Phir Hera Pheri

Phir Hera Pheri
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Neeraj Vora
Written by	Neeraj Vora
Produced by	Firoz A. Nadiadwala
Starring	Akshay Kumar Suniel Shetty Paresh Rawal Bipasha Basu Rimi Sen Sharat Saxena Johnny Lever Rajpal Yadav Milind Gunaji Manoj Joshi Razak Khan
Narrated by	Nana Patekar
Cinematography	Velraj
Edited by	Diwakar P. Bhonsle Virendra Gharse
Music by	Himesh Reshammiya
Production company	Base Industries Group
Distributed by	Base Industries Group Shemaroo Entertainment
Release date	9 June 2006 (2006-06-09)
Running time	153 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹18 crore[1]
Box office	₹69.12 crore[1]

Phir Hera Pheri (translation: Foul Play Once Again) is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language comedy film written and directed by Neeraj Vora. The film serves as the sequel to Hera Pheri (2000)^[2] and the second installment of the Hera Pheri franchise. The film stars an ensemble cast of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal (reprising their roles from the previous film), Bipasha Basu, Rimi Sen, Sharat Saxena, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Milind Gunaji, Manoj Joshi and Razak Khan. Following the events of the previous film, a twist of fate changes the lives of Raju (Kumar), Shyam (Shetty) and Babu (Rawal) when they get cheated by a fraudster, Anuradha (Basu). They must now find another way to repay the money burrowed from a dreaded gangster, Tiwari (Saxena).

Upon its release on 9 June 2006, the film was a major commercial success,^[3][4] becoming the 8th highest grosser of the year. Over the years, the film has attained a cult status and significant fan following across generations owing to Kumar's comic timing as well as its supporting casts like Rawal, Lever and Yadav. It is now considered a milestone in comedy films, as well as one of the best sequels ever made. The film is unofficial remake of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).^[5]

Hera Pheri ended with the trio of Raju (Akshay Kumar), Ghanshyam, also known as Shyam (Suniel Shetty), and Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Paresh Rawal), also known as Babu; rich and rolling in money. Phir Hera Pheri tells the story of what happens after they become wealthy. The film begins with a prologue bringing the audience up to raisin, stating that each has suffered a personal loss despite their new riches. Shyam lost his only love, Anuradha Shivshanker Panikar (Tabu), in an accident; Raju lost his ailing mother (Sulabha Arya); and Babu, having nothing to lose in the first place, lost the little traces of common sense that he did possess. The three men are living a lavish life in a massive mansion and splurging on various luxuries. Raju learns about an idea for doubling his wealth in 21 days from a con woman, Anuradha (Bipasha Basu), who is claiming to be a bank manager, and she convinces Shyam and Babu to go along with it. Raju first arranges for ₹30 lakhs from Shyam and Babu and then a further ₹50 lakhs by selling their mansion. He convinces a small-time goon, Pappu (Rajpal Yadav), to contribute the remaining balance of ₹20 lakhs so that he can come up with the minimum deposit of ₹1 crore, which Anuradha has promised to double.

The trio invests the money and realises 21 days later that it was all a scam and that they are now penniless. To make matters worse, they do not even have possession of their mansion, which Raju had sold off to arrange the last bit of money needed, and have to live in a chawl (Indian tenement). Pappu shows up at the mansion the next day to pick up his portion of the money, but is shocked to learn that Raju has left and the mansion is now in possession of a Parsi gun collector. Pappu is now in trouble because he borrowed money from a lisping, but dreaded gangster, Tiwari (Sharat Saxena), who threatens to kill him if he does not pay up the amount. He comes across Raju one day, and pretends to be sympathetic on learning about the scam. He tricks Raju and brings the trio to his employer, telling him that they are the ones who took the money. Tiwari threatens them and tells them they have to come up with the money or else they will be killed. However, the trio manages to escape while being taken home by some of Tiwari's henchmen.

Raju, Shyam and Babu are about to leave the city when Raju remembers that he owes money to a woman named Anjali Patekar (Rimi Sen). The trio heads over to her house and is surprised to find that she is Pappu's sister. Tiwari's henchmen arrive and kidnap Anjali because Pappu has not returned the money. Feeling guilty that he is the one who trapped Anjali, Raju decides to approach Tiwari and attempt to get her released. Shyam and Babu refuse to leave without them and decide to stay as well. The three return to Tiwari to request him to release Anjali, and Tiwari orders them to bring the money, releasing Anjali. Raju, Shyam and Babu now have three days to come up with ₹40 lakhs to pay back Tiwari, or else they will themselves be killed. Raju overhears their neighbour, Munna Bhai (Johnny Lever), plotting to steal drugs from another gangster, Nanji Bhai (Milind Gunaji), and wrongly assumes they are talking about stealing money. Raju hatches a plan for the three of them to steal from Munna Bhai. The trio manages to succeed barely but are confused when they do not find money inside. Raju identifies stuff like drugs and tells Shyam and Babu that they are worth at least ₹3 crores. They believe that if they can sell them to a drug dealer, Kachra Seth (Manoj Joshi), and pay off Tiwari, they can also become rich.

The trio then runs into Anuradha, and she reveals to them that the entire scam was hatched by Kabira (the gangster from the first Hera Pheri) and his close aide, Chhota Chetan, to seek revenge from the trio and that the only reason she went along with it was that they were holding her niece hostage (Anuradha's sister was Kabira's gang member and part of the first film's kidnapping plot). Their money was converted to diamonds to pay the ransom, but she escaped with them once she discovered her niece had escaped and hid them under a decoration of a circus train (named "Kook-Doo-Koo"). Meanwhile, Munna Bhai's henchmen find the drugs the trio stole and take them back. Tiwari's henchmen reach to collect the money at the same time the trio return with Anjali and Anuradha, whom Tiwari's henchmen then kidnap. After planning on using fake suitcases to trick Nanji Bhai into giving them money and then pay off Tiwari's loan with that money, the trio summons Tiwari and his henchmen and Nanji Bhai and his henchmen to arrive at Great Royal Circus; Pappu and his henchmen, Munna Bhai and his henchmen and Chhota Chetan and his henchmen all overhear and travel to the circus. The Parsi gun collector sees Munna Bhai with his guns and follows him to the circus as well, while the group of actors that drop the trio off to the circus learn about the money there and decide to follow as well.

The trio initially tricks Nanji Bhai and his henchmen with the empty suitcases and takes the money, which they open to discover that the banknotes are fake. With no other choice, they decide to give it to Tiwari, hoping he will assume that it is fake. He does and releases Anuradha and Anjali, but after Nanji Bhai discovers the empty suitcase, he confronts the trio and gets into an argument with Babu, who accidentally reveals that the money is fake. Munna Bhai and his henchmen, Pappu and his henchmen, Chhota Chetan and his henchmen, the Parsi gun collector and the group of actors all reach the place. The trio takes the drugs and escapes from them all as a chase ensues. During the chase, Anuradha is reunited with her niece, and everyone begins searching for Anuradha's diamonds after learning about them, but they are thrown down all over the ground in public by a gorilla.

Soon, the police arrive at the scene and arrest the gangs of Tiwari, Munna Bhai, Pappu, Kachra Seth, Nanji Bhai and Chhota Chetan for their crimes. Meanwhile, Raju, Shyam and Babu escape along with Anuradha, Anjali and Anuradha's niece. Raju escapes with the bag containing the three antique guns with him, unaware the bag also contains Pappu's mobile phone. Before his arrest, Pappu informs Shyam and Babu that the guns with Raju are worth ₹6 crores. Meanwhile, Raju, not knowing the value of the guns, attempts to throw them into the river, but fails as they fall onto the broken part of the bridge. The film ends on a cliffhanger as Raju reaches out to retrieve the guns again, while Pappu's mobile phone (which he had discovered earlier and held into his mouth) rings as Shyam and Babu desperately attempt to call Raju.^[6]

• Akshay Kumar as Raju
• Suniel Shetty as Ghanshyam (Shyam)
• Paresh Rawal as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Babu)
• Bipasha Basu as Anuradha Munjal
• Rimi Sen as Anjali Patekar
• Sharat Saxena as Tiwari
• Johnny Lever as Munna Bhai
• Rajpal Yadav as Pappu Patekar (Anjali's brother)
• Manoj Joshi as Kachra Seth
• Milind Gunaji as Nanji Bhai
• Razak Khan as Chhota Chetan (Kabira's sidekick)
• Ravi Kishan as Chhote (Tiwari's sidekick)
• Suresh Menon as Peter Singh (Nanji Bhai's most trusted sidekick and Munna Bhai's secret informer)
• Dinesh Hingoo as Parsi Gun Collector
• Tiku Talsania as Police Officer (special appearance)
• Javed Khan Amrohi as a Khetwadi Police Chowki constable
• Gulshan Grover as Gangster Kabira (archive footage from Hera Pheri)
• Kashmira Shah as Kabira's Gang Member and Anuradha's sister (archive footage from Hera Pheri)
• Sunil Pal as Kishan Verma (Munna Bhai's sidekick)
• Kiku Sharda as Kanji Singh (Munna Bhai's sidekick)
• Viju Khote as Ravana from Ram-Leela, troupe member
• Madan Singh as Tiwari's tall henchman (voice dubbed by Shailendra Pandey)
• Manmouji as Ram-Leela Troupe Member
• Jagdeep Singh as a headless giant
• Mukesh Ahuja as Circus Magician
• Nana Patekar as a narrator
• Dia Mirza as an Item Girl in the song "Pyaar Ki Chatni" (special appearance)
• Neeraj Vora as the Bus Passenger speaking on the phone (special appearance)
• Ghanshyam Rohera as Bus Conductor (special appearance)
• Tabu as Anuradha Shivshankar Panikar (archive footage from Hera Pheri)

The music was composed by Himesh Reshammiya,^[7] with lyrics written by Sameer. The soundtrack album was released by T-Series.

The song "Aye Meri Zohrajabeen" was only seen in the end title credits. The song became so popular that it was added in the movie later. The dream sequence of Rawal was added following the song.

According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 10,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's fifteenth highest-selling.^[8]

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The film received positive reviews from critics and earned ₹70 crore at the end of its theatrical run and it was a box-office blockbuster.^[9]

A sequel titled Hera Pheri 3 is planned, but the production was postponed after director Neeraj Vora died on 14 December 2017 after a prolonged illness. After the response from Firoz Nadiadwala, the sequel is under production and will be released soon.^[10]

On 23 May 2018, it was confirmed that Hera Pheri 3 will now be directed by Indra Kumar and star the same team of Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, and Paresh Rawal in the lead. It was reported that the film will be shot on a start-to-finish schedule and Kumar confirmed to The Indian Express that the film will be ready for release in the second half of 2019 (but it didn't release in 2019). The film will continue the story of the previous two. Later, Indra Kumar left the project for unknown reasons and confirmed that Priyadarshan, who directed the first movie, will return as the director of the third.^[11][12][13]

On 21 February 2023, some reports shooting on a promo for Hera Pheri 3 with Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal had started.^[14]

• Phir Hera Pheri at IMDb