Hera Pheri 3 'Will Never Hit The Screen', Says Priyadarshan After Exit From Akshay-Suniel-Paresh Film

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a heartbreaking update about probably the most eagerly awaited Bollywood, Hera Pheri 3, Priyadarshan has said that the Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal starrer threequel 'will never hit the screen'. Priyadarshan's remark came after Producer Feroze Nadiadwala revealed that the veteran director is no longer associated with the project. Now, in a recent interview, Priyadarshan confirmed that he is indeed not a part of Hera Pheri 3 anymore. While he did not share the reason behind his exit, he pointed to the many legal issues the film is facing.

Priyadarshan's BIG Hera Pheri 3 Update

Excitement levels were at peak when Priyadarshan came on board to direct Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal in Hera Pheri 3. However, ever since the announcement, the project has not been able to take off due to some obstacle or another. And now, it seems to have hit another major roadblock.

While speaking to HT City, Priyadarshan confirmed that he is 'not associated with Hera Pheri 3 at the present'. Furthermore, he stressed that the film could never get made at all. "To the best of my knowledge, Hera Pheri 3 will never hit the screen due to lots of legal issues and personal conflicts. Whether I am involved or not is unimportant," Priyadarshan said.Fans who have been waiting for the third instalment will be disheartened by the latest development. They were hoping to see Akshay, Suniel, and Paresh back together as the iconic trio of Raju, Shyam and Babu Rao, more so after the three stars recently shared the screen in Welcome To The Jungle.

All About Hera Pheri 3 Legal Dispute

The legal troubles surrounding Hera Pheri 3 are complicated. One of the biggest controversies revolves around the ownership of the franchise, with South-based production house Seven Arts International claiming that it owns the rights to the franchise and its characters, a claim disputed by producer Feroze Nadiadwala.The dispute traces back to the Malayalam cult films Ramji Rao Speaking and Mannar Mathai Speaking, which inspired the Hera Pheri Hindi franchise. Seven Arts International alleged that Nadiadwala was infringing their copyright and derivative rights in relation to the sequel.The matter reached the Madras High Court, which in April 2026 dismissed Nadiadwala's application to reject the plaint, ruling that issues around copyright assignment, remake rights, and enforceability required a full trial.Adding another layer of complexity, a spokesperson for Akshay Kumar's production house had earlier stated that they acquired the rights from Nadiadwala under the understanding that he owned them, something the ongoing court case now puts in serious doubt.