MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty shared a warm birthday message for veteran actor and close friend Paresh Rawal on his 70th birthday, amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Hera Pheri 3.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Shetty described Rawal as a “powerhouse of wit and wisdom” and extended a heartfelt wish.
“To the man... who is a powerhouse of both wit & wisdom and an even more wonderful human being. Happy happy birthday Pareshji. Much love and respect always,” Shetty wrote.
He accompanied the message with a photograph of the two actors from their last public appearance together at the Mumbai International Airport in November last year, where they were also joined by co-star Akshay Kumar.
The birthday tribute comes at a sensitive time, following reports that Paresh Rawal has exited Hera Pheri 3 the beloved comedy franchise where he portrayed the iconic character of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, affectionately known as Babu Bhaiya.
Rawal’s departure has reportedly left both fans and colleagues disheartened. Suniel Shetty, who plays the calm and collected Shyam in the series, expressed his disappointment during an interview with ANI.
“I mean, it's an absolute shock to me. I'm here because I heard it yesterday, and then today, some more news came about. So, I need to call and find out, and I'm completely heartbroken because if there was one film I was looking forward to, it was Hera Pheri, you know,” Shetty said.
He also emphasised that the franchise would be incomplete without Rawal’s character.
“It cannot happen. One hundred per cent cannot happen without Paresh Rawal. It can have a 1 per cent chance without me and Akshay, but 100 per cent cannot happen without Paresh ji. No, it doesn’t. Raju and Shyam, if they’re not hammered by Babu here, it doesn’t work,” he added.
In the original Hera Pheri films, Akshay Kumar played Raju, Suniel Shetty portrayed Shyam, and Paresh Rawal immortalised the character of Baburao, earning widespread acclaim for his comedic timing and memorable dialogues.
As fans continue to hope for the return of the original trio, Shetty’s message serves as a poignant reminder of the camaraderie and legacy that the Hera Pheri franchise represents.