Priyadarshan Reveals Why He Walked Away From ‘Hera Pheri 3’
Filmmaker Priyadarshan has confirmed he will not direct 'Hera Pheri 3', explaining that he refrains from making sequels to his own films to avoid diminishing their legacy. He noted that escalating audience expectations make reproducing the original's success nearly impossible, arguing that the classic comedy franchise has already reached its natural limit.
Acclaimed filmmaker Priyadarshan has addressed his decision to walk away from directing Hera Pheri 3, the third instalment in the iconic comedy franchise. Despite initial expectations that he would helm the project, the veteran director revealed that he avoids returning for sequels to his own work, opting instead to leave original classics untouched. Akshay Kumar To Play Jim Corbett-Inspired Character in Priyadarshan’s Next?.
Priyadarshan on Not Directing ‘Hera Pheri 3’
Explaining his decision to step back, Priyadarshan stated that he refrains from helming follow-ups to his original successes. He believes the comedic potential of the story reached its natural limit in the initial entry and warned against overextending iconic franchises."I am not making the sequel of my own films. Other people are making the sequels of my films. I never made it," Priyadarshan said in an interview with Zoom.
"I always believe that Hera Pheri was born, the second was fallen sick, and the third may die. I feel it is done. The limit has been done in the first part. Now, you are trying to exploit the franchise."
Actor Boman Irani expressed agreement with Priyadarshan's stance, noting the difficulty of reproducing the precise conditions that make a classic work. "When it succeeded, there was a magic happening in a space of time. I feel magic can't be created as far as the cinema is concerned," Irani added. "I agree with Priyam sir... Let's live with the legacy and be grateful for it."
Escalating Audience Expectations and Franchise Pressures
Priyadarshan highlighted that high audience expectations present a major obstacle when revisiting beloved properties. Over a career spanning four decades and nearly 100 films, he noted that meeting heightened fan anticipation becomes increasingly difficult with successive entries."The magic I don't think can work again. Everybody has huge expectations," Priyadarshan explained.
"The biggest problem I faced in her 40-year-long career was that the expectations are increasing, and whatever you do, they will not be happy or satisfied. So, why do you want to try it? Just leave it as an original. It is a cult film. Let it be like that." Who Owns ‘Hera Pheri 3’? Akshay Kumar’s Production House Issues Public Notice Amid Row.
The original 2000 film Hera Pheri, starring Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal, remains a landmark achievement in Hindi comedy. While a second instalment, Phir Hera Pheri, was directed by Neeraj Vora in 2006, Priyadarshan maintains that preserving the original's standing takes precedence over further expanding the series.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2026 11:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
