A late filmmaker Priyadarshan recently revealed the bitter disappointment he has with the actor Akshay Kumar to make Hera Pheri 3. As he said in a candid statement, producer Firoz Nadiadwala told Akshay Kumar: “You have the rights to make Hera Pheri 3, but never make it with Priyadarshan. That’s my only request.”

The filmmaker expressed disappointment over repeated insults from Nadiadwala and recalled that his cut of the original Hera Pheri (2000) was dismissed as a “poor man’s version.” He told us that his first edit took five hours and Nadiadwala cut it off and Priyadarshan was feeling defeated.

Despite the tension, Priyadarshan said he agreed to direct the third installment because he felt he could make sure that this franchise became one of the biggest in India. Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal personally approached him to lead the project and he told us how when they told the story, they were happy and optimistic about it.

Priyadarshan compared his vision for Hera Pheri 3 to the scale of Dhurandhar and said he could have made the comedy franchise bigger and bigger. The creative differences and personal clashes that have characterized the film’s development have been the only thing that keep fans in doubt about how it will move forward.

The news has heated up the debate of Bollywood fans with some disappointed that the celebrated director might not be a part of the sequel. Priyadarshan’s association with the original film is so great and hence his absence raises the question: do you think Hera Pheri 3 has the potential to recapture the magic of that first film?

Finally, Priyadarshan’s candid admission of his feud with Akshay Kumar and Firoz Nadiadwala has added another dramatic twist to the saga of Hera Pheri 3. And while the film is still one of the most eagerly awaited comedies in Bollywood the movie’s behind-the-scenes dynamics are the biggest challenges of re-creating a popular franchise.