Ranveer Singh's exit from Don 3 has become one of Bollywood's biggest talking points, placing the spotlight on his much-discussed fallout with filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Excel Entertainment. What began in 2023 as a high-voltage announcement — with Ranveer taking over a role immortalised by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan — is now stuck in uncertainty after creative differences and financial claims brought the project to a halt.
At the time of the reveal, Don 3 was positioned as a major franchise reboot, with Farhan Akhtar returning as director and the film expected to go on floors in 2026. But as development continued, Ranveer reportedly grew unsure about the project's readiness. According to sources close to the actor, the script was still evolving and key story elements were not fully locked. He reportedly felt the film lacked the promised scale and a strong, locked story for such a long commitment, and his team maintains his exit was purely a creative call, not a financial one.
Excel Entertainment, however, disputes this, saying the script was shared in stages with Ranveer's approval and that his exit came after extensive pre-production, leading to estimated losses of around Rs 400 million on planning and scheduling based on him as the lead.
With neither side willing to back down, the issue reached the Producers Guild of India — a rare move for a dispute involving a major star and a top production banner. Closed-door meetings with senior producers and studio heads were held not just to hear both sides, but also to discuss a larger industry concern: what safeguards exist for producers if an actor exits a big-budget film after significant investment.
Adding to the tension are unconfirmed reports that the makers had briefly considered casting actor Hrithik Roshan during development. While Excel has not publicly addressed this, it has been seen by Ranveer's camp as a sign of uncertainty around the project.
For now, Don 3 is on hold with no lead or timeline, and the Ranveer–Farhan clash has sparked a wider conversation about balancing creative confidence for actors and financial security for producers — a debate that could reshape how Bollywood handles its biggest collaborations.
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