Hera Pheri 3 In Legal Trouble? Madras HC Questions Producer Firoz Nadiadwala Over Franchise Copyright Claim

Hera Pheri 3, one of Bollywood’s most anticipated sequels, has hit a fresh legal hurdle that could complicate its production timeline. A South Indian production house has approached the Madras High Court, arguing that Firoz Nadiadwala does not own the copyrights to the Hera Pheri franchise and therefore cannot produce the third instalment. The legal move has raised questions about the film’s future and who truly controls the rights to the beloved comedy series.

Hera Pheri 3 Faces Legal Issues Over Copyright Claims

Seven Arts International Limited, the Chennai-based company behind the petition, claims it holds the copyrights to the franchise, having purchased the rights from the original Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking (1989) and its Hindi remake Hera Pheri (2000). GP Vijayakumar, managing director of Seven Arts, told Hindustan Times that he was informed Firoz Nadiadwala was authorised only to make the first Hindi version. “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 was released in 2006. He is not authorised to make a sequel or prequel, or use the characters.”

Vijayakumar explained why legal action was not taken earlier, saying the original producers did not immediately realise what had happened when the second film was made. By the time they understood the alleged violation, plans to produce the next Hindi version were already in motion. The situation took a more serious turn when Seven Arts approached Akshay Kumar’s production house to produce the third instalment, only to discover that the rights had been sold by Nadiadwala without Seven Arts’ approval.

Hera Pheri 3 Under Scrutiny Again Over Copyright Claims

Seven Arts International Limited explained, “The original producers and I realised much later that Nadiadwala had committed a violation and cheating. At the time, we thought jo ho gaya, ho gaya. We will produce the next version in Hindi, we had approached actor Akshay Kumar for the same, and that’s when we got to know that Nadiadwala has sold the rights to Akshay’s production house Cape of Good Films. We sent Nadiadwala a legal notice on how he could sell something he did not own. I had no option but to move the Court.”

The producers sent a legal notice to Nadiadwala, questioning how he could sell rights he did not legitimately own, and ultimately moved to court after receiving no satisfactory response.

A spokesperson from Akshay Kumar’s production house has clarified that they purchased the rights from Nadiadwala, believing he was the legitimate owner. Attempts to contact Firoz Nadiadwala reportedly received no response. Interestingly, Priyadarshan, who is expected to direct Hera Pheri 3, reacted with a brief, “No idea” when asked about the issue.

Heri Pheri 3: Earlier Legal Issues

The journey of Hera Pheri 3 has been anything but smooth, with the film facing several hurdles long before the current copyright dispute arose. At one stage, Paresh Rawal, beloved for playing Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, reportedly stepped away from the project, leading Akshay Kumar’s production house to send him legal notices for an alleged breach of contract after already investing time and money in planning and early footage.

The franchise has also faced recurring copyright concerns, including disputes over the ownership and unauthorised use of its iconic characters, particularly Baburao, across platforms. Add to this years of script rewrites, cast reshuffles and prolonged negotiations, and the sequel has experienced multiple delays, making its road to the big screen far more complicated than expected.

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Also Read: Hera Pheri 3 DELAYED Due To Technical Issues Between Akshay Kumar And Producers? Paresh Rawal Breaks Silence

Varsha Tiwari

Varsha Tiwari is a budding content writer passionate about Bollywood, pop culture, and the stories behind the spotlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. Always curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t always need words to make an impact.