Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal: GOAT Comedy Duo Of Bollywood Whose Fallout Led To Hera Pheri 3 Controversy

Bollywood has rarely produced a jodi as hit as Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal. The duo, who shaped Bollywood's comedy scene through the 2000s and delivered cult movies that still hold immense rewatch value (Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhag, Garam Masala to name a few), have reportedly had a fallout. Paresh's sudden exit from the planned Hera Pheri 3, which fans have been yearning for since the franchise sequel came out in 2006, has derailed plans for the much-awaited threequel, which was supposed to go on the floors this year.

Shocking is the fact that Akshay has reportedly sued Paresh for ₹25 crore for leaving the movie. Here's a look back at their working relationship in the past.

Paresh-Akshay are "not friends"

Amid the Hera Pheri 3 controversy, a not-so-old interview of Paresh Rawal has resurfaced where he called Akshay Kumar a "colleague" and not his "friend". "He’s a cool guy. Akshay and I have worked in at least 15-20 movies together. He’s a great guy to be friends with. Film industry mein colleague hote hain, theatre mein dost hote hain, aur school mein jigar jaan dost hote hain. But film ke andar colleague hote hain,” Paresh said. This puts things into perspective when we see Akshay's decision to sue his long-standing collaborator over sabotaging Hera Pheri 3.

Also read: Paresh's 'Not Friends' With Akki Comment Resurfaces Amid ₹25 Cr Lawsuit

Akshay-Paresh's movie collaboration: How it all began

Fans know Akshay and Paresh for their comedy movies. However, their initial films in the early 90s were the antithesis of what they eventually became popular for. Paresh, in the 90s, was doing villainous roles and played the antagonist to Akshay's character in their initial projects together like Dil Ki Baazi, Kayda Kanoon, Mohra and Angaaray. Mohra emerged as a big hit among these and saw Akshay and Paresh playing cops. While Akshay led these movies, Paresh often played the character actor.

Also read: Hera Pheri 3 Will Be Shelved Without 'Baburao', Confirms Suniel Shetty

Akshay-Paresh's partnership turns comic onscreen

In the late 90s, Akshay and Paresh seemingly had a screen makeover together. They ventured into comedy and the rest, as they say, is history. In Mr and Mrs Khiladi (1997), Akshay played the role of a scamster searching for a rich wife. His scenes with Paresh, although scattered, were hilarious and a major hint at what was to come.

In 2000, Hera Pheri released and Akshay as Raju and Paresh as Babu Rao became iconic. In Aankhen (2002), the two actors played the roles of blind thieves. A thriller, Aankhen had dollops of comedy courtesy of Paresh. In Awara Paagal Deewana, released in the same year, they played comic roles again.

In Aitraaz (2004), a courtroom drama, they presented a powerful duo of lawyer and victim, showing their flair for genres other than comedy. In Aan, the same year, they played cops.

A spate of comedy roles: Akshay-Paresh steal hearts

Garam Masala (2005), Deewane Huye Paagal (2005), Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Bhagam Bhag (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), Welcome (2007), De Dana Dan (2009) and OMG – Oh My God! (2012) were all hit comedy films, which Paresh and Akshay worked together on. These collaborations have also given internet users memes for generations to come. Akshay and Paresh were like hand and glove, complementing each other in every role they did together. Their comic timing, largely shaped under the finesse of Priyadarshan, gave Hindi cinema its golden era of comedy.

A fallout happens

Akshay and Paresh's Oh My God! was not in the usual comedy genre that fans know them for. After this, they wouldn't work for 11 years. Akshay also shifted his focus from comedy films to dramas and later patriotic films. Akshay also reportedly wanted to cast Paresh in OMG sequel but that didn't happen due to "creative differences". Paresh was replaced by Pankaj Tripathi in OMG 2 (2023).  

In 2024, Akshay and Paresh reunited in Sarfira. The film is not a comedy. However, in the same year, Priyadarshan announced his Bollywood comeback with the horror comedy Bhooth Bangla, with plans to bring back his favourites, Akshay and Paresh, in it. The movie has wrapped up shooting and will release later this year. Meanwhile, they were also supposed to star in Hera Pheri 3, which has hit a roadblock due to Paresh's sudden exit.