Priyadarshan says ‘bad forces’ pressurised Paresh Rawal to exit Hera Pheri 3: ‘Akshay Kumar-Paresh never had problems’

EVer since here Pheri 3 was proclaimed, fans feature been thirstily ready and waiting(p) to see the iconic trio of Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar, and Suniel Shetty reunite on screen. However, the film’s journey has been far from smooth. Earlier this year, Paresh Rawal shocked everyone by announcing his exit from the project, leaving fans deeply disappointed. Fortunately, the issues were later resolved, and he is now officially back with the team.Priyadarshan on rift between Paresh Rawal and Akshay KumarIn a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, director Priyadarshan dismissed all speculation about a fallout between Akshay and Paresh. Instead, he attributed the turmoil to external pressures, hinting at some “bad forces” at play. “Paresh and I never had an issue. To the best of my knowledge, even Akshay and Paresh never had any problems. There were other forces, bad forces, who were pressurising Paresh. He is someone who worries about his health, but that has never affected our relationship,” Priyadarshan clarified.The filmmaker further recalled how Akshay reacted to the matter, saying, “Akshay told me, ‘Prince sir, if it happens, let it happen. Otherwise, let’s forget it.’ There were other bad forces creating unnecessary issues, but it’s not worth discussing them. Filmmaking is like this—you have friends, enemies, fans, critics. I still don’t know how I’ve survived 40 years in the industry.”The Hera Pheri 3 feudIn May this year, Paresh Rawal’s decision to walk out of Hera Pheri 3 created a storm among fans, many of whom declared they wouldn’t watch the film without him. While rumours suggested creative differences with Priyadarshan, Paresh maintained that he stepped away because he didn’t find the role appealing anymore. Reports even claimed that Akshay Kumar was considering legal action against him over the sudden exit.However, by June, Paresh confirmed his return during a chat with Himanshu Mehta on his podcast. He light-heartedly explained, “Earlier too, the film was scheduled to go ahead, but we had to fine-tune ourselves. After all, all of them—Priyadarshan, Akshay, Suniel—are highly creative and friends for many years.”Following the massive success of the first two instalments, the third film in the franchise is expected to go on floors next year. Priyadarshan has also revealed that he hopes to retire from filmmaking after completing Hera Pheri 3 and Akshay Kumar’s Haiwaan, which is currently in production.