Farhan Akhtar’s Don 3, which was as soon as imagined to star Ranveer Singh, has not even begun taking pictures, however the movie has been at the centre of a prolonged controversyfor months. The controversy surrounding the movie started in 2025 when Ranveer Singh reportedly exited the mission, simply weeks earlier than the movie was scheduled to go on flooring. What adopted was a dispute between the actor and filmmaker, with a number of stakeholders ultimately turning into concerned within the fallout. Now, whereas discussing 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai, Farhan appeared to make a pointed, albeit playful, comment about Ranveer Singh, with out mentioning his identify.
Farhan was talking concerning the difficulties of locking actors’ dates for his debut movie Dil Chahta Hai in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter India. Recalling how Saif Ali Khan nearly walked out of the mission shortly earlier than filming, Farhan mentioned the actor had a scheduling battle with one other movie.
“Saif out of the blue had some date subject with one other movie that he was gonna do. The dates shifted, and he was type of half in, half out on that. So he was in a little bit of a spot, and he needed to depart the movie. And everyone tried to persuade him, like, ‘Yaar, please.’ And for me, I used to be identical to, my head was, like, destroyed. As a result of once we obtained, once I met him, once we obtained into it, there was no person else who might have performed that half. It was simply unattainable.”
Farhan then appeared to attract a parallel with the uncertainty filmmakers can face in the present day. “So, like, that was too heartbreaking for me. Not, perhaps ten days, I feel it was perhaps a few month away from filming, which appears to be a sample these days,” he mentioned, earlier than smilingly including, “Not simply with me. Aisa bhi hota hai. Huh?” Whereas Farhan didn’t identify Ranveer however the comment inevitably brings the Don 3 row to thoughts, provided that the actor’s reported exit got here solely weeks earlier than the movie was anticipated to start manufacturing.
‘You possibly can’t take something without any consideration’
Farhan had beforehand spoken concerning the uncertainty surrounding Don 3 in one other dialog with the publication. With out going into the specifics of the dispute, he mentioned the expertise had taught him to “count on the sudden”. “What I’ve learnt is count on the sudden. You possibly can’t take something without any consideration till it’s on movie. You realise sooner or later that there’ll be a interval that will come that will be a bit difficult. You’ve had it good. It’s okay, simply take it in your stride. I inculcated loads from the experiences of people that got here earlier than me. There can be these moments which is able to come alongside that’ll be difficult creatively and existentially. You’d marvel, do I’ve what it takes?”
Farhan additionally mirrored on how his profession had already taught him to take care of skilled setbacks. The success of Dil Chahta Hai was adopted by the failure of his second directorial, Lakshya, starring Hrithik Roshan. The 2004 movie didn’t carry out on the field workplace as Farhan had hoped, and he admitted that it took him appreciable time to get better from the frustration. “This time, I might course of it loads quicker. I’ve been by way of instances in my life the place I actually needed issues to work, however they didn’t. And it’s actually miserable. Like Lakshya, for instance. It didn’t do what I imagined a movie like that will do. And it took me a very long time out of it and actually really feel, is that this one thing that’s for me?”
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Why did Ranveer Singh exit Don 3?
The Don 3 controversy stems from Ranveer’s reported determination to stroll away from the movie in December 2025, weeks earlier than filming was scheduled to start. Farhan’s Excel Leisure subsequently sought compensation for losses it mentioned had been incurred throughout the movie’s pre-production, resulting in a mediation course of that ultimately concerned business our bodies. A non-cooperation directive was additionally issued in opposition to the actor by a cine physique, which was revoked days later.
As earlier reported by SCREEN, throughout a gathering held by the Producers Guild of India, Ranveer reportedly outlined 4 key issues that contributed to his determination to depart the mission. In accordance with the account, the actor maintained that the script was less than his satisfaction. He additionally reportedly raised issues about Farhan’s availability, arguing that sustained inventive collaboration had been troublesome due to the filmmaker’s different skilled commitments, together with live performance excursions and performing tasks.
Ranveer additional alleged that his remuneration had been renegotiated downward and that the movie’s budget had been considerably diminished from the initially mentioned determine of round Rs 300-350 crore to roughly Rs 150 crore. He additionally reportedly mentioned that he had not acquired a signing advance for the mission.
Excel Leisure disputed Ranveer’s claims
Farhan and Excel Leisure disputed a number of of those allegations throughout subsequent conferences. In accordance with their place, Ranveer had responded positively to a number of drafts of the script that have been shared with him throughout the movie’s growth. The producers additionally disputed the actor’s declare that his remuneration had been diminished after the phrases have been agreed upon, sustaining that discussions round his price had taken place throughout negotiations earlier than the time period sheet was signed.
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Excel Leisure additionally challenged Ranveer’s assertions relating to the discount within the movie’s funds and Farhan’s availability. Probably the most notable exchanges throughout the mediation reportedly concerned Excel Leisure’s Ritesh Sidhwani asking Ranveer whether or not he would have left Don 3 had Dhurandhar not change into a blockbuster. In accordance with individuals current on the assembly, Ranveer mentioned he wouldn’t have exited the mission underneath these circumstances.
Ranveer subsequently proposed a settlement to resolve the dispute. He reportedly provided Rs 10 crore as quick compensation, together with a 25% low cost on his price for any future mission produced by Excel Leisure. The producers, nevertheless, rejected the proposal. Their place was {that a} low cost on a future collaboration had little worth, as they have been not curious about working with the actor and have been as an alternative searching for compensation for losses that they had already incurred.
The matter of Don 3 continues to be unresolved.
Ranveer’s Dhurandhar success
The Don 3 controversy gained steam after Dhurandhar turned an enormous hit in December 2025, incomes over Rs 1300 crore worldwide. The sequel, which launched in March, proved to be an excellent larger hit, and earned over Rs 1800 crore worldwide, making it the largest Hindi movie collection of all time.
