Hera Pheri 3: Paresh Rawal Reveals Kartik Aaryan’s Exit and Addresses Akshay Kumar Replacement Rumors

Bollywood veteran Paresh Rawal, known for his iconic role as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, recently spoke about Kartik Aaryan’s exit from Hera Pheri 3. In a conversation with Siddharth Kanan, Paresh addressed whether Kartik was removed from the project and also shared his dissatisfaction with how Phir Hera Pheri turned out.

Paresh Rawal confirmed that Kartik Aaryan was initially signed for Hera Pheri 3. When asked if Kartik was going to play Akshay Kumar’s role, Raju. He further revealed that Kartik is no longer part of the project as the script has now changed entirely.

At that time, the story was different. Isko Raju samajh ke pakad ke leke aaye thay, par ye alag hi kirdar tha. This is what I know because even I didn’t hear the whole story.

- Paresh Rawal

Discussing Phir Hera Pheri, Paresh denied being overconfident but pointed out that others involved in the film were. He said, “Not me but everyone else became overconfident about themselves. Then the film lost its innocence. Sorry to say but voh film nahi bani thi bara bar.” He recalled telling director Neeraj Vora, “Tu bhar raha hai ismein, voh zaroori nahi hai yaar.” According to him, overcomplicating the story led to its downfall.

Paresh also explained that forcing too many jokes into a film doesn’t always work. “Zayada bharega toh mamla bigadega hi. Log toh har baat par hasenge. They’ll laugh even if they saw someone running naked, but we don’t have to run naked. You should have a sense of proportion,” he stated.

Paresh highlighted the immense popularity of Baburao’s character, stating that it holds goodwill worth ?500 crore. He insisted that just placing Baburao in a new setting with minor joke variations wouldn’t be enough. Instead, he believes fans want to see the character in a fresh and engaging story.

On the work front, Paresh Rawal will reunite with Akshay Kumar and Tabu in Priyadarshan’s horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla, set for release on April 2, 2026. He will also be seen in Welcome To The Jungle, alongside Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, and Jacqueline Fernandez.