Hera Pheri 2000

Ghanshyam, a.k.a. Shyam Suniel Shetty arrives in Mumbai from Gurgaon, hoping to land a job at the private bank where his late father Sundarlal once worked. The bank manager explains that Sundarlal died in a fire, and by the company’s rules the opening should go to Shivshankar Panikar’s heir. Shivshankar’s daughter, Anuradha Tabu, has also applied for the position, and since Shivshankar was senior to Sundarlal, she is given priority, leaving Shyam disappointed but not defeated.

Soon after, Shyam crosses paths with Raju Akshay Kumar, whom he initially mistakes for a pickpocket and chases. The chase reveals a comic clash of misperceptions: Raju, who struggles with daydreams and short-lived jobs, tries to pull off easy money schemes while not believing in hard work. He even deceives his own mother, Savitri Devi, who lives in an old-age home in Mumbai and clings to the belief that her son is a successful engineer in Kolkata. The two men’ s encounters gradually pull them into a shared orbit around money, luck, and escalating schemes.

Baburao Ganpatrao Apte [Paresh Rawal] is the proprietor of the struggling garage that Shyam moves into as a tenant. His place, called the Star Garage, already hosts another tenant who hasn’t paid rent for two years: Raju. Baburao is a kind, if scatterbrained, man who must juggle creditors and the chaos of daily life, and his bespectacled, near-sighted habit makes him a sympathetic but overwhelmed figure in a web of debts and demands. The trio’s living arrangement leads to endless, humorous spats as they muddle through money troubles, petty feuds, and improvised schemes, with Baburao often the only one left to clean up the mess.

Anuradha visits the trio to persuade Shyam to sign an NOC so she can keep the bank job. Shyam refuses, and Raju steps in to help, twisting the situation until Anuradha’s resignation is contemplated. Anuradha reveals her own hardship and, moved by the situation, tears up the resignation instead of signing it, insisting that Shyam should keep the job. This moment deepens the bond between the friends, and Shyam’s tough stand softens Raju’s stubbornness. The trio grows closer as they realize they can support one another against fate and circumstance.

Meanwhile, Khadak Singh, an old friend of Shyam from Gurgaon, appears with a heavy demand: Shyam must repay ₹35,000 or face severe consequences that could threaten Banno’s wedding and even lead to tragedy. Faced with this threat, Shyam contemplates giving up the bank job and instead borrowing ₹35,000 from Anuradha to clear his debt. He discovers Anuradha’s poverty, her own struggles with rent, and her quiet dignity—leading him to decide against pressuring her and to keep her job, a decision that rekindles their mutual respect.

A softer revelation follows when Shyam confronts Raju about his deception toward his own mother. Raju breaks down, admitting that his mother is real and that he will go to great lengths to protect her heart. This confession touches Shyam and Baburao, and the three men begin to see the value of their alliance rather than chasing hollow gains. Their shared grievances and empathy turn common mischief into a moral resolve to face their financial woes together.

Opportunity arrives in the form of a mistaken phone call at Baburao’s shop. Kabira, a gangster [Gulshan Grover], believes he’s speaking to Devi Prasad, the wealthy owner of Star Fisheries (a misprint in the phone directory has swapped the numbers with Baburao’s line). Kabira’s granddaughter, Rinku, has been kidnapped and a ransom of ₹10 lakhs is demanded. Seizing the moment, the trio decides to pose as Devi Prasad’s kidnappers and double the ransom to ₹20 lakhs, planning to pocket the extra money with Kabira’s gang. Although Shyam and Baburao hesitate at first, Raju’s push toward “a golden chance to earn easy money” overcomes their scruples. Devi Prasad is unaware of the deception, while his servant inadvertently alerts the police.

Their first attempt draws the police to the exchange point, but Devi Prasad helps them escape so his granddaughter can be returned safely. Kabira retaliates by doubling the ransom to ₹20 lakhs, and the trio grows bolder, pursuing a foolproof ₹40 lakhs. Devi Prasad agrees to a second meet at an underground parking lot near a stadium. This time, Devi Prasad raises questions about his granddaughter, and the trio must reveal their lack of real kidnapping credentials. They promise to return Rinku, but Devi Prasad hands over the money anyway, and the trio splits the cash with Kabira’s gang.

The operation spirals into chaos when Rinku recognizes they are imposters, triggering a large-scale confrontation involving Kabira’s gang, the police, and Khadak Singh’s henchmen. Khadak Singh escapes amid the melee, but the trio manages to reunite Rinku with her grateful grandfather. After this, Raju disappears with both bags containing ₹40 lakhs, leaving Shyam and Baburao convinced he has betrayed them and runaway with the money and his mother. In fact, the situation takes an emotional turn: Raju returns hours later with the money to repay Shyam’s debt to Khadak Singh, and the bag also contains documents for his mother’s discharge from the old-age home.

As it becomes clear that the trio’s actions were not truly criminal, the police move to arrest them, but Devi Prasad arrives to vouch for their innocence. He allows the three to keep the money as a reward for saving his granddaughter, amounting to ₹39.65 lakhs, and the friends are finally free to celebrate their narrow escape. The film closes on a lighter, playful note when a prank call from Rinku—shouting, “Kabira Speaking!”—echoes through the room, and the three men burst into relieved laughter at their shared misadventure and the life they’ve built together.