.”

A legal battle became a major obstacle

According to Priyadarshan, the problems surrounding the film started almost as soon as it was announced in 2025. He revealed that he received a call from GP Vijayakumar of Seven Films, who warned him that continuing the project would violate existing contracts.Explaining the situation, the filmmaker said that the copyright issues have become so complicated that he no longer believes that the original three will reunite for the film.“When ‘Hera Pheri 3’ was announced, I got a call from GP Vijayakumar of Seven Arts Films that if we made the film, it would be a violation of the law. I didn’t know what to do. That’s why I said ‘Hera Pheri 3’ might not see screens with the same characters. You won’t see them again because they have a lot of legal issues.”He added, “As far as I’m concerned, ‘Hera Pheri’ was born, ‘Hera Pheri 2’ got sick, and ‘Hera Pheri 3’ will be dead.”

Personal conflict on ‘Hera Pheri 3’

The legal dispute started over claims made earlier this year by South Indian producer GP Vijayakumar, who claimed that Firoz A. Nadiadwallah had no rights to the ‘Hera Pheri’ license. Vijayakumar said that in 2022, he acquired the full franchise rights from Adithya Films, the makers of the Malayalam musical ‘Ramji Rao Talk’, where the original ‘Hera Pheri’ was based.He also said that Nadiadwallah only bought the Indian rights of “Ramji Rao Talk” and later bypassed that part of the deal by making something else. Responding to the controversy, Priyadarshan described the issue as a “tough copyright battle”.

Priyadarshan in Paresh Rawal’s brief exit

The director also highlighted Paresh Rawal’s temporary exit from ‘Hera Pheri 3’ in May 2025. At the time, reports suggested that the actor was unhappy with his salary and the way he was recruited. Akshay Kumar also filed a Rs 25 crore case against Rawal before the actor returned to the project.However, Priyadarshan denied the reports, saying that the issue stemmed from legal uncertainty and not a financial dispute.“At that time, Paresh Rawal received a legal notice from Firoz A. Nadiadwallah saying that while Akshay has the rights for the third part, Nadiadwallah had not sold the three main characters, including Baburao. Paresh was scared and wanted to take legal advice. So he left the film. “Money was not the issue.”Despite the uncertainty surrounding the franchise, Priyadarshan expressed hope that the beloved series will survive. “Hera Pheri is one of my favorite movies so whatever happens and who the producers are, long live ‘Hera Pheri’, entertaining the people who love it.”On the professional front, Priyadarshan has projects lined up in several languages. The veteran actress reunited with Akshay Kumar for the comedy ‘Bhooth Bangla’, marking their collaboration after a few years. He is also directing the Malayalam court drama ‘Justice’, which stars Mohanlal.