Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi, widely admired for his comic timing and memorable performances in films such as Munna Bhai MBBS, Golmaal, and Dhamaal, recently reflected on a disappointing chapter in his otherwise fulfilling career. In a conversation with The Lallantop, the actor spoke candidly about Hulchul, calling it a confusing and unpleasant experience.

Arshad Warsi recalls being promised Akshay Kumar-like role in Hera Pheri in Hulchul; says, "We reached the set aur aisa mujhe dhakka laga"

Arshad Warsi recalls being promised Akshay Kumar-like role in Hera Pheri in Hulchul; says, “We reached the set aur aisa mujhe dhakka laga”

Arshad Warsi says he was promised a Hera Pheri–like role in Hulchul

Arshad shared that he usually does not complain about his work, but Hulchul stood out as an exception. He described the experience as a “bad” one and admitted that he felt misled about the nature of his role in the film.

“Hulchul was a problem. Humare Neeraj Vohra sahab the, I was busy doing films, and he said, ‘Arshad, ek film hai aur Priyadarshan director hai.’ I said, ‘Wow, done, what am I doing in it?’. He said tune Hera Pheri dekhi hai? Usmein jo Akshay Kumar ka role hai wohi same role hai. I was like done, it’s a damn good role,” Arshad said.

However, things changed once he arrived on set. Explaining the situation further, he added,
“But in that film I realised there is a huge difference between ‘aap dono iss film main dost hain aur aap iss film mein inke dost hain.’ We reached the set aur aisa mujhe dhakka laga, and I don’t think Priyadarshan knew about it. It’s not his fault.” He also recalled being confused by the costume he was given, saying, “I was given a shirt which was till my knee length and three-fourths sleeves. Samanjh nahi aa raha tha nighty hai yaa shirt. I was like this is a mess. But since I had given a commitment, I did the film. I wore my own clothes in half of the picture. So that was a bad experience.”

About Hulchul

Directed by Priyadarshan, Hulchul was a romantic comedy and a remake of the 1991 Malayalam film Godfather. The film featured an ensemble cast including Akshaye Khanna, Kareena Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, Arbaaz Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Farha Naaz, and Laxmi in key roles.

Arshad Warsi’s upcoming films

On the work front, Arshad Warsi will next be seen in Siddharth Anand’s King, which stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role alongside Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, and Jaideep Ahlawat. The film also marks Suhana Khan’s theatrical debut and is expected to release in 2026.

He also has Welcome To The Jungle in the pipeline, featuring Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Paresh Rawal, and others. The film is slated for a theatrical release in 2026.

Also Read: REVEALED: Arshad Warsi reveals that his son Zeke is assisting Siddharth Anand on Shah Rukh Khan’s King: “He has also assisted Rajkumar Hirani”