'Publicity stunt...': Akshay Kumar reacts to Paresh Rawal's return to Hera Pheri 3

Hera Pheri 3 has been making headlines for all sorts of reasons — from Paresh Rawal’s rumoured exit to legal clashes with Akshay Kumar, who now owns the rights to the franchise. What really stirred the pot was the claim that Akshay had filed a legal notice against Rawal after he allegedly backed out of the project. However, fans can breathe easy — Babu Bhaiya is back, and so is the original trio.

Amid online chatter that the entire drama was a marketing trick, Akshay Kumar has put the rumours to rest. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the actor said, "Nahi, yeh publicity stunt nahi hai. The things went legal, so when legal things are involved, we cannot call it a publicity stunt; it is a real thing."

He also assured fans that things are now back on track, “Ab sab kuch thik ho gaya hai. Very soon, some kind of announcement can come… Yes, there were some ups and downs. But now everything is solved, and we are back together.”

Fans of the comedy cult classic can rejoice, especially since the long-awaited Hera Pheri 3 is finally inching closer to reality. While earlier reports suggested a promotional video featuring Akshay, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal was supposed to drop during the IPL season, it never happened,  adding to the confusion.

The third installment will reportedly be directed by Priyadarshan, who helmed the original. However, the female lead is yet to be revealed. In the meantime, Akshay and Priyadarshan are also collaborating on two other films, Bhooth Bangla, a horror-comedy, and Haiwaan, which stars Saif Ali Khan alongside Akshay. So it remains to be seen whether Hera Pheri 3 will go on floors after those projects.