This year marks 25 years of Priyadarshan's Hera Pheri, the original one, and 19 years of its sequel, Hera Pheri 2. Both became major commercial successes post-release. However, it is the original which will forever remain a cult classic. Hera Pheri is the kind of film that can be passed on from generation to generation, so that everyone can enjoy the absolute magic of the cult comedy on offer, miles away from the crass humour and boorishness of today's so-called comedy films.
Who can ever forget the endearing charm of watching Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and Akshay Kumar come together in a humorous cranky-landlord-and-two-freeloaders trope, which literally became the reference point of comedy of the twenty-first century. However, the first sequel, Phir Hera Pheri couldn't live up to the magic created by the original, diluting a lot of the factors that had made us convulse with laughter. Even as the performances of its three lead protagonists remained brilliantly convincing, the script that revolved around what the three leading men do after they become crorepatis in the original, was lacklustre and diluted and could not hold our interest for much longer post-intermission.
Which is why, when filmmaker Priyadarshan recently reportedly announced that he's planning on Hera Pheri 3 "very soon," here are a few things we hope to see incorporated, so as to make Hera Pheri 3 better than its prequels.
Retain the original cast: It is unimaginable to see the comically sweet Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, and his two rentees Shyam and Raju, being essayed by anyone other than the original cast of Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and Akshay Kumar. Yes, the three have aged, but so have their characters. Let's see what the onscreen trio is up to 25 years hence. Initially, there were rumours that Kartik Aaryan would replace Akshay Kumar, but that would mean completely diluting the essence of the original and stripping it of all its charm and chutzpah.
Storyline: Introduction of new characters and subplots while maintaining the core essence of the original story will help keep the franchise fresh and exciting. Given the cliffhanger ending of Phir Hera Pheri, it'll be interesting to see how the story unfolds. Additionally, it'll be interesting to delve deeper into the backstories and motivations of Raju, Shyam, and Baburao. This will make their interactions more believable and engaging.
Enhanced Comedic Elements: We want to laugh our hearts out, just the way the first one got us falling off our sofas. We want exactly the same magic to pull us out of our daily rigmarole into a flight of fun, joy and laughter. Now, if only the scriptwriter could update the humour level by several notches to appeal to modern audiences 25 years later while retaining the slapstick comedy that made the original film successful. A well-balanced pace, with a mix of fast-paced comedic scenes and heartfelt moments, will be just perfect.
Update and upgrade the setting: Now that our three leading men are already crorepatis, can we shift them to different and newer locations, please? It'll be nice to see how they take to travel and luxury, offering some witty takes on their experiences and observations, so that Hera Pheri 3 can provide a fresh, entertaining experience for both old and new fans.
