Veteran actor Paresh Rawal's legal representatives, Anand & Naik, have officially responded to the controversy surrounding his exit from Hera Pheri 3. This marks the first formal statement from the actor's legal team regarding the issue.
The development follows Paresh Rawal's post on X (formerly Twitter), where he announced on Sunday morning: "My lawyer, Ameet Naik, has sent an appropriate response regarding my rightful termination and exit. Once they read my response all issues will be laid to rest."
Later in the day, Rawal's lawyers issued a detailed statement addressing the circumstances of his departure from the third instalment of the Hera Pheri franchise.
They told IANS, "Admittedly, they did not deliver the story, screenplay and also a draft of a long form agreement which was fundamental to the engagement of our client. In the absence of these and also since Mr. Nadiadwala, the producer of the original films, issued notice to our client and raised issues on the making of the film, our client chose to exit and returned the money with interest by terminating the Term sheet."
The legal team specifically referred to Firoz Nadiadwala, cousin of producer Sajid Nadiadwala, and clarified that Rawal's decision to leave the film was to protect his interests while maintaining cordial relations with Firoz Nadiadwala.
The situation gained momentum after reports emerged claiming Paresh Rawal had exited Hera Pheri 3, upsetting fans of the long-running franchise. Following this, Akshay Kumar reportedly filed a lawsuit against Rawal.
Kumar, who not only stars in the film but is also producing it after acquiring rights from Firoz Nadiadwala, alleged that the exit caused financial and logistical setbacks.
Paresh Rawal, however, denied leaving the film due to creative disagreements with director Priyadarshan, with whom he has collaborated for years. He said, "I hold huge respect for the filmmaker in my heart," adding that the decision was not sudden. He explained that the character of Babu Bhaiyya no longer appealed to his artistic sensibilities.
The lawyers' statement further clarified Rawal's stance and addressed his contractual obligations. It confirmed that the actor returned the signing amount of Rs 11 lakh, along with interest, to Akshay Kumar's production house.
Addressing the allegations of financial losses, the lawyers said:
"First they accepted the monies but later unfortunately sent an untenable notice to our client when knowingly nothing was and is ready including no story and cloud over the title: so there can never be any loss. I hope they would accept this reality and move on from our client (sic)."
With legal teams involved on both sides, the future of Hera Pheri 3 remains uncertain.