'Maatha kharaab...': Paresh Rawal clarifies his 'Akshay Kumar is not a friend' remark, says 'neither he nor I are...'

Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar have worked together in multiple films such as Mohra, Hera Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Bhaagam Bhaag, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Garam Masala, Aitraaz, and Sarfira among others. In a recent interview, Rawal stated that he considers Akshay as his colleague, not a friend; and his statement led to speculations that there might be an issue between both the actors.

Now, the 69-year-old actor has clarified his statement. Talking to Bollywood Hungama, Paresh said, "Maatha kharab ho gaya, yaar! I simply said that he’s a colleague. When you say ‘friend’, it means those whom you meet 5-6 times a month and whom you talk to several times a week. Moreover, neither Akshay nor I are social. So, there’s no question of us bumping into any party. Hence, I called him a colleague. And this resulted in (speculations). People are asking 'Kya ho gaya (aap dono ke beech)?' Arre bhai, kuch nahin hua." 

When he was further asked if Akshay had seen that interview, he replied, "No, he’s a cool guy. Akshay and I have worked in at least 15-20 movies together. He’s a great guy to be friends with. I’ll be more than careful now. I’ll now spell out everything, in black and white. People just take things out of context. It’s very tiring to clarify."

Last month in an interview with The Lallantop, when Paresh Rawal was asked, "Is Akshay Kumar a friend", the Sanju actor had said, "Film industry mein colleague hote hain, theatre mein dost hote hain, aur school mein jigar jaan dost hote hain. But film ke andar colleague hote hain. Mere dost jinko main with respect bol saku toh Om Puri sahab the, Naseer bhai hain, Johnny Lever hain. Ye hain jinko main dost bol saku. Ek hota hai na ki with permission."

Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar will be seen together next in the horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film also features Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani and Wamiqa Gabbi, and is slated to release in theatres on April 2, 2026. They also have Welcome To The Jungle and Hera Pheri 3 lined up.

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