MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; July 25, 2009)

Priyadarshan has stopped sulking. Ever since Neeraj Vohra snatched the joy out of his hands by directing his three favourite stars — Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal — in Phir Hera Pheri, the director has been waiting to bring the hit team together. Now, nine years after Priyadarshan made that laugh-a-riot Hera Pheri in 2000, he’s managed to pull it off for Ratan Jain’s De Dhana Dhan.
“I’ve made a funny film… it is for the audience to patronise it now,” said Priyan who reportedly worked like a man possessed to cast the three actors together again.

But coming together wasn’t a simple journey for the foursome. And a lot has changed since. Akshay has turned into a superstar capable of carrying a film on his own shoulders. Priyadarshan is one of the busiest directors of the industry giving one hit after the other. And, Suniel and Akshay were reportedly having a tiff. They came close to working together in Singh Is Kinng but at the last hour Suniel withdrew and Sonu Sood was taken in his place.

“It was not easy for all of us to come together. Something or the other kept happening which prevented us from working together. Though we wanted to, because Hera Pheri was a great experience, and we had the time of our lives shooting for that film. But things were just not falling in place. I’m glad that we were able to do De Dhana Dhan,” says Akshay.
meena.iyer@timesgroup.com