'Could’ve Made It Bigger Than Dhurandhar' Priyadarshan Left Hera Pheri 3 Amid Repeated Insults

It’s been 20 years since we last saw the trio of Shyam, Raju and Baburao taking over our screens with Phir Hera Pheri and since then there have been multiple attempts to make part three but all in vain. In recent years, it was announced that Hera Pheri 3 is back on track and Priyadarshan , the director of the first movie, will be helming the threequel. However, post the release of Welcome to the Jungle, producer Firoz Nadiadwala confirmed that while Hera Pheri 3 will be made, it won’t be directed by Priyadarshan. Later, Priyadarshan too confirmed the development and has now opened up about the same in detail. Priyadarshan Left Hera Pheri 3 After Repeated Insults By Firoz Nadiadwala In an interview with Mid-Day, Priyadarshan was asked about the reason behind leaving the movie he was deeply involved in. He said, “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, that he had to edit my five-hour movie.” He continued, “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.” Further opening about the IP trouble for the much-loved franchise, he revealed, “When Hera Pheri 3 was announced, I got a call from Seven Arts Films’ GP Vijayakumar that if we ever do the film, it will be a violation. I didn’t know what to do. This is why I said that Hera Pheri 3 may never see the screens with the same characters. You will never see them again as it has too many legal issues. According to me, Hera Pheri [2000] was born, Hera Pheri 2 [2006] became sick, and Hera Pheri 3 will be dead.” Priyadarshan’s Upcoming Movies Priyadarshan’s last release which was also his reunion with Akshay Kumar after 16 years – Bhooth Bangla turned out to be a major success and the top grosser of his career by a massive margin. The horror comedy made Rs 247.28 crore at the worldwide box office. His next movie is an action thriller titled Haiwaan starring Saif Ali Khan in the lead role and Akshay Kumar playing an antagonist. Post that, he will begin a comedy thriller with Akshay by the end of the year. His lineup of movies also includes his 100th film with Mohanlal and a comedy film with Pankaj Tripathi, Annu Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla.