Hera Pheri (2000 film)

Last updated

Hera Pheri
Hera Pheri 2000 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Priyadarshan
Written by Neeraj Vora
Based on Ramji Rao Speaking
by Siddique-Lal
Produced byA. G. Nadiadwala
Starring
Cinematography Jeeva
Edited byN. Gopalakrishnan
Music bySongs:
Anu Malik
Guest Composers:
Lalit Sen
Bally Sagoo
Background Score:
Surinder Sodhi
Production
company
A. G. Films (P) Ltd.
Release date
  • 31 March 2000 (2000-03-31)
Running time
138 mins [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹ 7.5 crore [2]
Box office₹ 17.8 crore [2]

Hera Pheri (transl. Foul Play) is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Neeraj Vora, starring Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Om Puri and Gulshan Grover. [3] The film is a remake of 1989 Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking . [4] [5] [6] [7] It is the first instalment of the Hera Pheri franchise. The plot revolves around two tenants, Raju and Shyam and a landlord Baburao Ganpatrao Apte , in desperate need of money, chance upon a ransom call via a cross connection. They hatch a plan to claim the ransom for themselves.

Contents

The film released on 31 March 2000. It was opened with mixed reviews, some of whom applauded the performances of Kumar and Rawal particularly. Although film became moderate success grossing ₹17.8cr at the box office against the budget of ₹7.5cr. It spawned a sequel, Phir Hera Pheri , released in 2006.

Over the years, the film went on to become a cult classic. [8] [9] [10] and is regarded as one of the best Hindi comedy films ever made. [11] The film is noted for its authenticity and depiction of economic problem of lower middle class families in India, situational comedy, dialogues, performances of the lead trio Kumar, Rawal and Shetty. It was voted as the best Bollywood comedy film of all time in an online poll conducted by The Indian Express . [12]

Plot

The film begins with Ghanshyam alias Shyam, a guy from Gurgaon searching for a job at a bank. Few years earlier this bank had accidentally caught fire and his father died in this incident, so according to the rule he should get the job. But there was also another person who died a few minutes after Shyam's father. As his daughter was the friend of manager, the manager wanted her to get the job. One day, Shyam accidentally bumps into a guy named Raju. Shyam mistakes Raju for a pickpocket and begins to chase him. However, he discovers the truth and the opposite occurs when Raju chases Shyam after mistaking him to be a pickpocket. Raju has his troubles, dealing with his daydreams and the unfriendly people he is working for. He is unable to keep a job and thus faces many problems.

Shyam then approaches a garage owned by a man named Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (fondly called Babu Bhaiya) and manages to get a room on rent by compromising on the amount for Babu Bhaiya's alcohol. Unbeknownst to him, Raju is staying in the same house on rent, which he hasn't paid for the last two years. The trio falls into hilarious situations that usually involve Raju instigating Shyam and purposefully trying to create a ruckus that Babu Bhaiya has to resolve. During one such fight, a girl named Anuradha Shivshankar Panikar arrives and tries to persuade Shyam to sign the Non-Objection Certificate, so that she could have the job at the bank. When Shyam refuses, Raju hatches a plot to make him sign the papers. Shyam eventually finds out that Raju deceitfully made him sign the papers and that is when the rivalry between the two hits its peak. An old friend of Shyam, Khadak Singh, comes to his place asking to return his money which Shyam took from Khadak Singh as a loan. Khadak Singh asks Shyam to pay the loan back as soon as possible or else his sister's marriage would be cancelled.

Shyam finds out that Raju has been deceiving his mother by posing as an engineer. Anuradha prepares a job resignation meanwhile and gives it to Shyam, who in return tears it up because of her mentally ill mother and the poor conditions of her home. Later, he confronts Raju who reveals that he wants to see his mother happy.

Their life takes an unexpected turn when they get a call from Kabira which is a wrong number meant for the owner of Star Fisheries, Devi Prasad. The wrong number is because of the misprint in the phone directory, which renders Star Fisheries' number as Star Garage's and vice versa. Kabira, a terrorist and kidnapper, thinking that it is Devi Prasad, tells him that his granddaughter Rinku is kidnapped and asks for a ransom. Eavesdropping on the entire conversation going between Kabira and Shyam, Raju decides to play a game.

The game involves Shyam calling Devi Prasad posing as the kidnapper and asking for double the ransom amount, which will solve their monetary problems. Shyam and Babu Bhaiya initially repel the idea, but they finally give in when Raju convinces them that even though it's wrong, this is a golden chance to earn money and also to save a life. They call the real Deviprasad and ask for double ransom. On their first attempt they wear helmets as a disguise but their attempt gets foiled by the police led by Prakash (called secretly by Devi Prasad's servant). Kabira later informs them that the ransom has been doubled. They call Deviprasad again and ask for a foolproof double ransom.

On their second attempt, they wear Zorro costumes to hide their identities. However, they reveal themselves to Devi Prasad to win his confidence and try to save Rinku from the kidnappers. But she recognizes Shyam as an imposter and Kabira gets alerted. A huge fight involving the police, Kabira's gang members, and Khadak Singh & his men, infuriated by the delay in returning the money, takes place. Rinku is saved by the trio and returned to Devi Prasad. Babu Bhaiya and Shyam go home happily intending to find Raju with the money, but they find him missing. Assuming that he has cheated them, they call the police to confess the crime. But Raju returns and reveals that he had gone only to return the money of the creditors. The police arrive and, seeing the money, arrest the trio.

In the end, Devi Prasad comes to the trio's rescue and convinces the police that it was all a misunderstanding and saves the three and they go home, richer than ever. The film ends with the trio getting a prank call from Rinku.

Cast


Production

Hera Pheri was the first time that Priyadarshan worked with Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty. He had worked with Paresh Rawal in Doli Saja Ke Rakhna . It also marked the beginning of a long association between Priyadarshan and the three actors. Following Hera Pheri, Priyadarshan has made sure that either Kumar, Shetty, Rawal, or a combination of the three actors would star in his films. The only exceptions are Dhol , Billu , Tezz and Rangrezz . Parts of the film were shot in Dubai and South Africa and Hera Pheri 3 will also be shot there. [13]

Music

Score

The film score was composed by Surinder Sodhi.

Songs

All lyrics are written by Sameer; all music is composed by Anu Malik with the exception of the song "Tun Tunak Tun", which was composed by Lalit Sen and Bally Sagoo. [14] Soundtrack album released by Saregama.

Songs
No.TitlePlaybackLength
1."Mujhse Milti Hai Ek Ladki Rozana" (Not used in the film) Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik 6:00
2."Jab Bhi Koi Haseena" K.K. 6:40
3."Main Ladki Pom Pom" Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Kavita Krishnamurthy 6:12
4."Denewala Jab Bhi Deta Deta Chhappar Phaad Ke"Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Vinod Rathod, Hariharan 6:50
5."Humba Leela"Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Vinod Rathod, Hariharan 7:58
6."Tun Tunak Tun" Richa Sharma, K.K. (in film)7:06
7."Sun Zara" (Not used in the film)Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik 7:15
8."Tun Tunak Tun" (Remix)Richa Sharma2:43
Total length:50:44

Reception and legacy

The film did not open well upon release, but picked up later and became a box office success, [11] grossing Rs. 24,25,00,000 in India. [15] Much of the acclaim went to Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal for their comic timing and acting, Film is considered Kumar's foray into comedy genre [10] and critics calling Rawal as "Baburao" is best performances ever. Aparajita Saha of Rediff stated "the movie belongs entirely to Paresh Rawal. Whatever laughter the film solicits is solely due to him. He has impeccable timing and a natural flair for comedy. Sunil Shetty's role and his performance is also too good." [16] Indiainfo wrote, "Paresh Rawal is brilliant in the film. Akshay Kumar is better than Sunil Shetty and, Namrata in a song appearance appears cold. On the whole, this film is mainly for the city audiences who can understand and appreciate subtle humour." [17]

Alok Kumar of Planet Bollywood wrote, "All in all, Priyadarshan's Hera Pheri is a delight to watch for its performances, some songs, and an interesting story line. Indian audiences would be doing Bollywood injustice if they accept an inane film like Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge and reject a thrilling and entertaining Hera Pheri. Hopefully, the film will click with the masses, and the trailors and songs, if not the stars, will pull audiences to the theaters. Namrata Shirodkar's number has already caught on strong in India. Let's see if in a dull year of flicks like Mela , Krodh , and Bulandi a good film like Hera Pheri can make an impact.". [18]

It has achieved a cult status among Indian audiences [9] and is regarded as one of the best Hindi comedy films ever made. [11] The dialogues of the film became widely famous through out the years and are used popularly in Indian memes. [19] [20] [21]

Awards and nominations

AwardsCategoryRecipients and NomineesResults
International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Actor in a Comic Role [22] Paresh Rawal Won
Filmfare Awards Best Comedian Paresh Rawal
Screen Awards Best Comic Actor Paresh Rawal
Best Screenplay Neeraj Vora
Best DialogueNeeraj Vora
Best Performance in a Comic Role Om Puri Nominated
Best StoryAnand S. Vardhan
Best EditingN. Gopalakrishnan

Sequel

Phir Hera Pheri , the sequel of this film, was released on 9 June 2006. Alongside the main trio, Bipasha Basu, Rimi Sen and Johny Lever joined the cast. The sequel was a box-office blockbuster.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akshay Kumar</span> Indian actor (born 1967)

Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, known professionally as Akshay Kumar, is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. In over 30 years of acting, Kumar has appeared in over 100 films and has won several awards, including two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, from the Government of India in 2009. Kumar is one of the most prolific actors in Indian cinema. Forbes included Kumar in their lists of both highest-paid celebrities and highest-paid actors in the world from 2015 to 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, he was the only Indian on both lists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priyadarshan</span> Indian filmmaker

Priyadarshan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Malayalam and Hindi cinema. He was one of the first directors in India to introduce rich color grading, clear sound and quality dubbing through his early Malayalam films.

The Filmfare Best Comedian Award was given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise an actor who had delivered an outstanding performance in a comic role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paresh Rawal</span> Indian actor and politician

Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor, comedian, film producer and politician known for his works notably in Hindi films, and Telugu, and a few Gujarati and a few Tamil films. He has appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various accolades. In 1994, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in the films Woh Chokri and Sir. For the latter, he received his first Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. This was followed by Ketan Mehta's Sardar, which saw him playing the lead role of freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel, a role that got him national and international acclaim. He was honoured with Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2014.

<i>Garam Masala</i> (2005 film) 2005 Indian comedy film

Garam Masala is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan, featuring Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Neha Dhupia and Rajpal Yadav. The story revolves around Makarand "Mac" Deendayal Chatpatiya (Kumar) and Shyam "Sam" Salgaonkar (Abraham), two photographer friends, who like to flirt with women constantly. After a trip abroad, Shyam decides to disrupt Makarand's life when he sees him enjoying the company of three ladies. The film is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 1985 Malayalam comedy Boeing Boeing, in turn a remake of the 1965 film of the same name.

<i>Hungama</i> (2003 film) 2003 Indian film directed by Priyadarshan

Hungama (transl. Ruckus) is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Venus Records & Tapes. The film stars Akshaye Khanna, Paresh Rawal, Aftab Shivdasani and Rimi Sen, while Shakti Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Tiku Talsania and Shoma Anand play supporting roles. It is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 1984 Malayalam film Poochakkoru Mookkuthi which itself was based on the 1980 Telugu movie Gopal Rao Gari Ammayi. It was also reported to have been inspired by the plot elements of Charles Dickens's play The Strange Gentleman.

<i>Awara Paagal Deewana</i> 2002 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film

Awara Paagal Deewana is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Vikram Bhatt. The film's music was composed by Anu Malik, and the lyrics by Sameer. It has a plot loosely inspired by The Whole Nine Yards, and features action scenes choreographed by stunt director Dion Lam, who worked on The Matrix and Hong Kong action films. It features Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Preeti Jhangiani, Aarti Chhabria, Amrita Arora and Rahul Dev.

<i>Phir Hera Pheri</i> 2006 film directed by Neeraj Vora

Phir Hera Pheri is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language comedy film written and directed by Neeraj Vora. It serves as the sequel to Hera Pheri (2000) and second installment of the Hera Pheri franchise. It stars Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal reprising their roles from the previous film with Bipasha Basu, Rimi Sen, Johnny Lever and Rajpal Yadav. The plot follows, a twist of fate changes the lives of Raju, Shyam and Baburao when they get cheated by a fraudster Anuradha. They must now find another way to repay the loan taken from a dreaded gangster Totla Seth. The central plot is copied from the 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and The Circus.

Indra Kumar is an Indian film director and producer. He had five Filmfare nominations, has also appeared in number of Gujarati. Kumar's real name is Indra Irani. His latest film produced is Thank God (2022).

<i>Bhagam Bhag</i> 2006 film by Priyadarshan

Bhagam Bhag is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language comedy thriller film written and directed by Priyadarshan from the screenplay by Neeraj Vora. It was produced by Sunil Shetty and Dhilin Mehta. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Govinda and Paresh Rawal as leads alongside Lara Dutta, Rajpal Yadav, Jackie Shroff, Arbaaz Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Manoj Joshi, Razak Khan, Sharat Saxena and Asrani. The film adapted certain subplots of Malayalam film Mannar Mathai Speaking which itself was based on the 1958 movie Vertigo.

<i>Chor Machaaye Shor</i> 2002 Indian film

Chor Machaye Shor is a 2002 Indian Hindi action comedy film. The film is directed by David Dhawan and stars Bobby Deol, Shilpa Shetty, and Bipasha Basu in the main leads while Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Rajat Bedi, and Rajpal Yadav play supporting roles. The plot of this film is copied from the 1999 Hollywood film Blue Streak.

<i>Ramji Rao Speaking</i> 1989 Indian film

Ramji Rao Speaking is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-thriller film written and directed by the duo Siddique–Lal and produced by Fazil, Swargachitra Appachan, and Ousepachan Vaalakuzhy. It stars Sai Kumar, Mukesh, Innocent, Vijayaraghavan, Devan, Rekha, with Sankaradi, Sukumari, Kunchan and Mamukkoya in other supporting roles. The film deals with social factors affecting Kerala including unemployment during the 1980s, and went on to achieve a cult classic status.

<i>De Dana Dan</i> 2009 film by Priyadarshann

De Dana Dan is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan. Its story is a partial adaptation of the Hollywood film Screwed; some scenes were taken from Vettam, Priyadarshan's Malayalam film. The film has an ensemble cast led by Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal and Sameera Reddy. Filming began on 1 December 2008 at Mehboob Studio in Mumbai. Released on 27 November 2009, it was moderately successful at the box office.

<i>Platform</i> (1993 film) 1993 Indian film

Platform is a 1993 Bollywood action film directed by Deepak Pawar and starring Ajay Devgn in the lead, with Tisca Chopra, Prithvi, and Paresh Rawal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neeraj Vora</span> Indian film director

Neeraj Vora was an Indian film director, writer, actor and composer from Gujarat. He made a mark in Bollywood with his work as a writer for Ram Gopal Verma's film Rangeela (1995). His directorial debut was Akshay Kumar starrer Khiladi 420 in 2000 and also directed Phir Hera Pheri (2006). He has written screenplay and dialogues of some popular Bollywood comedy films including Hera Pheri franchise, Garam Masala (2005), Bhagam Bhag (2006), Golmaal : fun unlimited (2006), Bhool Bhulaiya (2007). As an actor, His notable work includes Mann (1999), Hello Brother (1999), Khatta Meetha (2010), Bol Bachchan (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akshay Kumar filmography</span> List of films of Indian Actor Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar is an Indian naturalized Canadian actor, television presenter, and film producer who works in Hindi-language films. He first appeared in an unnoticed minor role in the 1987 Indian film Aaj. He debuted in a leading role with the film Saugandh (1991) before his breakthrough with the suspense thriller Khiladi (1992), the first film of the Khiladi series. He established himself as an action hero with the films Deedar (1992), Mohra (1994), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Suhaag (1994), and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996). Kumar earned his first Filmfare Awards nominations for the romantic films Yeh Dillagi (1994) and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). However, several other of his 1990s releases performed poorly at the box office, leading to a brief setback in his film career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priyadarshan filmography</span> List of films by Priyadarshan

Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Priyadarsan movies are mostly known for their comedy but he did an artistically historical epic film about freedom fighters in India known as Kaalapani and his epic period drama is Kancheevaram. In a career spanning almost three decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 90 films in several Indian languages, predominantly Malayalam and Hindi, besides six in Tamil, and two in Telugu. Though he began his career in Malayalam cinema in 1984, Priyadarshan was active mainly in Hindi cinema for 2001–2010. In 2013, he announced Rangrezz would be his last Hindi film for a while; and he is shifting focus to Malayalam Cinema.

Hera Pheri is a series of Indian comedy films. The first film is directed by Priyadarshan and produced by A.G. Nadiadwala, the second film was directed by Neeraj Vora while third will be directed by Farhad Samji and produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwala. The first film of the series was the remake of the Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking while the second film's central plot takes inspiration from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the circus sequences were taken from the Charlie Chaplin film The Circus. The series stars Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. The third installment of the series is in development.

<i>Hungama 2</i> 2021 film directed by Priyadarshan

Hungama 2 is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and jointly produced by Ratan Jain, Ganesh Jain, Chetan Jain and Armaan Ventures. It is the spiritual sequel of Priyadarshan's own 2003 film Hungama. It is loosely based on Priyadarshan's own 1994 Malayalam film Minnaram with a comedy sequence borrowed from his other Malayalam film Vandanam (1989) both starring Mohanlal. The film stars Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty, Meezaan Jafri and Pranitha Subhash.

Farhad Samji is an Indian writer, singer, lyricist, actor, music and film director who works in Hindi cinema. He is known for directing Housefull 4, Bachchhan Paandey, and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan independently. He has also made special appearances in films like Baaghi 3 and Coolie No. 1. He is famous for his works with his brother, Sajid Samji. The duo together is known as Sajid - Farhad and are known for directing films like Entertainment and Housefull 3.

References

  1. ↑ "HERA PHERI | British Board of Film Classification". bbfc.co.uk.
  2. 1 2 "Hera Pheri – Movie – Box Office India". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  3. ↑ Jain, Mimmy (3 April 2000). "Three for a laugh". Express India. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Priyardarshan on 20 years of 'Hera Pheri': Humour can never die - Times of India". The Times of India .
  5. ↑ "Humour can never die: Priyadarshan on 20 years of Hera Pheri | Celebrities News – India TV". 31 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Hera Pheri 3 cast: Kartik Aaryan to replace Akshay Kumar?". 18 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Varun Dhawan declined to play Raju in Hera Pheri 3" . Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Akshay Kumar: A Khiladi For All Seasons". HuffPost. 30 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  9. 1 2 Vijayakar, Rajiv (21 May 2010). "Cult, Comic & Classic". Screen India . Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  10. 1 2 "20 years of Hera Pheri: Revisiting Priyadarshan's classic comedy film and what makes it such a cult favourite-Entertainment News , Firstpost". 31 March 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 "Abhi, Sanju, Nana in Hera Pheri 3". The Times of India . 19 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  12. ↑ "Surfers pick 'Hera Pheri', 'Andaz Apna Apna' as top Hindi comedy films of all time in Indian Express online poll". The Indian Express. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  13. ↑ Editor/reporter), Arti Dani (sub. "Hera Pheri 3 to take off in the UAE". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 20 March 2019.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  14. ↑ "Hera Pheri: Audio Listing". Bollywood Hungama . Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  15. ↑ "Box Office 2000". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  16. ↑ Saha, Aparajita (31 March 2000). "The review of Hera Pheri". Rediff. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  17. ↑ "Bollywood masala: Reviews - Hera Pheri". 13 December 2000. Archived from the original on 13 December 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  18. ↑ Kumar, Alok. "Film Reviews: Hera Pheri". Planet Bollywood. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  19. ↑ "लॉकडाउन से लेकर क्वारंटीन, सब पर हैं हेरा फेरी मीम". Navbharat Times (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "21 years of Hera Pheri: Check out hilarious memes of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal's film". Jagran English. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  21. ↑ "If you're going to see one thing today let it be 'The Daily Hera Pheri Meme Project'". Hindustan Times. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  22. ↑ "Paresh Rawal Awards: List of awards and nominations received by Paresh Rawal | Times of India Entertainment". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.