Suniel looks forward to being back on set with Akki for Hera Pheri 3

MUMBAI: It is a relief for Suniel Shetty as he is looking forward to share screen space with Akshay Kumar in the third installment of 'Hera Pheri' franchise. Talking to a Linkedin post, Suniel talked about working with Akshay and Paresh Rawal again.

A video of Akshay shooting with Paresh and Suniel surfaced online but it was later clarified that he had only shot for a promo for the film. Suniel wrote: "So Hera Pheri 3 is finally happening! Look forward to being back on set with Pareshji and Akki (Akshay). Like all good things, this one took some time, but it's a relief to finally have an answer to this question!"

"Films are such a huge part of our culture, and yet, not many understand what goes into making a film. Apart from creative challenges, the business model and needs of the movie business make it as challenging as any other."

He added that the business and finance part of filmmaking are a major part of the process.

"There are several factors for any business to succeed - a good idea, thorough market research, a solid business plan, a skilled team, funding at the right time and a strong distribution network. The movie business isn't very different.

"To explain the entirety of the movie business here would be over simplifying it. But let's just say having a good script, a set of actors and a director is literally just the start point. There's the financing of a movie. It's usually studios or production houses, which invest their own capital. Their teams assess the viability of a project before deciding on the budget."

He added: "Some large films are financed through pre-sales and distribution deals, in which the distribution rights for the film are sold in advance to distributors and/or streaming platforms.

Like the startup world, access to financing depends on the size of the film, as well as the connections and resources available to the producers and investors involved.

Another key aspect in the movie business is distribution. It's a complex process that involves several layers like producers, distributors and exhibitors."

Suniel also talked about monetisation of films and talked about distribution rights, marketing, TV, OTT and music rights, among others. He concluded saying: "Many films also tie-up with brands for in-film placements or co-marketing activities, as an additional layer of revenue, or sometimes to offset part of the pre release marketing expenses. There are so many other aspects that make the movie business challenging - audience preferences, data and insights, IP rights and licences, pre and post production, line production, permissions, promotions, pricing etc etc.

33 years and 125 films later I don't have it all figured out, but I will keep getting better at it."

'Hera Pheri 3' is being directed by Farhad Samji. The first film came out in 2000 and was directed by Priyadarshan.