Nothing has been decided on Hera Pheri 3, says Priyadarshan

According to media reports, Priyadarshan has been locked to helm Hera Pheri 3, the third film in the popular comedy franchise, 19 years after he directed the first one, which was a remake of the 1989 Malayalam film, Ramji Rao Speaking.

However, Priyadarshan told the IANS news agency: "It is true that I had one meeting with producer Firoz A Nadiadwala and that was it. Nothing is decided and I can't say whether this will happen."

He said actor Akshay Kumar is interested in the project, but that is about it. Nothing beyond that has happened, he asserted.

It was Hera Pheri (2000), starring Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal, that gave the director the biggest boost to his career in Hindi cinema.

"At the moment, I have finished filming my Marakkar: The Lion Of The Arabian Sea. I did it in 104 days and the 63-year-old in me is completely drained. The post-production is on in Chennai and my son Siddharth has come from the US as he is the visual producer of the film. He says he needs eight months for it and after that I need three months to wrap it up," said Priyadarshan.

The film, he said, will be released next year. "So my hands are tied, and hence, at this moment, I can only say nothing is decided on Hera Pheri 3," he added.

Asked whether after seeing his film's rushes at the editing table he is happy about how things have turned out, the director in him spoke. "Never ask a director if he is happy, because everyone is insecure about his product and it's too early for me to say," Priyadarshan said.