Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal announced his unexpected exit from Hera Pheri 3 in 2025. His exit triggered a legal battle between him and Akshay Kumar, who is backing the movie as a producer. Kumar served him a Rs 25 crore legal notice, alleging breach of contract.

Now, Paresh Rawal has revealed that his brief exit from Hera Pheri 3 was due to contractual issues, not Akshay Kumar. He said he couldn't commit to the film without producer Firoz Nadiadwala's approval.

In a recent interaction with Vickey Lalwani, Paresh Rawal, "No, it wasn’t about, ‘I’m uncomfortable working with Akshay Kumar.’ It was a contractual obligation. If I were to do the film, I needed the approval of Firoz (Nadiadwala, producer) because he is the sole owner of the Hera Pheri franchise. And also of other films like Awara Paagal Deewana, Welcome, and all of that. Until I had his approval, I simply couldn’t commit."

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"When the legal notice came, I thought, ‘Why am I getting dragged into legal issues? Am I here to enjoy making a film or to get caught up in this?’ I told myself I didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. I genuinely believe the legal notice was an emotional reaction. It was probably a case of, ‘How could he say no to me?’ He must have been emotionally disturbed," he added.

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Further, clearing the air about Hera Pheri 3, Paresh Rawal said, "Whenever Hera Pheri actually happens, I’ll do it. I’m married to that film. Whenever they make it, I’ll be there."

Meanwhile, Hera Pheri 3 faced another setback as director Priyadarshan confirmed his exit from the project, a development first announced by producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala.