Suniel Shetty has made a name for himself in the Hindi film industry as a legendary actor who carved his own path in action dramas and proved his worth as an actor. However, it was his role in the cult classic film Hera Pheri, alongside Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal, that cemented his place in Bollywood. Now, after much speculation and controversy, the third installment of the franchise is finally rolling, and Shetty has shared his thoughts on the upcoming film.
There were reports that Akshay Kumar would not be reprising his role as Raju in Hera Pheri 3, and that Kartik Aaryan would replace him. However, Shetty always remained hopeful that if the third installment rolled out, it would feature the original trio.
In a recent interview with ETimes, Shetty expressed his excitement about getting back to the OG star cast of Hera Pheri. He said, “When we all got together for the shoot, it didn’t feel like so many years have gone by. It’s an amazing feeling to have Akki (Akshay Kumar) back in the franchise. For me, Hera Pheri will always be about Babu bhaiya (Paresh Rawal), Raju (Akshay) and Shyam (Suniel) – in that order, and it works best in that order. There have been a lot of speculations, but we are all aware of what the script is. The new Hera Pheri is going to be emotional and funny, which was also the beauty of the first film.”
Shetty also addressed the controversy surrounding Kartik Aaryan’s supposed role in the film, saying, “Kartik Aaryan was never taking over Akshay’s role in the film. Kartik is the new kid on the block who is extraordinary, but he cannot replace Akshay Kumar. Raju will always remain Raju, and the audience won’t accept a replacement for him.”
Shetty confirmed that Sanjay Dutt will also be a part of the franchise, adding that everyone is excited to have him on board. He said, “His comic timing and body language will add ek aur chaand to this project. He will take this to another level.”
While Farhad Samji is set to direct Hera Pheri 3, Shetty emphasized that the actors are just as involved in the project as the director. He said, “None of us are going to make a fool of ourselves with this film. After all, we don’t want the legendary Hera Pheri to be impacted by any mistakes we make in the future. Even if it’s not as good but is remotely close to the original, and we can make a sensible film, we are happy.”
