Akshay Kumar’s banner has been very open about it: they have the only worldwide rights to the third installment and are telling everyone not to try and make side deals. For a property as muddled as this one, it upends the status quo and has the potential to put a hold on distribution and streaming talks.
You can read the notice in a trade paper as of July 4, 2026, though it is meant for more than just the trade. A fan put a screenshot of it out there and before you know it, there was no end to the talk among exhibitors, streamers and the like.
What the public notice says
In the words of Cape of Good Films LLP, they are the only ones with an ‘irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual, and unencumbered licence’ to see the film, for now called 'Hera Pheri 3‘, from production to commercialisation.
They want all involved to be clear on those rights. Any third party looking to put something in place without their written say-so is being put on warning. The company is reserving its options in law and equity for anyone who goes against the grain of this notice.
The list of addressees is long: distributors, cinema chains, OTT and TV, digital, advertisers, and the rest. Put simply, everyone in the chain from the box office to the living room has been made aware.
Why this matters for the industry
More than a formality, the notice is a gatekeeper for any distributor or streamer after a sure-fire hit. It also makes a nuisance of any back-channel negotiations.
The onus is on whomever is trying to do business in rights without the producer’s approval. There will be more due diligence and some re-drafting of contracts until things are sorted out.
For the time being, the points to bear in mind are:
– No authorisation in writing, no signature
– Let the side conversations on third-party rights die down
– There are consequences for not playing by the rules
The turbulence behind Hera Pheri 3
There has been no shortage of drama. Priyadarshan has made it known he is done with the project, and he has some choice words for his dealings with Firoz Nadiadwala. He says he was told in so many words: you can have the rights to the film, but don’t you make it with me.
He also took issue with his 2000 version being put down as a ‘poor man’s version’ and having to trim a five-hour cut. In his view, he could have made the sequel even more of a draw than Dhurandhar had he been at the helm.
We were to have Akshay, Suniel and Paresh back in the same frame, but the way has been rocky. This latest legal move is another unknown in the mix, while the fans are still holding out for the old guard to come together.
What comes next
The line in the sand is drawn: if you are after Hera Pheri 3, you work with Cape of Good Films. That kind of clarity should make for smoother dealing once everyone is on the same page.
Then again, with the director gone, who is running the show is still to be seen. We will have to wait for a confirmed plan and a name in the chair. Until then, the law is the most prominent voice in the room, and it is being heard on every platform the franchise is in.
