Hera Pheri 3 director Priyadarshan denies claims that Firoz Nadiadwala continues to own the franchise; asserts he signed the third part only after Akshay Kumar acquired the intellectual property rights
Akshay Kumar. Pics/Instagram
What was supposed to be a laugh riot with Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, and Suniel Shetty is quickly turning into a murky plot. Amid the ongoing legal battle between Kumar and Rawal, owing to the latter’s sudden exit from Hera Pheri 3, news has emerged that Firoz Nadiadwala — who produced the franchise’s first two instalments, Hera Pheri (2000) and Phir Hera Pheri (2006) — has sent a notice to the actors and director Priyadarshan, claiming that he holds the intellectual property rights (IPR) to the franchise and its characters. This comes as the latest twist, as it was widely reported that Kumar had bought the franchise’s rights from Nadiadwala and was producing Hera Pheri 3.
This development came to light over the weekend, when Rawal’s legal team responded to the controversy surrounding his exit, stating that the veteran actor returned the signing amount of R11 lakh, along with interest, and left the project as the makers “did not deliver the story, screenplay, and a draft of a long-form agreement”. In the statement, Rawal’s lawyer Ameet Naik also claimed that Nadiadwala had sent a notice to Rawal and raised issues about the film’s making. Soon after, it was heard that Nadiadwala’s legal notice prohibited all of them from doing any promos, endorsements, or any activities related to the Hera Pheri franchise.
Firoz Nadiadwala and Priyadarshan
When mid-day reached out to Priyadarshan amid the recent turn of events, the filmmaker, who is currently in Hyderabad overseeing the post-production of Bhooth Bangla, was disturbed by the allegations made by Rawal’s legal team. He asserted that there is no truth to the rumours about Nadiadwala holding the IPR of the comedy franchise. “Akshay bought the entire rights of the Hera Pheri franchise for R10 crore from Firoz Nadiadwala, who had produced the first two [parts]. This is not just for Hera Pheri 3, but the entire franchise. I know this as I have seen the paperwork for it,” he stated.
The filmmaker further added that Kumar, who has worked with him on seven movies so far, showed him the agreement before they teamed up for Hera Pheri 3. “In fact, only after he showed me the agreement, including the intellectual property rights that Akshay bought from Firoz Nadiadwala, I agreed to come on board,” added Priyadarshan.
Rs 10CR
The amount, Priyadarshan claims, at which Akshay Kumar bought the franchise’s rights
‘It will be handled by the court’
At the trailer launch of Housefull 5 on May 27, Akshay Kumar was asked about Paresh Rawal’s exit from Hera Pheri 3. With some deeming it a “foolish” move on Rawal’s part to walk out of the film, the superstar graciously took a stand for his former co-star, as he said, “Using a word like ‘foolish’ for my co-star, I’d not appreciate that. That’s not right. We have worked [together] for the last 32 years.” He further added, “Whatever has happened is a serious matter, and it will be handled by the court. I don’t think I’ll speak about this.”
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