Akshay Kumar’s ‘Hera Pheri 3’ faces legal trouble, producer claims Nadiadwala lacks franchise rights

Fans eager to watch the return of Raju, Shyam, and Baburao might have to wait longer, as ‘Hera Pheri 3’ has hit legal trouble. A South Indian producer has taken the matter to the Madras High Court, claiming that Firoz Nadiadwala doesn’t own the rights to the franchise and questioning if the sequel can actually be made.

‘Hera Pheri 3’ faces legal trouble

A report by Bar and Bench reveals that Seven Arts International Limited has taken legal action in the Madras High Court, claiming that Firoz Nadiadwala had permission only for one Hindi adaptation of the Malayalam hit ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’ (1989). That adaptation became ‘Hera Pheri’ in 2000, directed by Priyadarshan. The company further alleges that Nadiadwala went beyond the agreed rights by producing ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ in 2006 and later transferring the rights for a third part. The matter has now escalated into a major legal battle, with the court reportedly examining whether ‘Hera Pheri 3’ can legally move forward given the present situation.

‘Hera Pheri 3’ controversy explained by Seven Arts

While speaking to HT City, GP Vijayakumar, the Managing Director of Seven Arts International, shared his side of the story on how the controversy came to light. He stated, “I bought the entire rights for the Hera Pheri franchise from the original producers of Ramji Rao Speaking, Adithya Films in 2022. They informed me that Firoz Nadiadwala had been given the right to make one Hindi version of the film. But he made a second version which released in 2006. He is not authorised to make a sequel or prequel, or use the characters."

‘Hera Pheri 3’ dispute came to light later

When questioned about why the matter wasn’t addressed earlier, Vijayakumar said that the issue surfaced only much later. He said that while the first film was directed by Priyadarshan who they are close to, the second film was directed by Neeraj Vora, and the copyright holders at the time didn’t realise what happened. The original producers and Vijayakumar realised much later that Nadiadwala has done a violation and cheating. At the time, they thought, let it go. They decided to produce the next version in Hindi. They approached actor Akshay Kumar for the same and that’s when they got to know that Nadiadwala has sold the rights to Akshay’s production house Cape of Good Films. They sent Nadiadwala a legal notice on how he could sell something he did not own.

‘Hera Pheri 3’ reaction from Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan

According to reports, Akshay Kumar’s production company, Cape of Good Films, mentioned that they acquired the franchise rights from Firoz Nadiadwala, assuming he was the genuine owner. On the other hand, director Priyadarshan, who is reportedly set to helm Hera Pheri 3, kept his response short when approached, saying, “No idea.”

Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on a legal hearing as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case is ongoing, and a final verdict has not been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”