Paresh Rawal says Hera Pheri was based on a Gujarati play he did in 1984: ‘I interrupted Priyadarshan and narrated the climax’

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal, who immortalised the character of Babu Bhaiya in the cult classic Hera Pheri (2000), recently revealed that the film’s story was not entirely new to him. In fact, he had performed the same storyline decades earlier in a Gujarati play titled Khel.
Paresh Rawal reveals he performed Hera Pheri's story 25 years before the film released
In an interview with The Lallantop, Paresh Rawal recalled how director Priyadarshan was surprised when he interrupted the film’s narration and completed the climax himself.
“I remember clearly—it was July 1996. Priyadarshan was narrating the story in his hotel room. I interrupted him midway and told him the entire climax. He asked, ‘Do you watch Malayalam films too?’ I said, ‘You’re talking about a Malayalam film (Ramji Rao Speaking), but this has already been staged as a Gujarati play in 1984. It was called Khel. Swaroop was the heroine in it,’” Rawal said, referring to his wife Swaroop Sampat.

Paresh Rawal went on to share that he had directed the play Khel and also acted in it along with Naseeruddin Shah. It revolved around a struggling actor who accidentally gets a call from a kidnapper demanding ransom. What follows is a series of comedic twists as the actor and his girlfriend attempt to turn the situation to their advantage.
Interestingly, Khel was staged in the US in 1984, exactly 25 years before Hera Pheri hit theatres in 2000. “Coincidentally, on 29 March 1984, we were performing Khel in the US. That’s exactly 25 years before Hera Pheri released,” Rawal added.
‘Priyadarshan thought the story was original’
Rawal shared that director Priyadarshan believed the storyline of Ramji Rao Speaking, the Malayalam film on which Hera Pheri was based, was original. “But I told him this story had already been done in Gujarati theatre decades ago. He was surprised,” Rawal recalled.
The play is now being revived under a new name Saanp Seedhi with actors Kumud Mishra and Sumeet Vyas stepping into the roles. Rawal reflected on how different times were when they first staged it in the US, even flying with prop guns and swords, which would be impossible post-9/11.
“It was a two-character play—Naseer bhai and I. The role Sumeet is playing now, I did back then. It was a tough role—not just for the costume changes but also for the voice and tone variations,” he added.

Hera Pheri 3 to go on floors soon
Fans of Hera Pheri have more reason to rejoice. Paresh Rawal is all set to return as Babu Bhaiya in Hera Pheri 3, alongside Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty. Directed by Farhad Samji, the film is expected to go on floors in December and wrap by mid-2026.

While Priyadarshan is currently working with Akshay Kumar on Bhoot Bangla, Hera Pheri 3 is slated for a late 2026 or early 2027 release.