'Munnabhai', 'Hera Pheri' brand war hots up

Mumbai, Oct 8 (IANS) After the success of the "Munnabhai" and "Hera Pheri" sequels, the two brand titles have become the hottest sellers at the turnstiles and are now competing with each other for their upcoming sequels.

Neither of the two producers - Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Feroz Nadiadwala - is taking any chances with the part three of their respective films.

Director Raj Kumar Hirani, who was at the helm of "Munnabhai M.B.B.S." and "Lage Raho Munna Bhai", and his writer Abhijat Joshi have decided to work much harder on the script of the third part of the "Munnabhai" series, which is set in the US.

The next edition from Nadiadwala was earlier to be titled "International Hera Pheri" and to be shot entirely in foreign locales, but plans have now changed and it will be set completely in Mumbai itself.

A source close to the unit told IANS: "When Feroz Nadiadwala heard that the next 'Munnabhai' will be shot in the US, he immediately took his actors Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal into confidence. They all decided that the flavour and humour of the 'Hera Pheri' series comes from its local Mumbaiyya milieu. Hence, plans to make 'International Hera Pheri' were dropped."

"Shooting slick comedies abroad has become very boring. 'Hera Pheri' gets its energy from its local milieu," the source added.

One thing is for sure. The war between the two series has definitely become fiercer.

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Munna Bhai M.B.B.S