User Reviews (127)

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  • Don't rate this movie if you don't know Hindi well, you won't just get it. Imagine Morgan Freeman getting some subpar dubbing in The Shawshank, how will it sound? It's the same thing here, if not more. Paresh Rawal (Baburao) gave his best and one of the best and famous performances in the history of Bollywood here. But you won't get any of it if you don't know hindi well. I just read some of the English dubbed lines those sound stupid! They can't judge Baburao.

    So my request, if you don't know Hindi well, please don't rate it. This movie wasn't meant for you.
  • You can watch this movie with the iconic characters any time any where. It won't ever let you get bored.
  • ab-4753116 September 2019
    Hilarious, relatable, and actually deeper in it's relationships than it ever should have been. Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, and Paresh Rawal have perfect chemistry in this movie. I end up quoting it weekly, songs aren't the best but the main focus is comedy and the movie shines. Worth a watch
  • Oh God how can anyone give Hera Pheri one star. God damn it, they have not enough sense of humor to crack Jokes of this film.

    See some nonsense foreigners are saying worse Indian movie ever. Dear bro & sis, If you really want to enjoy Hera Pheri learn Hindi first. Unlike other Indian film subtitle can't give Justice Hera Pheri. Surely they have ruined humor of dialogues.
  • Hera Pheri is a film set in Mumbai and is not your run of the mill slapstick comedy that directors like David Dhawan indulge in. The movie is directed by Priyadarshan who proved that after making such wonderful and serious film like Virasat, he can also direct a comedy with élan.

    This film is a comedy of error. Set in a Mumbai slum where our three protagonists dwell, the movie depicts the hilarious moments created by the simplicity and/or stupidity of the characters. The look of the film is that of an art film. By the look of it, it seems as if it is going to be a really serious movie but it turns out to be one roller-coaster ride of laughter.

    The cast of the film includes Sunil Shetty who plays an unemployed guy who comes to Mumbai looking for work and a place to live. He lands up at the house of a simple man played deftly by Paresh Rawal who takes Sunil in. However, there is another person living in the house, namely Raju. Played by Akshay Kumar, Raju is the mischief monger and good for nothing. He keeps on getting jobs and losing them quickly. The story is taken forward by a phone call by the gangster Kabira who keeps on saying that he has kidnapped his grand daughter (sunil takes the call) and wants ransom. This call kickstarts a mayhem. Which ultimately leads us to the climax of the film where the protagonists end up becoming millionaires.

    Each and every member of the cast is brilliant in the performance of their roles. Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar's careers were in doldrums when this film released and both of them gave a stunning performance. Especially Akshay Kumar shows impeccable comic timing. Akshay Kumar is considered of the best comic actors of Bollywood these days after performing comic roles in films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Khakee, Aawara Paagal Deewana and Waqt.

    However, the show stealer is none other that the unbelievable Paresh Rawal who plays Baburao Ganpatrao Apte. He is an absolute delight to watch. It will be an understatement to say that he completely overshadows the rest of the actors with his marvellous portrayal of a poor Mumbaiyya simpleton. This film changed the course of his career and he is now reckoned as a character actor who adds to the star value of a film.

    The music is not that good though. The song "Main Ladka Pom Pom" is hilarious though. The picturization keeps you in splits even though the song is irritating if you only listen to the audio. The real hero of the film is the dialogue writer Neeraj Vohra who comes up with some never before heard one liners. Anyone who wants another example of his great work must watch Aawara Paagal Deewana. In short, a film for every comedy lover. Some clean entertainment. Moreover, I can confidently say that this is the best comedy film i have seen in my life. Brilliant!
  • kashyapsjs10 July 2019
    10/10
    Best
    The movie that defined comedy in hindi cinema, a too good remake of an already good Ramji rao speaking!
  • Must watch in a lifetime.I love this movie.So much of extraordinary comedy of golden Indian movies are present in this one.Masterpiece of comedy
  • It is a light-heart old Indian comic , suitable only for the audience from Indian Sub-continent. My dear Non-Hindi speaking friends , its a good movie only if you understand Hindi . Does not make any sense for you to watch the movie dubbed in any other language ( as the comedy and timing goes well with the native language) because it is in TOP 250 list and then write a review that would be titled as "Spoiled My day " . No offense to anyone , everyone has their freedom to express their views like I did :)

    I have seen many non-Indian friends complaining about this , thus writing this review .
  • durjoychy26 June 2019
    You won't believe it but it is true that I have seen this movie 17 times and I am still not tired of watching. I saw it on the theatres first and I loved it and then I bought it on DVD. This movie rocks. I love the performance of Paresh Rawal. Akshay kumar and sunil shetty also gives great performances. This movie really makes me laugh. My rating- 10/10
  • Priyadarshan has a habit of making either extremely boring movies or extremely colourful ones, and I am happy to say that this is one of his finer efforts. This movie is a fun ride from start to finish. The characters are well projected and have a solid background, but more importantly the storyline is well written without flaws, which makes this clean comedy. Bravo Priyadarshan!!!

    PS:Never thought someone would give a leading role to Paresh Rawal

    I give it a 9/10
  • A movie is funny, when you can laugh at Om Puri. In fact he brings more laughs than the main characters. I could easily compare him to Robert De Nero, who excelled in "Analyze Me" and he never envisioned himself as a funny actor. The script is superb and the laughter is infectious with the venerable master of comedy, Paresh Rawal, at the helm. Akshay Kumar, who is other wise pathetic in serious roles, makes a good team with the muscle man Shetty, whose acting skills, are in the same range as Kumar's! After "Padosan" there has been some sprinkling of comedy, more like buffoonery, with the likes of Aaamir Khan, Johnny Lever and Shakti Kapoor, whose comedy interludes appeal to the "sophisticated front bencher's" who like fart jokes and toilet humor and Anti-Indian and demeaning humor produced by the "Benchods of Bollywood" as in films like "Three Idiots", "Delhi Belly" etc. The front benchers like filth since they live in the slums and this is the best they have seen in their life. They worship these "Monkey's of Mumbai" the Midget, The Ugly and The Apeman, since they are promoted by the "Media Maggots of Mumbai" who give glorious reviews for the price of banana thrown at them time to time. The comedy was generally demeaning, cheap and vulgar. But the audience had to put up with this, since there was no alternative, and they were not to blame since the scribes were not funny in the first place. The scene is changing with the script-writers and director the caliber of Priyadarshan. This is one funny movie that has opened the flood-gate for movies like "Mallammal Weekly" and others.
  • I have watched more than 100 times still don't get bore by hera pheri. It's the best comedy film of all time. Must watch.
  • It's a great comedy and you will enjoy it a lot but only if you are an Indian. If you are a foreigner who is just watching this movie for a cinematic experience or because of it's high rating, then I really suggest you should not watch it. Most of you who have seen believe that it's because of Indian culture is why you didn't liked it but the reason which made this movie amazing was because of it's humourous dialogues and the manner and the language in which they were spoken,but if you are watching this movie with the help of subtitles you will never in a million years experience the feeling that this movie wants to display.
  • I'm starting to think I simply don't get Indian humour. Every single comedy I've seen from that country has left me banging my head against the proverbial wall. But, oddly enough, this only applies when they're pure comedies. If they're comedic dramas like 3 Idiots or Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., I like them just fine. But if they're supposed to be comedy classics, they've left me cold.

    Hera Pheri being no exception. The story is about these three dudes. Two vagabonds and good-for-nothings who are bunking with this third dude, their quote-unquote landlord. They're all suffering from poor prospects and crippling money shortcomings. That is, until a kidnapper accidentally contacts them instead of his intended target. And they decide to insert themselves as the middle-man into this situation.

    It's a workable plot. I've heard much worse. Unfortunately, I simply loathe the execution. The two vagabonds, played by Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty, are insufferable. You want nothing more than to slap them on their heads and tell them to shape up and take responsibility once in their lives. Their landlord, played by Paresh Rawal, is the only sympathetic character in the movie, and even he plays it way over the top in a way that I haven't seen in a Western movie since the middle of the last century. The constant singing and dancing doesn't help.

    Cultural differences, I know, but it's still a rather tall order for me to ask one of my friends to sit through a comedy way over two hours long if I didn't laugh even once during its run-time.

    Apparently this is a beloved comedy classic in India. And if they find the film hilarious, power to them. Personally, I regret the hours I had to spend watching this.
  • Akshay kumar is best actor. All actor is best. Best comedy of bollywood. Best direction. Best screenplay. Best editing.
  • Wow, This is what I call a great comedy in 2-3 hours, it will make you laugh as you are suppose to laugh. Great acting by Paresh Rawal will make you feel that he is the best for the role given to him and he did justice with what has been given to him. Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar has done there part very good, but I think the crown for the movie goes to Paresh Rawal.

    A good movie, with good story and excellent comedy. Its a must watch for people who like to enjoy there spare time.
  • Everyone knows that. No need to review this film. It's a masterpiece. Watch it now if you haven't watched it. It's a masterpiece.
  • Talk of comedy in Indian cinema , and anybody would snap "Hera Pheri". This is one of the movies which make a permanent imprint on your mind and give you a lot to talk about. With snappy dialogs , impeccable story and a perfect combination of actors and actresses this is certainly a must see. With Indian cinema being crippled by the "HIGH" emotional dramas containing stories of ultimate suffering of impossible proportions, Hera Pheri was the turning point, where all the bollywood film industry saw the power of a simple comedy. Starring Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty , Akshay Kumar , Tabu , Asrani, Om Puri , Gulshan Grover Hera Pheri had all the ingredients of a super hit. If you hate Indian movies and are against all the high melodrama dose you get free with a DVD of Indian movie, Hera Pheri is just the movie for you. With a sequel now being aired "Phir Hera Pheri" which is too good for a sequel. Go watch both of these movies and have a big laugh.
  • I never expected much from this movie, because of the cast: Fading Sunil Shetty, sabseboringKhiladi/monkeyboy Akki and serious Tabu. The only hope i had was in Paresh Rawal. After seeing him in the hilarious Andaz Apna Apna (Highly recommended), he was to be taken notice of.

    So when I did watch it I was shocked to say the least. I found Hera Pheri to be one the best comedies of the decade. Just forget about the cheap attempts of David Dhawan called comedy. This is the real deal.

    The story is simple (as is with many good movies). The 3 protagonists Shyam (Sunil Shetty), Raju (Akshay Kumar) and Babu Rao (Paresh Rawal) are all in dire need of money. Shyam needs it to pay back an old friend (Om Puri) so he can get his(as in Puri's) sister married. Raju needs it for his mother and Babu Rao to pay back loans his father took. When a local rich man's grand daughter gets kidnapped by 'dangerous' gangster Kabira (Gulshan Grover) calls Babu Rao's number by mistake, Raju sees an end to all their problems. He suggests they play a game, do some hera pheri. And the movie is off to take you for an awesome ride.

    Performances by far surprised me. Sunil Shetty I never liked, but his performance as the somewhat naive do-gooder was wonderful. Akki ape also surprised me in his sense of comedic timing. But Paresh was the biggest surprise. Even though he was my only hope for this movie, he came out ten times better than I expected. He deserved the best comedian Filmfare Award, that he did receive for 2000. Tabu (Anu) as another person in need of money who fights with Shyam for a job is also competent. It is a small role but as always she leaves her mark. Asrani in a tiny role also gives some laughs. Om Puri was also excellent in his small role.

    So Bravo Priyadarshan saheb! Once again you've shown that you are a unique and intelligent filmmaker with a lot of tricks up your sleeve. One tip though, don't think too much about the logic of the story or the probability. Just turn off your brain for a few hours and enjoy. You'll find yourself cracking up every time you think of "Kabira speaking". Watch the movie and you'll know what I mean.
  • bhartiabhinav-7860518 August 2019
    10/10
    Classic
    One of the greatest movie ever made in Bollywood, it fills you with laughter, joy. A cult classic.
  • Hera pheri is one of my all time favourite comedy movie, all the characters and their dialogues are still remembered especially Paresh Rawal's role Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (one of the most highlighted characters of the movie) and the dialogues are really catchy "Khopdi tor saale ka", Kutria saala dekh ke number dial kar", "Aurat ka chakkar Babubhaiya", "Yeh Baburao ka style hai" "Khadak Singh ke kharak ne se", "Kabira speaking" and many more. Akshay Kumar is great, Sunil Shetty is also great and Paresh Rawal steals the show and the rest of the supporting casts are good too. The songs are good, screenplay is good, storyline is good and mostly direction is also good. It's one of those classic comedy movies like Andaz apna apna and Jaane bhi do yaaro

    10 out 10 stars
  • I just saw the movie for the twelfth time, and my ribs are still cracking from laughter.

    Hera Pheri is an amazing movie. Typical Priyadarshan movie - a scan mishandled by a bunch of novices leading to a comedy of errors, the movie has excellent comic timing and witty one-liners. Without giving away the plot, I can mention few instances, for instance when Sunil Shetty gives the kidnapping threat - "I'll cut your dog to pieces and feed it to your granddaughter" (It's the other way round - granddaughter was to be killed in the threat"

    Jokes apart, the movie has an excellent depiction of the problems faced by the urban poor - those who flock to the cities in search of opportunities, the bonds of friendships among the people in small communities, bureaucratic mess and a load of others, lending a humane side to the comedy The performances are good, particularly Paresh Rawal, the crude garage owner with a heart of gold. Music, thankfully, takes a backdrop in the movie, and the romantic portions (a bane on Bollywood movies) are limited to a few.

    Rating: ******** and a big thumbs up to Priyadarshan. All in all, a great family movie (the few crude alcoholic jokes not- withstanding), one that you would doubtlessly enjoy many times over.
  • sdr0521 August 2007
    This along with Andaz Apna Apna are my most favorite Bollywood Comedy Movies. Every time I watch Heara Pheri I just can't stop laughing. The first time I watched it I couldn't sleep most of that night because I just continued to laugh on my bed.10 on 10 for me. Although I enjoyed other comedy movies of Priyadarshan like Hungama, Hulchul & Garam Masala and thought those were no less than Hera Pheri, but later when I watched those again they were not so funny as Hera Pheri. Akshay Kumar's acting was great but Paresh Rawal with his character Babu Rao is the one who steals the show, Sunil Shetty, Tabu and Om Puri also played their parts well.

    Hera Pheri I believe is a milestone in Bollywood because it showed that you don't always need a emotional romantic/patriotic movie to produce a Hit Movie. This movie started a much needed trend of Bollywood Comedies that relied more on stories, errors and confusions for its fun element breaking away from those cliché slapstick comedies of David Dhawan starring Govinda.

    However the sequel to this movie Phir Hera Pheri I must say was disappointing, the first half was OK but the second half was really poor especially the circus scenes. That movie I guess lacked the Priyadarshan touch . Anyways there are talks about a third version of Hera Pheri and that I hope will be as funny as this one.

    BTW this movie is a remake of a Southern Movie...So those who have a problem with remakes and also those who lack a Sense of Humor should stay away.
  • SnoopyStyle22 March 2021
    Shyam has come to the bank to demand a job. He's the son of a dead bank worker and therefore entitled to a job. The bank manager is unwilling to help and puts up delays. Raju is a daydreamer and his work suffers. Both Shyam and Raju mistake each other for pickpockets. They become rival flat-mates with Baburao Ganpatrao Apte as their landlord. Anuradha needs Shyam to give up the job demand so that she can take it for herself. Shyam refuses but Raju comes up with a scheme.

    Bollywood is not my thing. More specifically, the comedy is not translating well and the dancing is not acrobatic enough to be thrilling. It is choreographed song and dance that goes on too long. It's not the fun that it is supposed to be. Aside from that, the characters fail to grab me out of the gate. I find Shyam somewhat whiney and the job situation is perplexing. Is that even a thing in the year 2000? Raju is downright rude. I expected them to be buddies in a buddy comedy from the beginning and these guys hate each other in a non-fun way. I do like that they go into a scam together. It would have been better to steal from the bank and make the manager the fall guy. As for comedy, I only really laughed at the pickup joke early on. The caper is quirky chaos with no big laughs. I don't like climaxing in an empty warehouse. I would prefer a more fun location. All in all, Bollywood comedies and musicals are going to be tough. It's not translating well for me.
  • Warning: Spoilers
    There apparently is something I'm missing big time with this film. The effusive praise by many reviewers on this board calling it the best or funniest movie ever is completely lost on me. At present, I've seen an even dozen pictures from India, and they run the gamut from excellent (2015's "Drishyam") to dumb and dumber ("Andaz, Apna, Apna"). By further comparison, 2009's "3 Idiots" was immensely more satisfying to watch than the three idiots in this picture. To be quite honest, the principal reason I'm drawn to Hindi titles is their placement on IMDb's 'Top 250' film lists, with a personal goal of watching and reviewing all the ones I can. This one, I have to tell you, was a chore to get through. Since we're talking in three's here, this would have made more sense to be called 'The Three Stooges of India', in which case I would have been better prepared for the pratfalls and nonsense going on. By this time I'm well aware that Hindi films often easily exceed two hours, padded by a handful of musical song and dance numbers. That was the case here as well, but my oh my, the second one in this story had to go at least ten minutes. It was so long that one of the principal characters had four or five wardrobe changes! I haven't given up on Indian movies as a result of this picture, but I have to be honest, this one was hard to take.
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