Amidst the ongoing buzz surrounding "Hera Pheri 3," director Priyadarshan has addressed long-standing rumors about Akshay Kumar's alleged interference in the 2005 film "Garam Masala," specifically regarding the editing of John Abraham's role. The director has firmly denied these claims, asserting his creative control and dismissing the gossip as baseless.

The controversy resurfaced at a time when "Hera Pheri 3," is facing hurdles, including Paresh Rawal's recent exit from the project. Rawal's legal team cited the lack of a finalized script and agreement as the reason for his departure, leading to counter-allegations of unprofessionalism from Akshay Kumar's side. In light of these events, an old interview with Priyadarshan has gained renewed attention, where he addressed similar rumors that plagued "Garam Masala" during its release.

"Am I an idiot to let one of my actors make my film for me?" Priyadarshan stated emphatically in the interview, refuting the notion that Akshay Kumar had any influence over the final cut of "Garam Masala." He described the rumors as "a figment of a troublesome journalist's imagination," suggesting that they were a form of publicity, which he did not endorse. He further added, "I've been around for too long to let actors dictate to me."

Priyadarshan clarified that Akshay Kumar never expressed any desire to encroach upon John Abraham's screen time or character development. According to the director, Kumar respected the established boundaries and the collaborative nature of the project. He also mentioned that he had been in contact with John Abraham, who had never voiced any concerns or grievances about Akshay Kumar's behavior during the production of "Garam Masala". "Akshay never showed the slightest inclination to invade John's territory. In fact, I've been in touch with John. Not once has he expressed any grievance against Akshay. So who are these people spreading these rumours?" Priyadarshan questioned.

"Garam Masala" is a comedy film that revolves around two photographer friends, Makarand "Mac" Deendayal Chatpatiya (Akshay Kumar) and Shyam "Sam" Salgaonkar (John Abraham), who are both womanizers. The film is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 1985 Malayalam comedy "Boeing Boeing" and features Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Neha Dhupia, and Rajpal Yadav in supporting roles.

John Abraham has also spoken positively about his experience working on "Garam Masala" and his camaraderie with Akshay Kumar. He has expressed interest in a sequel, stating that he and Akshay have discussed the possibility and look forward to collaborating on a similar project. "I would love to do Garam Masala 2. Akshay and I have discussed it and we look forward to doing something like that. I still laugh thinking about it,” Abraham said.

Priyadarshan also commented on the "Hera Pheri 3" controversy, stating that Akshay Kumar was deeply upset by Paresh Rawal's decision to leave the project without informing him or the rest of the cast. He emphasized the financial implications of Rawal's departure, as contracts had already been signed and the cast had even shot a scene and teaser together.