Days after Akshay Kumar sued Paresh Rawal for Rs 25 crore as damages for leaving Hera Pheri 3 shoot midway, his production house Cape Of Good Films has issued a long statement, detailing the legal aspects of this suing. The statement mentioned that Paresh Rawal had accepted Rs 11 lakh signing amount. It cited that Paresh Rawal didn’t express his dissatisfaction at any point of time during the initial shoot of the film.
The legal document also issued a warning, saying, if Paresh Rawal didn’t deposit Rs 25 crore within seven days, civil and criminal actions would be initiated against him.
The statement mentioned that he Paresh Rawal himself announced that he was a part of Hera Pheri 3 via an X post on January 30.
“Mr Rawal had publicly acknowledged his participation in the film on 30th January 2025 via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. He further formalised his commitment by executing a Term Sheet dated 27th March 2025, pursuant to which he accepted a part payment of Rs 11,00,000/- towards his remuneration. Acting in complete reliance on his public endorsement and contractual commitment, Cape of Good Films incurred substantial production and promotional expenditures, including those for the teaser and initial film shoot, in which Mr Rawal actively participated,” it read.
The notice said that the teaser was shot on April 3, and Paresh Rawal shot more than 3-minutes of the footage.
“The teaser shoot commenced on 3rd April 2025, and over 3 minutes of footage was shot with Mr Rawal. He also engaged in creative discussions and planning with fellow cast members, including Mr Akshay Kumar and Mr Suniel Shetty. At no point during this period were any concerns raised by Mr Rawal regarding creative issues,” it said.
Akshay’s company has claimed that Paresh’s sudden exit incurred heavy losses on his production house.
It further read, “It is only after these significant investments and scheduling commitments were made that Mr Rawal abruptly attempted to exit the project, citing vague and belated creative differences. Cape of Good Films firmly believes that this justification is an afterthought, contrived to inflict maximum disruption on a beloved film franchise and undermine the goodwill it commands.
“The sudden and unjustified withdrawal has caused severe financial loss, disrupted schedules, and jeopardised the momentum of a high-value production. In view of this, Cape of Good Films has demanded damages to the tune of Rs 25 crores from Mr Rawal. If the demand is not complied with within seven days, the company will be constrained to pursue appropriate legal remedies, including civil and criminal action.”
On May 18, Paresh Rawal confirmed his exit from the film through an X post. He clarified that he didn’t leave the film due to “creative issues.”
On May 20, a Hindustan Times report claimed that Akshay Kumar has sent a legal notice to Paresh Rawal demanding Rs 25 crore as damages through his production company. Following the sue, Paresh Rawal told Mid-Day that he informed Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Priyadarshan about his decision. However, Suniel Shetty and Priyadarshan said they were “clueless” about Mr Rawal’s exit in different interviews.
Hera Pheri 3 is the sequel to the 2000 comedy classic Hera Pheri. The second instalment was released in 2006.
