Mumbai, May 18 (UNI) Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has denied that his departure from the upcoming comedy sequel "Hera Pheri 3",was precipitated by creative differences with the director Priyadarshan.

The third installment of the iconic "Hera Pheri" franchise has been making headlines ever since reports surfaced suggesting Rawal's absence from the project. Recent reports claimed that Rawal backed out of this project due to artistic disagreements with the production team.

Putting these rumours to rest, Rawal addressed the matter publicly on the microblogging platform X, stating, “I wish to put it on record that my decision to step away from Hera Pheri 3 was not due to creative differences. I reiterate that there are no creative disagreements with the filmmaker. I hold immense love, respect, and faith in Mr. Priyadarshan, the film director.”

Priyadarshan, who helmed the original "Hera Pheri" in 2000, is set to return as director for the upcoming sequel. He had officially announced the project on his birthday, tagging the original trio- Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty in his celebratory post.

The first film of the franchise - "Hera Pheri" = was released in 2000 and became a landmark in Indian comedy after garnering love from the audience. It was followed by "Phir Hera Pheri" in 2006, which was directed by Neeraj Vora. UNI NST SSP