Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Tuesday said the controversy over his co-star Paresh Rawal’s ouster from ‘Hera Pheri 3’ is a ‘serious matter’ which is ‘being dealt with by the court.’
About two weeks ago, Rawal’s sudden exit from the project sent shockwaves through the film industry and fans of the franchise, who had been waiting for the third part for nearly 20 years.
Kumar, who is also the producer of “Hera Pheri 3”, has sued Rawal for damages worth Rs 25 crore.
At the trailer launch of the superstar’s upcoming film “Housefull 5”, he was asked how disappointed fans are with Rawal’s exit from “Hera Pheri 3” and him calling the acclaimed actor a “fool”, to which Kumar said it is “not right” to call his “good friend” Rawal a “fool”.
He said, “It’s a stupid word to use such a word for my co-star or something like that. I wouldn’t appreciate it, and it’s not right. I have worked with him for the last 30-35 years, we are very good friends. He is a great actor and I really admire him.”
Kumar told reporters, “Whatever happens (referring to the controversy), I don’t think I will talk about it here because whatever has to happen, it is a very serious matter. It is a matter which will be dealt with by the court and things like that. So, I don’t think I will talk about it here.”
Last week, Rawal broke his silence on the controversy and said that his lawyer has responded to the legal suit.
“Hera Pheri”, directed by Priyadarshan, was released in 2000 and also starred Sunil Shetty and Kumar. It revolves around a quirky, kind-hearted garage owner Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Rawal), a cunning vagabond Raju (Kumar) and a struggling poor Shyam (Shetty).
The trio returned in 2006 with the sequel Hera Pheri, directed by Neeraj Vora. The third part of the film will be directed by Priyadarshan. On 18 May, Rawal officially announced that he was no longer a part of “Hera Pheri”.
Rawal had said, “I want to put on record that my decision to walk away from ‘Hera Pheri 3’ was not due to creative differences. I reiterate that there is no creative disagreement with the filmmaker. I have immense love, respect and trust for Mr. Priyadarshan.”