Ranveer Singh Vs Farhan Akhtar: The Don 3 War

Ranveer Singh opts out of Farhan Akhtar's Don 3. Syed Firdaus Ashraf tries to piece together the puzzle.

There have been reports that Don 3 has run into trouble due to a fallout between its makers, Excel Entertainment, led by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, and lead actor, Ranveer Singh.

Excel has demanded a compensation of Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million) citing losses after Ranveer walked out of the project.

Insiders reveal that the flashpoint was the absence of a bound script, something Ranveer repeatedly asked for, but never received.

Don 3 had no script

According to sources, Farhan -- who was meant to direct the film -- did not share a bound script of Don 3 with Ranveer.

Insiders say this was not an oversight, it is simply not Farhan's style of working.

Farhan is known to operate on a detailed story idea and rough screenplay structure rather than a fully bound, locked script draft.

In fact, several industry veterans argue that the 'bound script culture' in Bollywood became mainstream only in the last decade.

Traditionally, many directors worked with evolving drafts while keeping the complete narrative structure in their heads.

But today's big-budget films -- especially franchise films -- are often expected to begin only after a locked screenplay is in place.

Ranveer, sources claim, stood firm: Without a bound script, he was unwilling to proceed.

The Don 3 Delay

Don 3 was announced with much fanfare in August 2023, slated to release in 2025.

But two years passed with little progress.

During this time, Farhan focused on the film, 120 Bahadur, a large-scale war project.

Trade insiders say that Don 3 did not receive the focus it required during this period.

Excel Entertainment also quietly explored alternatives.

At one stage, Hrithik Roshan was sounded off for the Don 3 role but it did not work out.

However, Hrithik has told Variety India, 'What started off as just a rumour has now taken a life of its own, and it's important to set the record straight. I would like to categorically clarify that I was never approached for Don 3 at any given time. I request the media to steer clear of any such unverified reports.'

Ranveer's career was going through a low phase in his career as his only hit in the last five years was 2023's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.

Before that, Jayeshbhai Jordar, Cirkus and '83 didn't do well at the box office.

The Fee Renegotiation

The landscape changed dramatically after Ranveer's blockbuster Dhurandhar.

His market value soared, and Ranveer sought to renegotiate his remuneration.

Excel, sources say, viewed this as backing out after making a commitment.

Ranveer's camp maintains that with no bound script and repeated delays, renegotiation was justified.

They also were unsure about Farhan's word to go ahead without a bound script as he has not directed any major film in years; his last directorial was 2011's Don 2.

The Producers Guild Meeting and Rs 40 crore claim

Excel Entertainment approached the Producers Guild of India, claiming losses of approximately Rs 40 crore linked to the stalled Don 3 project.

As per media reports, the meeting was held at the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, north west Mumbai, on February 7, attended by Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ramesh Taurani and Kumar Taurani.

When Rediff tried to contact Ramesh Taurani, he remained unavailable.

Legal experts point out that the Guild's authority in disputes between producers and actors is limited. Traditionally, the Guild intervenes primarily in producer-to-producer conflicts.

Several trade insiders privately describe the move as symbolic rather than enforceable.

Excel's Current Position

Excel Entertainment is currently in a transitional phase. Its recent films like Superboys of Malegaon and 120 Bahadur flopped at the box office.

While Mirzapur's movie version is slated for release this September, the much-hyped film Jee Le Zara, bringing together Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor for the first time, has not taken off yet.

Farhan now seems to be busy with his Hollywood debut, the Sam Mendes biopic on The Beatles.

Where things stand

Sources close to the matter state bluntly: Don 3 is now permanently shelved.

Ranveer has moved on to other projects, including a zombie film called Pralay, directed by Jai Mehta, opposite Kalyani Priyadarshan.

For now, the dialogue that once defined the franchise -- 'Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai' -- seems to have taken on an unintended new meaning.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff