Akshay Kumar recently confirmed that he had backed out of the third film in the successful ‘Hera Pheri’ franchise.
Last week, Akshay Kumar confirmed that he will not be part of ‘Hera Pheri 3’ over creative differences. Now days after Akshay’s revelation, his co-star from the franchise Suniel Shetty has mentioned that he would try to get him back on the film. Suniel added that he was 'stunned' by the development and would speak to the makers to get Akshay in the film.
Suniel told Mid-Day, "Everything was on track, but I don't know what happened suddenly [that] Akshay is not a part of it anymore. Once I am [done with] Dharavi Bank promotions, I will sit with Firoz [Nadiadwala, producer] and understand why and how this happened. Akshay, Paresh and I had committed to the movie, and this twist has stunned me."
For the unversed, after several reports claimed that Akshay would not be part of the third film in the successful ‘Hera Pheri’ franchise, the actor confirmed the same. While speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Akshay mentioned, "The film was offered to me but I was not satisfied with the script. I have to do what people want to see. That is why I backed out. I took a step behind. It is a part of my life and journey for me. I am also very sad that I can't do it. But I am not happy with how the creative things have shaped out.”
Reacting to the same, Suniel also asserted that ‘Hera Pheri 3’ cannot be the same without Akshay. “Raju, Babu bhaiyya and Shyam are iconic characters whose journeys have been together. There's palpable excitement when you mention the film. I want to see if things can still fall in place," he added.
Hera Pheri, which was released in 2000, featured Akshay, Suniel, Paresh Rawal, and Tabu. Directed by Priyadarshan, it was a success. The sequel ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ was directed by the late Neeraj Vora. Released in 2006, the film earned Rs 69 crore at the box office. The planned third part has been in talks for years now. Meanwhile, there have been several speculations that Kartik Aryan will be replacing Akshay in the third part.