Copyright dispute over franchise ownership clouds sequel’s future
February 7, 2026: Just as excitement around Hera Pheri 3 began to rebuild, the film has landed in fresh trouble with a copyright dispute threatening to derail the project. South Indian production house Seven Arts International has approached the Madras High Court, questioning whether producer Firoz Nadiadwala legally owns the rights to the Hera Pheri franchise. According to a Bar and Bench report, the petitioner claims Nadiadwala was authorised to remake only one film — the Hindi adaptation of the Malayalam classic Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), which became Hera Pheri in 2000.
Seven Arts International alleges that the producer exceeded his mandate by making Phir Hera Pheri in 2006 and later transferring franchise rights to a third party. That third party, as named in court proceedings, is Akshay Kumar’s production banner, Cape of Good Films. The Madras High Court has reportedly raised concerns over whether Hera Pheri 3 can legally move forward while the question of ownership remains unresolved.
Explaining his stand, Seven Arts International MD GP Vijayakumar said he acquired full rights to the franchise from the original producers in 2022 and later discovered the alleged violation. He claimed legal action became unavoidable after learning that the rights had been sold to Akshay Kumar’s company. In response, Cape of Good Films stated that it purchased the franchise in good faith, believing Nadiadwala held legitimate ownership, and was unaware of any dispute at the time.