Paresh Rawal on struggle trying to shake off ‘Hera Pheri’ image: ‘Mujhe dum ghutta hain, isse mukti chahiye’

Paresh Rawal’s portrayal of Babu Rao in ‘Hera Pheri’ remains one of his most iconic performances to date. However, in a recent interview with The Lallantop, the veteran actor opened up about how the overwhelming popularity of the role also felt restrictive. Rawal candidly admitted that while the love for Babu Rao is heartwarming, the typecasting that followed left him yearning for artistic freedom.
‘Woh gale ka fanda hai’
Paresh revealed that soon after the release of 'Phir Hera Pheri' in 2006, he approached filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj in 2007 to break away from the comedic image. Sharing his emotions, Paresh said, "Woh gale ka fanda hain." He explained how every role offered to him started to have too many similarities with Babu Rao, and as a serious actor, he found it increasingly stifling to remain trapped in that portrayal.
Even years later, Rawal continued to seek liberation from the Babu Rao stereotype. In 2022, he turned to director R Balki with a heartfelt request and asked for a role that could either reinterpret his iconic getup with a fresh character or offer something entirely different. "Mujhe dum ghutta hain," Paresh said, expressing the suffocation he felt despite the happiness that Babu Rao’s legacy brought him.
Paresh is set to return as Babu Rao once again, with ‘Hera Pheri 3’ which was officially announced by director Priyadarshan earlier this year. The film will reunite him with Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty.
Paresh was last seen in ‘Jo Tera Hai Woh Mera Hai’, directed by Raj Trivedi, alongside Amit Sial and Sonali Kulkarni.