Paresh Rawal recently made headlines for stating in an interview that he considers Akshay Kumar a colleague, not a friend. The comment sparked speculation, especially as the duo has collaborated on films like Hera Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Garam Masala, Welcome, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Oh My God, among others. Now, in an interview, the veteran actor clarified that there is no issue between him and Akshay.
While talking to Bollywood Hungama, Paresh sighed and said, “Maatha kharab ho gaya, yaar! I simply said that he’s a colleague. When you say ‘friend’, it means those whom you meet 5-6 times a month and whom you talk to several times a week. Moreover, neither Akshay nor I are social. So, there’s no question of us bumping into any party. Hence, I called him a colleague. And this resulted in (speculations). People are asking ‘Kya ho gaya (aap dono ke beech)?’ Arre bhai, kuch nahin hua.”
When asked if Akshay Kumar had seen his interview, the actor said, “No, he’s a cool guy. Akshay and I have worked in at least 15-20 movies together. He’s a great guy to be friends with.”
Paresh Rawal also mentioned that he will now be more than careful after the latest controversy. “I’ll be more than careful now. I’ll now spell out everything, in black and white. People just take things out of context. It’s very tiring to clarify.”
For the unversed, during an interview with The Lallantop, Paresh Rawal was asked, “Is Akshay Kumar a friend?” To which, he replied, “Film industry mein colleague hote hain, theatre mein dost hote hain, aur school mein jigar jaan dost hote hain. But film ke andar colleague hote hain. Mere dost jinko main with respect bol saku toh Om Puri sahab the, Naseer bhai hain, Johnny Lever hain. Ye hain jinko main dost bol saku. Ek hota hai na ki with permission.”
On the work front, Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar have Bhooth Bangla, Welcome To The Jungle and Hera Pheri 3 in the pipeline.
