In a major setback for Indian comedy cinema, veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan has officially confirmed his exit from Hera Pheri 3. Breaking his silence on the matter, the National Award-winning director revealed shocking allegations against producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala and the reasons that, according to him, ruined the highly anticipated sequel. Read on!
Priyadarshan confirms his exit from Hera Pheri 3
Hera Pheri 3 is one of the most-anticipated movies of Hindi cinema. But of late, the movie has been surrounded by various controversies which have proved detrimental for the franchise’s future.
Now, ace filmmaker Priyadarshan has officially announced his exit from the comedy flick. Speaking to Mid-Day, a visibly hurt Priyadarshan did not hold back about the backstage drama that led to his departure. The director claimed that had he been given the creative freedom, he would have delivered a cinematic masterpiece, greater than Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar.
“I initially agreed to do the third part with Akshay because I thought I could make one of this country’s biggest franchises. If I had directed it, I could’ve made it bigger than Dhurandhar,” he expressed.
According to Priyadarshan, his decision to walk away came from being publicly insulted by Nadiadwala. The director revealed that despite directing the iconic original Hera Pheri in 2000, the producer never respected his vision.
“He has insulted me so many times,” Priyadarshan told the publication. “He told me that my cut of Hera Pheri looked like a ‘poor man’s version’ and that he had to edit my five-hour movie,” the Bhooth Bangla director expressed.
The filmmaker further claimed that Nadiadwala requested Akshay not to make Hera Pheri 3 with Priyadarshan. However, the only reason he agreed to return to the director’s chair for the third installment was on the insistence of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal.
“Akshay, Suniel and Paresh requested me to make Hera Pheri 3. When I narrated the story to them, they were all excited,” he said. But now he thinks the film has become so complicated that the audience may never see the same characters on screen.
“According to me, Hera Pheri was born, Hera Pheri 2 became sick, and Hera Pheri 3 will be dead,” he concluded.
