What was supposed to be a laugh riot with Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, and Suniel Shetty is quickly turning into a murky plot. Amid the ongoing legal battle between Kumar and Rawal, owing to the latter’s sudden exit from Hera Pheri 3, news has emerged that Firoz Nadiadwala — who produced the franchise’s first two instalments, Hera Pheri (2000) and Phir Hera Pheri (2006) — has sent a notice to the actors and director Priyadarshan, claiming that he holds the intellectual property rights (IPR) to the franchise and its characters. This comes as the latest twist, as it was widely reported that Kumar had bought the franchise’s rights from Nadiadwala and was producing Hera Pheri 3.  
   
This development came to light over the weekend, when Rawal’s legal team responded to the controversy surrounding his exit, stating that the veteran actor returned the signing amount of R11 lakh, along with interest, and left the project as the makers “did not deliver the story, screenplay, and a draft of a long-form agreement”. In the statement, Rawal’s lawyer Ameet Naik also claimed that Nadiadwala had sent a notice to Rawal and raised issues about the film’s making. Soon after, it was heard that Nadiadwala’s legal notice prohibited all of them from doing any promos, endorsements, or any activities related to the Hera Pheri franchise.

Firoz Nadiadwala and Priyadarshan