Paresh Rawal once spoke candidly about feeling tired of being so attached to Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, his much-loved character from the ‘Hera Pheri’ series. The actor said he wanted to move away from the image the role created, though audiences continue to celebrate him with memes, clips and reels.
His comments showed the other side of playing the comedic character that became bigger than almost any other part of his film career.
Paresh Rawal on Baburao’s photo
In an earlier interview with ETimes, Paresh Rawal addressed Baburao’s enduring popularity and said that he is tired of the constant attention the character attracts. The actor played Baburao in Hera Pheri and Hera Pheri 2, which was later titled Phir Hera Pheri, with Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty.Speaking about the character’s popularity, Rawal said: “But I’m tired of it.
I’m sick and tired of it.” His remarks came as fans continue to revisit Baburao through jokes, memes and short videos online.Rawal also explained why he felt the sequel was not as successful as the original film. “What happened is that, in Hera Pheri 2, we were too smart,” he said. “Zyada hi hoshiyari dikha rahe the apni (We were trying to act too smart). And it didn’t work.
Paresh Rawal onHera Pheri 3 ‘
Rawal also spoke about what he felt the franchise needed if another film was to move forward.
He said the character needed to return the innocence that made him work in the first place.“Jab kabhi bhi hota hai, ek to innocence chahiye wo nahi tha….wo tha hi nahi. Gandgi ho gai (Whenever that happens, it needs innocence, which was not there. It was not there….It has become messy). In fact, I would like to get rid of that image. Really,” he said, referring to the idea of ’Hera Pheri 3′.Baburao remains one of Rawal’s most iconic roles. The character’s thick glasses, comic timing, and warped innocence have become central to the franchise’s appeal. However, Rawal’s comments showed that the same popularity has also become limiting for him as an actor.
