17 years later, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty get into character for 'Hera Pheri 3' announcement video; see pic

Hera Pheri 3 team

Last year, social media was buzzing with reports of Akshay Kumar stepping out from 'Hera Pheri 3', a sequel to the much loved 'Hera Pheri' and 'Hera Pheri '2. Akshay himself had reveled that he will not be reprising the role of Raju for the third part. It was reported that Kartik Aaryan will be entering the 'Hera Pheri' universe. However, fans were not too happy with the news of Akshay Kumar not being a part of the film. Such was the demand for Akshay's character retained by him that the makers worked it out and got the superstar on board.

Recently, the team of 'Hera Pheri' including the cast got together for the announcement video shoot of the film. On Wednesday afternoon, a picture of the cast posing together in their character outfits went viral on social media. Akshay Kumar was seen dressed in floral short and red pant as his character Raju was seen in the previous instalment. Paresh Rawal essays the role of the white dhoti-clad Babu bhaiyaa, while Suniel essays the smart Shyam. The trio have been loved for their characters in the film.

The franchise 'Hera Pheri' consists of two films - 'Hera Pheri' (directed by Priyadarshan) and 'Phir Hera Pheri' (directed by the writer of 'Hera Pheri' - Neeraj Vora). Over the years, both the films have gained a cult status, and also rule the social media as their frames and dialogues constitute a majority of memes. While the first instalment was released in 2000 the second instalment was released in 2006.

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Meanwhile, there is no official confirmation on the status of Kartik Aaryan's involvement in the film. After it was announced that the 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' star will be a part of the film, it was assumed that he would step into the shoes of Akshay Kumar. However, back then Suniel Shetty had clarified that Kartik will not be playing Raju in the film but a new and different character.