Hera Pheri came out at a time when Akshay Kumar was yet to become a comic actor, Paresh Rawal was playing a chilling antagonist in almost all films, and Suniel Shetty flexed his pectorals and biceps in hardcore actioners. Even Priyadarshan, the man who made this film, gave us dramas like Gardish and Virasat before migrating to comedy. There was no hype for this film, Hrithik Roshan was ruling the roost with his iconic debut. It had nothing but word of mouth to rely on!

I remember watching Hera Pheri as a 7-year old in the packed Premprakash cinema in Jaipur with my relatives and parents. The laughs began very early on, and with the introduction of the character of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, fondly called Babu Bhaiyaa, the hysteria refused to subsidise. Written by Neeraj Vora, the lines were sharp and so was the timing of the trio. It was one of those rare remakes that delivered equal laughs and entertainment as the original, Ramji Rao Speaking.