'Hera Pheri made my life miserable': Priyadarshan says he hates shooting comedies, explains Haiwaan pivot

Here's the irony: The man behind one of Bollywood's most jovial, fun comic universes can't stand making comedies. Hera Pheri is practically scripture for a generation of fans, who've spent years clamoring for a third installment that remains stuck in limbo. Yet, when Priyadarshan is asked about how he feels about the genre that built his legacy, and the answer is blunt: He would rather not be doing it at all.

Priyadarshan didn't set out to become Bollywood's comedy king. His entry into Hindi cinema came through drama, Muskurahat marked his debut, but it was Gardish that gave him his real breakthrough, followed by the success of Virasat. Then came a rough patch, until 2000 changed everything: Hera Pheri hit theatres, rewired his career, and reshaped how audiences saw him. As the director puts it to Hindustan Times, "I started with serious films. Gardish worked for me, Virasat worked for me. Then Hera Pheri made my life miserable. After that, it was just comedy, comedy, and comedy. To be honest, I hate shooting comedies."

Over a two-decade stretch from 2001 to 2021, comedy dominated Priyadarshan's Hindi filmography, 16 of his 20 films fell into the genre, and two others, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Billu, carried strong comic elements even if not pure comedies. His latest Hindi outing before this, Bhooth Bangla, stuck to that pattern too, blending horror with humour. Haiwaan, by contrast, signals a genuine break from that trajectory.

Priyadarshan explains that he's come to understand humour doesn't have to mean stacking one joke after another, he prefers a more situational approach, steering clear of deliberate gags or built-in comic set-pieces. Even within his comedies, he says, the characters themselves are written and played straight; it's the situations they land in that come across as funny to the audience, and he's never been keen on actors mugging for laughs. That's simply his way of working.

Even so, comedy remains a genre he doesn't enjoy making, and after years of working almost exclusively within it, he felt the need to break away, partly because he's resistant to being boxed in by a recognizable directorial "signature" the way many filmmakers are. Haiwaan, he says, was his way of returning to the serious filmmaking he genuinely finds fulfilling.

Hera Phera 3: Where thing stand

At the heart of the standoff is a dispute over who genuinely holds the rights to the franchise. Seven Arts International, a South-based production house, has staked a claim to the Hera Pheri name and its characters, contending that ownership doesn't legitimately sit with producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala, a position Nadiadwala has rejected, leaving the matter unsettled. Muddying things further, a representative from Akshay Kumar's team said they had acquired the rights directly from Nadiadwala, operating under the assumption that his ownership was valid.

Creatively, the plan had been straightforward on paper: Bring back Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal as the original trio, with Priyadarshan once again in the director's chair. Even that, though, hasn't gone smoothly, Rawal briefly walked away from the project in May 2025 before eventually returning.

More recently, fresh reports suggested Rawal has exited the film for good this time, allegedly returning his Rs 11 lakh signing amount along with 15 per cent interest. Earlier this year, Akshay himself admitted that Hera Pheri 3 is currently not moving ahead. Speaking to journalist Subhankar Mishra on YouTube, the actor revealed just how uncertain the project’s future remains. Akshay explained that the film is not happening at the moment due to several unresolved issues and agreements, clarifying that the delays are not because of friction between the three lead actors.

Finally, earlier to Hindustan Times, Priyadarshan suggested that the project may not survive its ongoing complications at all. "I am not associated with Hera Pheri 3 at the present. To the best of my knowledge, Hera Pheri 3 will never hit the screens due to lots of legal issues and personal conflicts. Whether I am involved or not is unimportant."