Mumbai, Feb 07 : Hera Pheri 3, which reunites Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal as the beloved trio Raju, Shyam, and Baburao, has once again hit a legal roadblock, this time over copyright issues. Fans have eagerly awaited updates on the sequel, which faced earlier delays when Paresh Rawal temporarily exited the project.
The dispute centers around producer GP Vijayakumar, managing director of Seven Arts International, who claims to have acquired the full rights to the Hera Pheri franchise from the original producers of the Malayalam hit Ramji Rao Speaking well before the Hindi sequels were made. Vijayakumar alleges that Firoz Nadiadwala, who produced the first Hindi adaptation and the 2006 sequel, was only authorised to make a single film and did not have permission to create a second installment or use the characters in further sequels.
Addressing why the issue surfaced only now, Vijayakumar explained that the copyright violation went unnoticed during the earlier films. While they initially chose to overlook it, legal concerns arose when Nadiadwala sold the rights to Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Films for Hera Pheri 3, prompting a formal legal notice and subsequent court filing.
Director Priyadarshan stated that he was unaware of the legal proceedings, while Akshay Kumar’s spokesperson clarified that the rights to the film were legitimately acquired from Nadiadwala. Nadiadwala has yet to issue an official statement regarding the case.
The legal battle adds uncertainty to the highly anticipated comedy sequel, leaving fans and industry insiders watching closely as the matter unfolds in court.