Pankaj Tripathi's AI-generated image as Hera Pheri's Baburao goes viral, fans react
Actor Pankaj Tripathi's casting as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in 'Hera Pheri 3' is once again being debated. An AI-generated image of Tripathi as Baburao from the comedy franchise has sparked speculation about the possibility of him doing justice to the character. He had earlier reacted to the fan theories and denied any such intention of replacing Paresh Rawal after the latter's departure from the third instalment.advertisementIn a viral picture posted on Reddit, Tripathi is seen wearing a white dhoti and vest just like Rawal from 'Hera Pheri' (2000) and 'Phir Hera Pheri' (2006). Baburao's iconic gold chain, bracelet, and a thick pair of glasses were also included in the AI-generated look. The caption read, "Can Pankaj Tripathi play Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri?"
Fans feel Pankaj Tripathi could reinvent Baburao, if not replace Paresh Rawal.
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Some fans were not happy with the AI-genearated Baburao.
While reacting to the image, a social media user wrote, "If Pankaj Tripathi is taken into the role and Paresh Rawal does not agree, then maybe they should give the movie a new flavour with a new name, role change or something. Pankaj Tripathi is a very good actor, and he can definitely reinvent the role as per his capabilities. Unfortunately, he cannot exactly copy Paresh's role, which I think both Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi are aware of."
In-spite of praising Pankaj Tripathi;s acting prowess, fans rejected him as Baburao.
Another user wrote, "Pankaj Tripathi could bring something valuable to the role, but he wouldn't be a replacement, he'd be a reinvention. He'd probably make a good Babu Bhaiya type character in a spin-off or reboot, but stepping into Paresh Rawal's shoes directly would feel off. Audiences would constantly compare them, and the charm of the original might get lost. So respectfully, no."
Fans feel Pankaj Tripathi would not be able to recreate Paresh Rawal's charisma as Baburao.
A fan also commented, "No, Pankaj's versatility was brutally exposed in the movie 'Atal,' he plays subtle characters which are similar. On the contrary Babu bhaiyya is the opposite, loud, charismatic and very relatable. Paresh Rawal as an actor is one of the most versatile we have seen in Bollywood."Amid the ongoing controversy over Paresh Rawal's exit from 'Hera Pheri 3,' the actor shared a post on X captioned as, "My lawyer, Ameet Naik, has sent an appropriate response regarding my rightful termination and exit. Once they read my response, all issues will be laid to rest."Rawal's lawyers, in an interview with IANS, said, "Admittedly, they did not deliver the story, screenplay and also a draft of a long-form agreement which was fundamental to the engagement of our client. In the absence of these and also since Mr Nadiadwala, the producer of the original films, issued notice to our client and raised issues on the making of the film, our client chose to exit and returned the money with interest by terminating the Term sheet."advertisementSuniel Shetty, who plays Shyam in the 'Hera Pheri' franchise, in an interview with India Today expressed shock. He said, "I have no clue about this. This is absolutely shocking. I first thought about texting him, and then I thought I'd meet him and would discuss it. I have had no word about it with anybody. Even Akshay is clueless as to what happened."Actor-comedian Johny Lever reacted to the row over Rawal stepping down from the film and suggested that the team should discuss and solve the matter. In an interview with Zoom, he said, "Mujhe lagta hai ki kar lena chahiye unko film, baithke baat karein, matter solve karein kyunki fans bohut miss karenge Paresh ji ko film mein, maza nahi aayega na waisa unke bina. To baat karke solve karlena chahiye, meri nazar mein to yahi sahi hai. (I feel that they should do the film, sit and talk, solve the matter, because fans will miss Paresh ji a lot, it will not be fun without him. So they should talk and solve the matter)."Rawal will next be seen in Vaani Kapoor-Aparshakti Khurana's 'Badtameez Gill' and Akshay's 'Welcome To The Jungle', directed by Ahmed Khan.
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