Original ‘Baburao’ back in Hera Pheri 3, actor Paresh Rawal confirms

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has confirmed his return to the third installment of Hera Pheri in a recent podcast. He shared that he has returned the money he owed to the production crew with interest and has also now fine-tuned his relationship with them.

“As the audience wants to see us and loves us on screen, it is our responsibility to deliver,” he said, adding, “You can’t take the audience for granted.”

In the podcast with Himanshu Mehta, Paresh Rawal stated that there is no controversy anymore and that the issues have now been resolved.

The controversy began when a media report claimed that Paresh Rawal had walked out of Hera Pheri 3, shattering the hearts of loyal fans of the franchise. This was followed by a lawsuit from Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar against the senior actor. Akshay Kumar, who plays one of the three leads in the film, also serves as the producer after acquiring the rights from Firoz Nadiadwala.

Paresh clarified that he did not walk out of the film due to creative differences with his long-time collaborator Priyadarshan, whom he deeply respects. He explained that his decision was not impulsive but well thought out, as the role of Babu Bhaiyya, the fulcrum of the franchise, had stopped appealing to his creative sensibilities as an artist.

A statement from his lawyer on Sunday further clarified the situation regarding his much-discussed exit from the project. It highlighted his client’s obligations to the film and confirmed that the actor had returned the principal signing amount along with interest to the producer. Paresh Rawal repaid ₹11 lakh (the signing amount) along with interest to Akshay Kumar’s production house.