Actor Akshay Kumar has spoken out for the first time since following legal action against co-star Paresh Rawal for abruptly exiting Heri Pheri 3 after production had begun. During the trailer launch for his upcoming film Housefull 5, Kumar said he considers Rawal a “very good friend” and does not condone the backlash the actor has been receiving.
Speaking to reporters, Kumar said, “Using this kind of word for one of my co-stars like a foolish word or something. I would not appreciate it, and that's not right. I worked with him since the last 30-35 years, we are very good friends. He's a great actor and I really admire him.”
When asked about the controversy, he deemed that the event was not appropriate to address the issue and that the matter would be settled in court. “Whatever it is, I don't think this is a place where I'm going to talk about it because whatever has to happen, it's a very serious matter. It is a matter which is going to be handled by the court and things like that. So, I don't think I'm going to speak about it here,” he said.
Kumar filed a lawsuit against Rawal seeking Rs 25 crore in damages for leaving the production of Hera Pheri 3, which, according to the actor’s lawyer, has cost the production and will result in “severe legal consequences”.
In response, Rawal’s lawyer issued a statement that his client was not sent a script or a draft of a long-form agreement, both of which were “fundamental” for him. He also added that since the story was not ready, there should be no losses to the production.
