Mumbai Police Probe ‘Hera Pheri’ Copyright Dispute After Producer’s Complaint

Bollywood’s iconic comedy franchise Hera Pheri has once again landed in legal trouble, with producer Firoz Nadiadwala alleging a well-planned conspiracy over the film’s copyright. 

The producer has accused certain individuals of forging agreements and using pressure tactics to extract crores of rupees from him.

A complaint has been lodged at the Amboli Police Station, following which a case has been registered against two accused, Gopala Pillai Vijayakumar and M. Paul Michael. Police have initiated an investigation into the matter.
According to the complaint, the controversy dates back to 2000, when a copyright dispute was allegedly triggered just seven days before the release of Hera Pheri. 

Nadiadwala has claimed that representatives linked to filmmaker Siddique and M. Paul Michael threatened to stall the film’s release. With substantial investments already made, any delay could have resulted in heavy financial losses, forcing him to enter into a settlement despite holding what he says were valid rights.

Nadiadwala has stated that Hera Pheri is a remake of the Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking. He claims that the remake and multi-language rights were originally sold through a formal agreement dated October 12, 1993. 

These rights were later legally acquired by his company on March 24, 2000, granting him permanent and exclusive authority to produce the film in Hindi and other languages.

However, the complaint alleges that the same parties who had sold the rights in 1993 went on to resell them to a third party on May 12, 2022, for a sum of ₹3 lakh. 

Terming the transaction fraudulent, Nadiadwala has claimed that the accused are now demanding ₹60 lakh along with a 25% share in the profits of Phir Hera Pheri, based on what he describes as a fabricated agreement.

Police said further investigation is underway to verify the claims and the authenticity of the agreements in question.