Hera Pheri 3: After Paresh Rawal's Exit, AI-Generated Image Of Pankaj Tripathi As Baburao Goes Crazy Viral

NDTV

3 days ago

New Delhi:
Paresh Rawal's sudden announcement last week on his exit from the Hera Pheri franchise upset fans. Since then, there have been several updates on how the team has reacted to it. Akshay Kumar's production house which had bought the rights of Hera Pheri 3, reportedly filed a lawsuit against Paresh Rawal too.
Amid the Hera Pheri 3 row, some AI image of Pankaj Tripathi reimagined as Paresh Rawal's iconic character Baburao Ganpatrao Apte from the film, has gone viral. It has opened up to mixed reactions from fans.
What
AI Image of Pankaj Tripathi as Paresh Rawal's Hera Pheri character Baburao Ganpatrao Apte has gone viral online.
Redditors have mixed reactions to the possibility of Pankaj Tripathi stepping in until further confirmation on the future of Hera Pheri 3 is announced.
In the viral picture, Pankaj Tripathi is seen wearing a white dhoti and vest just like the onscreen character. Accessories include a gold chain and bracelet, and a thick pair of glasses, accompanied by the signature hairstyle.
The caption of the post read, "Can Pankaj Tripathi play Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri?"
Fan Reactions
As the post went viral on Reddit, fans flooded the comments section with their opinion.
Can Pankaj Tripathi play 'Baburao Ganpatrao Apte' in Hera Pheri?
by u/BollyLOVER1 in BollyBlindsNGossip
One fan 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."
While someone else added, "It's gonna be how it was for Robert Pattinson in Batman."
Another internet user mentioned, "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."
While someone else said, "He can pull it off."
Why Paresh Rawal Walked Out Of The Hera Pheri Franchise
Paresh Rawal's legal representatives, Anand & Naik, officially responded to the controversy surrounding his exit from Hera Pheri 3. This marked the first formal statement from the actor's legal team regarding the issue.
The development follows Paresh Rawal's post on X, where he announced, "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."
His lawyers told IANS, "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."
How Suniel Shetty And Akshay Kumar Reacted To Paresh Rawal's Exit
Suniel Shetty, who played the character of Shyam in the 2000 hit film Hera Pheri, told India Today, "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 as to what happened. This is a crisis. We are in the middle of this film, and this is the biggest shock."
He added, "We were going to begin shooting next year. We had already started, in fact. We shot a promo. It's a big thing. This is so shocking. I can't make sense of this. And you know who sent it? Athiya and Ahaan - they both sent it to me within 15 minutes, asking 'Papa what is this?'. And I was here doing my interviews, and I felt like 'holy s***'."
Akshay Kumar addressed the ongoing feud at the trailer launch of Housefull 5 and wrote, "Using this kind of words for my colleague, like 'Foolish', I wouldn't appreciate. That's not right."
He added, "I have worked with him for last 32 years. We are very good friends. He's a great actor. I really admire him. I don't think this is the right place where I am going to talk about it. It's a serious matter. The matter is going to be handled by the court. So, I think I am not going to speak about it here."
In A Nutshell
There's a lot of back and forth going on regarding the Hera Pheri row and Paresh Rawal's exit. A newly surfaced viral AI image of Pankaj Tripathi in Paresh Rawal's iconic role as Baburao has got the internet talking.