Phir Hera Pheri 2006

Three wealthy men—Raju [Akshay Kumar], Ghanshyam alias Shyam [Suniel Shetty], and Baburao Ganpatrao Apte [Paresh Rawal]—live in a gleaming mansion, each nursing a personal loss: Shyam has lost his beloved Anuradha Shivshanker Panikar, Raju has lost his ailing mother, and Baburao has little left to lose except his quirky common sense. They indulge in opulent pleasures and splash out on every whim, until a chance encounter with a con artist named Anuradha Munjal [Bipasha Basu] promises a shortcut to wealth. She pledges to double their money in 21 days, and Raju convinces his friends to take the gamble. The trio pools together ₹1 crore—Raju threads together ₹30 lakh from Shyam and Baburao, adds ₹50 lakh by selling their bungalow, and secures ₹20 lakh from a small-time crook, Pappu [Rajpal Yadav]—all in the hope of a quick, fat return.

What starts as a glittering wager quickly unravels into a ruinous trap. Within weeks, they discover the scam has left them financially stranded and homeless; their bungalow is gone, and they are forced to retreat to a crowded chawl. Pappu arrives at the bungalow to reclaim his share, only to discover it now houses a Parsi gun collector, pulling him deeper into danger. Pappu’s troubles multiply when he has borrowed from the feared Tiwari [Sharat Saxena], who makes it clear that the debt must be paid or the consequences will be dire. The trio, now fugitives in their own city, are dragged back into danger as Tiwari’s goons close in.

A new twist arrives when they stumble upon Anjali, the chawl accountant’s daughter [Rimi Sen], and realize she has become entangled in the mess as Pappu’s sister. When Anjali is kidnapped by Tiwari’s men to force repayment, Raju, Shyam, and Baburao decide to intervene and rescue her. They return to Tiwari’s lair, only to be warned that Anjali’s freedom will require a payment in cash. With time running out, the three hatch a risky plan to raise ₹40 lakh in three days.

In a bid to outsmart their captors, Raju overhears Munna Bhai plotting to steal drugs from his rival Nanji Bhai and assumes a heist could yield the cash they need. Meanwhile, Pappu’s gang is diverted to steal a collection of 15 antique guns from a Parsi gun collector. Ironically, Pappu’s men end up selling the three most valuable guns to Kachra Seth, a ruthless scrap dealer who doubles as a pawn in Tiwari’s world. The trio, in turn, purchase those same guns for their scheme. They soon realize the drugs they possess could fetch a much bigger payoff—worth at least ₹3 crores—if they trade them to the right buyers, which could also help them settle Tiwari’s loan.

The plot thickens when Anuradha reveals the entire scheme was hatched by Kabira’s close aide Chhota Chetan to take revenge on the trio. The money in their possession has already been moved into diamonds and hidden under a circus train decoration nicknamed “Kook-Doo-Koo.” Anuradha’s revelation ties the present danger to the past, drawing in Kabira [Kabeera] Gulshan Grover and his crew, and explaining why Anuradha went along with the plan only to discover her niece was being held as leverage.

As the truth surfaces, Munna Bhai [Johnny Lever] and Chhota Chetan’s men close in, while Kachra Seth and Nanji Bhai push for the return of the drugs and the guns. In a frantic sequence, the gang wars collide with a circus backdrop—the Great Royal Circus becomes the stage for the ultimate exchange. The would-be criminals pursue a windfall of fake banknotes, real guns, diamonds, and drugs, all while an escaped gorilla adds chaos to the chase. The police move in and a sweeping arrest ensues: Tiwari, Nanji Bhai, Pappu, Munna Bhai, Chhota Chetan, and the Parsi gun collector are taken into custody, while the three leads—the trio and the women they’ve grown close to—make a narrow escape with Anjali, Anuradha, and her niece in tow.

In the aftermath, Raju slips away with Pappu’s cellphone and the guns, unaware of their true value, as Baburao races to warn him from a payphone. The film closes on a tense cliffhanger: Raju teeters on the edge of a bridge, the ringing phone clenched in his mouth, while the fate of the guns and the loot remains unresolved, leaving the audience to wonder what comes next.

• Note: For the first appearances of key characters, actor links are included after the character mentions:

• Raju Akshay Kumar

• Shyam Suniel Shetty

• Baburao Ganpatrao Apte Paresh Rawal

• Anuradha Munjal Bipasha Basu

• Pappu Rajpal Yadav

• Anjali Rimi Sen

• Tiwari Sharat Saxena

• Kachra Seth Manoj Joshi

• Munna Bhai Johnny Lever

• Parsi gun collector Dinesh Hingoo

• Chhota Chetan Razak Khan

• Chhota Chetan’s associate Kabira/Kabeera Gulshan Grover

• Anja/Anjali’s sister figure Kashmera Shah Kashmera Shah

• Rinku Ann Alexia