2000 · Film
Hera Pheri
Priyadarshan's comedy about two broke tenants and their debt-ridden landlord in Mumbai who try to cash in on a kidnapping ransom call they overhear by chance.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Hera Pheri is free to watch in India on YouTube.
- Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
Shyam arrives in Mumbai hoping to take over his late father's bank job, only to find the post may go to someone else. He ends up renting a room at Star Garage, owned by Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, a landlord drowning in old family debts. His fellow tenant is Raju, a daydreaming chancer who has not paid rent in two years and dreams of easy money. The three bicker constantly and are all desperate for cash, until a crossed telephone line lets them overhear a kidnapper's ransom call.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A good pick for anyone who enjoys situational, dialogue-driven comedy about money troubles and mix-ups. It is light enough for most family viewing, though the plot turns on a kidnapping and ransom, with some comic peril and threats.
Genres:Comedy
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Hera Pheri is a remake of the 1989 Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking, written by Siddique-Lal, with an adapted screenplay and dialogue by Neeraj Vora. It is the first film in the Hera Pheri series; the sequel Phir Hera Pheri followed on 9 June 2006, and Wikipedia lists a third film as in production.
The film opened on 31 March 2000. Wikipedia notes that it was not an immediate hit but went on to become a box office success, against a reported budget of ₹7.5 crore. Paresh Rawal won the Filmfare Award for Best Comedian for playing Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, along with the IIFA and Screen awards for comic acting, and Neeraj Vora won Screen awards for screenplay and dialogue. In a 2014 online poll by The Indian Express, readers voted it the best Bollywood comedy of all time. It was remade in Telugu as Dhanalakshmi, I Love You (2002).
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Comedy, Crime caper
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Director
- Priyadarshan
- Cast
- Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Tabu, Om Puri
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Hera Pheri in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Hera Pheri is free to watch in India on YouTube.
- Is Hera Pheri in Hindi?
- Yes. Hera Pheri is a Hindi-language film.
- How long is Hera Pheri?
- Hera Pheri runs for 2 hours 18 minutes (138 minutes).