Akshay Kumar has filed a Rs.25 crore lawsuit against Paresh Rawal for walking out of Hera Pheri 3 despite signing a formal agreement, accusing him of unprofessional conduct and causing major losses to the production.
In a surprising turn of events, actor Akshay Kumar, through his production company Cape of Good Films, has issued a legal notice to actor Paresh Rawal, claiming Rs.25 crores in damages for unprofessional conduct and abandoning the film Hera Pheri 3 after signing a legal contract and beginning production.
Paresh recently confirmed to the media that he is stepping away from the beloved comedy franchise.
Although the reason for his exit was initially unclear, sources indicate that “he simply did not feel like continuing with the project”, disappointing countless fans of Hera Pheri.
Notably, the film’s lead actors Akshay, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh had started shooting under veteran director Priyadarshan in April of this year. Akshay, who also serves as the producer, legally acquired the film’s rights from producer Feroz Nadiadwala.
After speculation arose regarding his sudden departure, Rawal clarified that creative differences or financial issues were not behind his decision. Reports suggest that he was being offered more than three times his usual fee for this role.
A source close to the legal proceedings stated,
“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, accepting the signing amount and making the producer spend so much money on the shoot,”
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The source added,
“It is high time Bollywood actors realize that, like in 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,”
This marks the first instance in Akshay Kumar’s 35-year career that he has chosen to sue a fellow actor for unprofessional conduct.
On his part, Paresh is known for making spontaneous decisions about film roles.
He previously declined to participate in Oh My God 2 in 2023, citing dissatisfaction with the script. In 2009, he is also reported to have walked away from Shah Rukh Khan’s Billu Barber after initially committing, a film directed by Priyadarshan as well.
For fans of the Hera Pheri franchise, which enjoys immense popularity on social media, Rawal’s actions are not being taken lightly.
The source remarked,
“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,”