&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "What's the Hera Pheri 3 controversy? Producer Vijay Kumar alleges Firoz Nadiadwala is stalling the legal case")
Hera Pheri is among the most-beloved comedy franchises of Hindi cinema. Featuring the iconic trio Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, and Suniel Shetty, the third installment has already been confirmed. However, fans might have to wait a little longer as Hera Pheri 3 is still in court amid the dispute over the franchise’s copyright ownership.
The legal battle arises from a petition filed in the Madras High Court by a South-based production, Seven Arts International, which is led by producer Vijay Kumar. According to the company, it holds the original intellectual property rights of the franchise, which is claimed by producer Firoz Nadiadwala.
Vijay Kumar on the legal dispute
While speaking to Pinkvilla, Kumar opened up about the controversy and confirmed that his company has "complete and clear" ownership of the franchise. "This man [Firoz Nadiadwala] did the second instalment without permission," he said. "After the second film, he also announced a third one. That’s when we became aware of the situation and wrote to him, but he kept avoiding us."
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The producer further stated that the court believes the rights lie with his side. "Eventually, we had to approach the court, and the court has made it very clear that the rights are with us… We had only given a one-time remake right for the Hindi version. He made that, but then proceeded with a second film without our knowledge," Kumar said. "For whatever reason, we didn’t pursue that matter at the time. However, when he attempted a third film, we issued a notice stating clearly that he has no rights, and even the second film was a violation."
He also added that the opposing party "continues to delay proceedings. I am not sure what he is trying to achieve, but the court has been very clear that the rights are with us."
Also Read: Akshay Kumar’s Hera Pheri 3 in legal battle, producer Firoz Nadiadwala sued over franchise rights
What's the matter?
The first film, Hera Pheri (2000), directed by Priyadarshan, is the remake of the 1989 Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking, which itself was said to be inspired by the 1971 American TV film See The Man Run.
According to Seven Arts International, it has full rights to the original content, including adaptations and sequels, and the company claims that Nadiadwala’s rights were limited to a single Hindi remake.
Kumar's production house has alleged that Nadiadwala attempted to sell the rights of Hera Pheri 3.
The franchise gave the audience three beloved characters: Baburao, Raju, and Shyam, and the film went on to cult classic.
