Akshay Kumar's firm issues legal notice to Paresh Rawal for Rs 25 cr in damages for walking out of Hera Pheri 3

Hera Pheri 3

Bollywood's famous trio—Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal—were all set to reunite on screen for the third part of the hit franchise Hera Pheri.

But a few days ago, everyone was left shocked when veteran actor Paresh Rawal, who played the role of Babu Bhai in Hera Pheri, announced that he had quit the movie.

The actor himself confirmed the news via a tweet on his X account.

I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences. I REITERATE THAT THERE ARE NO CREATIVE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE FILM MAKER . I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr. Priyadarshan the film director.
Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 18, 2025

Now, according to a report in the Hindustan Times, Akshay Kumar's production house, Cape of Good Films, has sent a legal notice to Paresh Rawal, claiming 25 crores in damages for grossly unprofessional conduct and also abandoning the film Hera Pheri 3 after signing a legal contract and beginning production.

Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh had also begun shooting for the movie under the direction of Priyadarshan in April this year.

Recently, Akshay Kumar legally bought the rights to Hera Pheri 3 from producer Feroz Nadiadwala.

Paresh Rawal, in his tweet, had also clarified that he was not quitting due to any differences or money issues between him and the makers. According to reports, Paresh was being paid more than thrice his usual fee.

A source close to the matter told HT and we quote, "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."

“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,” the source further added.

It is to be noted that this is the first time that Akshay Kumar has chosen to take legal action against any actor.

Talking about Paresh Rawal, in the past too he has said no to many big films like Oh My God 2 in 2023—during that he claimed he did not like the script.

In 2009, he had walked out of Shah Rukh Khan’s Billu Barber after committing to it. That film was also being directed by Priyadarshan.

The source further said, “Paresh himself announced doing the film on his X handle in January; he participated in all pre-production planning and 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,” adds the source.

Hera Pheri is one of the most awaited comedy franchises, and it has many die-hard fans.