In an unexpected legal turn, the Madras High Court has raised serious questions over the making of Hera Pheri 3 after a production house claimed that producer Firoz Nadiadwala may not legally own the rights to the popular franchise at all.
The matter came to light after Seven Arts International Limited filed a petition in court, stating that they hold the copyright to the Hera Pheri series. The company has alleged that Nadiadwala was only permitted to make one Hindi remake of the original Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), which later became Hera Pheri in 2000, directed by Priyadarshan.
What is the dispute about?
According to court filings reported by Bar and Bench, Seven Arts International claims that Nadiadwala exceeded his rights by producing not just one, but two films, Hera Pheri and its sequel Phir Hera Pheri (2006). The petition further claims that he has now gone a step ahead and sold the rights of Hera Pheri 3 to Akshay Kumar’s production house.
GP Vijayakumar, Managing Director of Seven Arts International, stated that he acquired the complete rights to the franchise in 2022 from the original producers of Ramji Rao Speaking, Adithya Films. He claims they informed him that Nadiadwala had been granted permission only for a single Hindi adaptation.
Why was action taken now?
Vijayakumar explained that no legal action was taken earlier because the issue went unnoticed for years. He shared that the second film was directed by Neeraj Vora, and the copyright holders at the time did not realise that a violation had occurred.
He added that when they later approached Akshay Kumar to develop a Hindi version under their ownership, they were informed that the rights had already been sold by Nadiadwala to Cape of Good Films, Akshay’s banner. This led them to send a legal notice and eventually move court.
What do others say?
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.
With the High Court now examining the matter, the future of Hera Pheri 3 appears uncertain as the legal battle over ownership of the beloved franchise unfolds.
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