‘Hera Pheri 3’ to film extensively in Dubai, Abu Dhabi

They’ve barely wrapped up their last film in the UAE, but it looks like Bollywood producer Firoz Nadiadwala and his team are already making another date with the Emirates — for another sequel: Hera Pheri 3.

Starting in March, the cast of the comedy franchise — Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty, John Abraham and, as of Monday, Abhishek Bachchan — will head here for an extensive filming schedule that will cover locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“We focused on Dubai a lot for Welcome Back; for Hera Pheri 3 we will be back in Dubai but also focus a little more on Abu Dhabi,” said Arjun Kumar, the film’s associate producer.

Welcome Back, also produced by Nadiadwala, is the sequel to the hit 2007 film Welcome. It wrapped up filming across Dubai in December.

“We have an extensive filming schedule planned around Yas Island and Saadiyat Island for Hera Pheri 3. Of course, we will also cover locations we haven’t filmed at in Dubai,” added Kumar. “We’ve been filming in the UAE since 1996, starting with song sequences and have built a great relationship there. And visually, there are so many locations that work well for our film. So it’s like filming right at home.”

Hera Pheri, released in 2000, and starring Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty, is considered a cult classic. After the release of its sequel, Phir Hera Pheri, another hit, in 2006, it spawned a series of sequels, effectively starting a trend in Bollywood.

At the launch of Hera Pheri 3 in Mumbai on Monday, which tabloid! attended, Abraham was asked to address the elephant in the room: Kumar’s absence from the third film (Abraham also replaced Kumar in the Welcome sequel).

“I loved Welcome and I loved all the Hera Pheri films and that’s why I said yes to this film. As soon as I signed up for Welcome Back, I called Akshay and he was the first person I told. He was very happy for me and said it was a great film to do,” said the 42-year-old. “Akshay is a good friend, we’ve done so many films together, from Garam Masala to Housefull 2 and Desi Boyz and there’s no animosity.”

Rawal was more politically correct.

“The story is such that it had to continue without Akshay’s character in it. So I don’t think it’s right to say he’s been replaced,” said the versatile actor, adding that the story of Hera Pheri 3 will continue from the cliffhanger ending of Phir Hera Pheri.

The announcement of Bachchan as a member of the cast drew loud cheers at the press conference on Monday, when the four men performed a short skit from the film.

Asked if there were not going to be any heroine in the film, Bachchan joked that the responsibility will be shouldered by Abraham and him.

“Because John and I are so good at playing queens, and because it has taken so long for us to be cast together — it’s been seven years since Dostana — we decided we don’t need any heroines,” he said, referring to the hit comedy where the two pretend to be a gay couple to save rent but end up both falling in love with their tenant.

“But on a serious note, yes, we are still casting for heroines. So please spread the word,” he added.

Hera Pheri 3 will also mark the return of music composer Anu Malik, a massive name in the ’90s and noughties.

“I did the music of the first Hera Pheri and am so honoured that Nadiadwala and Neeraj [Vohra, the director] wanted me back,” Malik told tabloid! after the event.

“We are working hard on the tunes and the rhythms to make it so funky that people will want to get up and move. This is a comedy, so the spirit of the music has to match that,” said the musician, who has more than 345 films to his credit. “For me, I know the music is good when people not only dance to the songs but they hum the tunes. That’s when I know I’ve done a good job.”

Director Vohra, a well-known comedian himself, said he wasn’t sure if a sequel would work when he made the second film. But now that he’s tasted success, he said he knows he can stretch it to many other parts.

Hera Pheri was directed by Priyadarshan with Vohra taking Part 2.

“The first film was a landmark film. It came in an era where no other films like it had ever been made. That’s why I was slightly doubtful if the second film would work or if it would be accepted the same way,” he said. “Now I know we can make Hera Pheri 4, 5, 6, 7....”

The premise of the film, of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, works because people identify with the characters, he added.

“There’s nothing unbelievable about the film. That common man’s appeal and relatability is what makes the film tick.”

Vohra says he’s heading to the UAE soon to “recce” (location scout), before filming begins in March.

“What I love about working there is that it’s very shooting friendly. There are so many different locations all within short distances that it’s a dream for directors,” he said. “And it’s great especially for Mumbai-based filmmakers because it’s so close. It’s like home.”