Overview
Three hapless men stumble into a scheme that could change their fortunes forever.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- boisterous
- irreverent
- witty
- lazy sunday
- group comedy night
What critics said
Critics and audiences broadly regard the film as an enduringly entertaining Hindi comedy, especially for its memorable characters, comic timing, and ensemble chemistry.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Baburao, Raju, and Shyam exploit a kidnapper's call to invent their own ransom scheme.
The landlord and his two tenants quarrel constantly yet must cooperate to pursue the ransom money.
The protagonists pretend to be the kidnappers, inflate the ransom, and plan to keep the difference.
Baburao's severe near-sightedness and Paresh Rawal's broad performance are central to the film's comic situations.
Films like Hera Pheri, and why
Andaz Apna Apna
farce built around bungling criminals, escalating misunderstandings, and tightly coordinated comic performances
Welcome
Hindi ensemble comedy driven by hapless schemes, comic rivalry, and escalating chaos
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
crime-inflected farce combining desperate characters, mistaken plans, and broad physical humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Priyadarshan
- Release Date
- 2000-03-31
- Runtime
- 156 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (325)
Cast
- Akshay Kumar
- Suniel Shetty
- Paresh Rawal
- Tabu
- Om Puri
- Gulshan Grover
- Kulbhushan Kharbanda
- Mukesh Khanna
- Asrani
- Razak Khan
Common questions
- What is Hera Pheri about?
- Three financially desperate housemates turn a kidnapper’s ransom call into an increasingly chaotic amateur scam.
- What is Hera Pheri like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hera Pheri as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hera Pheri violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Hera Pheri as mild.
- What did critics think of Hera Pheri?
- Critics and audiences broadly regard the film as an enduringly entertaining Hindi comedy, especially for its memorable characters, comic timing, and ensemble chemistry.
- Which films are like Hera Pheri?
- Films with a similar feel include Andaz Apna Apna, Welcome, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
- How long is Hera Pheri?
- Hera Pheri runs 156 minutes.
