Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has officially confirmed his return to the much-anticipated Hera Pheri 3, following weeks of speculation and a legal spat involving Akshay Kumar’s production banner.

The confusion began in May when Rawal unexpectedly announced his departure from the project in a post on social media. Shortly afterwards, Akshay Kumar’s production company reportedly filed a Rs 25 crore lawsuit against Rawal, accusing him of derailing the film’s schedule. According to legal documents, the actor had received Rs 11 lakh in advance for the film, which he has now returned along with 15% interest.

Paresh Rawal Returns To Hera Pheri

In a recent appearance on a podcast hosted by Himanshu Mehta, Rawal addressed the controversy head-on. “There’s no controversy,” he said. “When audiences have shown so much love for something, you must treat it with care. It’s our responsibility not to take them for granted, put in the effort and give them a good film," he said.

He further emphasised the importance of unity in such projects: “I just wanted everyone to come together and work hard. That’s it. Everything is resolved now.”

When asked directly whether the original cast would reunite for the third instalment, Rawal responded affirmatively with a smile, adding, “The film was always going to happen. We just needed to fine-tune ourselves a bit. Everyone involved, Priyadarshan, Akshay, and Suniel has been close friends for years.”

Earlier, Rawal had clarified his exit was not due to creative differences. “I have immense love and respect for Priyadarshan,” he stated in a May 18 post on X (formerly Twitter).

Akshay Kumar, who acquired the official rights to produce Hera Pheri 3 from Firoz Nadiadwala, is expected to move forward with the film soon, now that the internal rifts appear to have been mended.