The much-anticipated Don 3 by Farhan Akhtar has been at the centre of a professional fallout with actor Ranveer Singh whose pulling out of the project in late 2025 has cast doubt on the future of the movie and alleged pre-production losses and finally, an intervention by industry associations.
Akhtar, who is directing and producing Don 3 with Ritesh Sidhwani at Excel Entertainment, had declared Ranveer Singh as the new face of the Don franchise in 2023. The series saw a significant shift with the casting of the iconic role by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan who had earlier portrayed the legendary role. Official announcement of the Excel version declared Ranveer to be the lead and Farhan to be the writer-director with Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani as the producers.
The partnership, though, never went as far as filming. Ranveer later dropped out of the project and the controversy that arose thereof became one of the more closely followed professional feuds in the recent Bollywood news. The issue was later taken to the Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA), Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and other film industry bodies.
What Farhan Akhtar Said About Ranveer Singh’s Exit
During his recent interview, Farhan Akhtar seemed to indirectly criticize Ranveer Singh when he remembered a casting problem in Dil Chahta Hai. When discussing the reason as to why Saif Ali Khan almost pulled out of the 2001 film just before the shooting, Akhtar said that it appears to be a trend today. The remark was laughed at as we spoke and was interpreted in the light of Ranveer Singh dropping out of Don 3. Farhan did not specifically mention Ranveer in the statement.
Akhtar has already talked about the uncertainty over Don 3. He said in an April 2026 interview with The Hollywood Reporter India that he had learned that it is best to expect the unexpected in regards to the setbacks of the project and that he had learned that lesson. He also indicated that until a film is actually finished, nothing could be assumed.
The most recent comment is noteworthy in that it is the first fact that the Indian Express article your headline is founded on that has been developed. But in this latest communication Akhtar did not publicly give a detailed description of all the points of disagreement between himself and Ranveer Singh.
No official announcement has been made that Don 3 has been shelved indefinitely and neither Ranveer Singh has come back to the project.
When Did Ranveer Singh Leave Don 3?
In August 2023 Ranveer Singh was officially declared the new Don. The news marked a new beginning of a franchise that had seen Shah Rukh Khan in the limelight in Farhan Akhtar’s Don (2006) and Don 2 (2011).
The third film preparation lasted a long time. It is reported that Ranveer took part in the preparation of the film in many areas, such as script work and other pre-preparatory works. The project however did not go into the principal photography.
A big break came in December 2025 when Ranveer dropped out of the film, reporting on the dispute. Later according to the Indian Express, he was leaving just weeks before the film was set to start shooting.
Don 3 Dispute Timeline
August 2023: Ranveer Singh was officially announced as the new Don.
December 2025: Ranveer Singh exited the project, according to reports.
April 2026: The dispute was reportedly taken to IFTDA.
May 25, 2026: FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh.
June 3, 2026: FWICE withdrew the directive following subsequent developments involving the actor and industry bodies.
The causes of the exit are controversial.
Reports about Ranveer Singh’s position indicated concerns over the script and the stage of the project’s development. During the reported mediation process, his side maintained that the film had not reached the creative and production level he had expected. However, specific details about the alleged creative differences have not been independently established and are therefore not being presented as confirmed facts.
The stance of the producers was different. Excel Entertainment led by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani insisted that they had already put in a lot of preparation and money and the untimely withdrawal would have serious financial implications.
The explanation of the wrongdoing on both sides would not be seen as a separately obtained conclusion.
What Happened to Don 3 After Ranveer’s Exit?
This was a blow to Don 3 since Ranveer was the officially announced lead actor.
The movie was already in place in the eyes of the public, and it was hard to recast easily. At the beginning of 2026, reports indicated the project was on hiatus as Farhan Akhtar thought about its next course of action. According to those reports too, Akhtar was considering other work, and thus was not running to make another casting decision.
It was so unpredictable since Don 3 was not just a concept created at an early stage. The project was publicly announced and had taken several years to develop and was prepared around Ranveer Singh. Consequently, the withdrawal of the actor had an impact on the casting announcement, not just the announcement.
But the mere fact that the project is either postponed or put on hold should not be taken to mean that the film has been cancelled. There is no official declaration that Don 3 is not going to be made.
The Financial Dispute: What Is the ₹45 Crore Figure?
The dispute took the financial dimension of the dispute as a main centre of the dispute as Excel Entertainment took the matter to the industry bodies.
According to reports on an alleged pre-production spending and subsequent losses incurred were approximately ₹45 crore on the complaint of the producers. The approximately ₹45 crore figure reported in connection with the dispute refers to pre-production spending and alleged losses cited by the producers. FWICE also referred to the substantial expenditure when considering the complaint. However, the figure represents the producers’ claim and should not be treated as a legally established liability against Ranveer Singh. Available reporting does not establish that he was ordered to pay ₹45 crore or that a final financial settlement had been reached between the parties.
How IFTDA and FWICE Became Involved
The conflict was out of the immediate parties when Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani addressed the Indian Film and Television Directors Association.
The complaint was reportedly filed with IFTDA in April 2026 and later to FWICE to take action on it. FWICE tried to unite the parties and invited Ranveer Singh to meet the organisation and talk over the issue. The federation claimed that there were several efforts to make him participate.
On May 25, FWICE gave a non-cooperation order to Ranveer Singh. The directive urged the affiliate members and organisations to not cooperate with the actor until the dispute was solved.
Since some of the reports said that they were banned, the act of FWICE was not a court order but an industry body. The area of its scope also became a controversial issue in the industry.
The representatives of Ranveer protested against the action and insisted that professional issues were to be addressed in the right and decent manner. One of the spokesmen of the actor remarked that professional discussion and personal equations were to be dealt with with dignity, maturity and with mutual respect.
FWICE Later Withdraws the Directive
The FWICE move was not to be held.
The federation gave up its non-cooperation order against Ranveer Singh on June 3, 2026. The growth followed the legal notice that the actor had given to FWICE and intervention of industry organisations such as the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) the Producers Guild of India and the Cine and TV Artiste Association (CINTAA).
President of FWICE BN Tiwari indicated that the organisation hoped that the parties would sit down in front of the producers body and be able to arrive at a suitable solution. He also mentioned that there should not be any side that is considered to have won or lost the issue.
The withdrawal by FWICE was thus a significant shift in the dispute but it did not necessarily imply that all disputes between Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment were settled out of court and out of pocket.
CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon later termed the issue as having taken a positive turn which is credited to the efforts of industry organisations in an effort to unite the parties.
Ranveer Singh’s Position
Ranveer Singh has not given a statement of all the details of the dispute publicly as the complaint of the producers has been published.
His camp has insisted that professional issues must be dealt with in a dignified and respectful way. In the mediation process, specific issues raised by the actor such as issues in developing the film and its creative direction were reported. Those reports are to be interpreted as reports about his stance, but not as independent findings.
The actor also took legal notice against the intervention of FWICE. The move eventually led to the federation lifting its non-cooperation order, even though FWICE claimed that it was requested by other industry associations that led to the lift.
There is no justification then of making the departure of Ranveer nothing more than an unaccounted professional failure, as there is no justification of overlooking the concerns of the producers with regard to the costs that come with a late-stage change.
Why the Don 3 Dispute Matters to Bollywood
The Don 3 scandal cannot be seen as merely a personal conflict between an actor and a film director since the massive production of films implies the involvement of hundreds of professionals and several departments.
When a major production goes into advanced pre-production, timetables can be blocked, locations and equipment set up, crew members can be employed, travel could be organised and sets could be prepared. Replacement of the star can thereby impact a far larger production system.
Meanwhile, legitimate creative, contractual or scheduling issues can arise in a lengthy development process to actors. A film that is announced years before shooting an actual film might change significantly till the time the cameras spin.
The conflict thus brings wider industry concerns surrounding contracts, production schedules and financial obligations and the processes that can be used to settle conflicts before they get out of hand.
The Producers Guild of India joined in the broader debate on the matter as well, warning that last-minute withdrawals of film projects were not a good solution and encouraging parties to settle their differences by dialogue. The action taken by the Guild was representative of a bigger issue regarding the manner in which the commitment to production in the Hindi film industry is handled.
Current Status of Don 3
According to the latest confirmed news, Ranveer Singh is not involved with Don 3 in the role he was announced in 2023.
Farhan Akhtar is the filmmaker who is affiliated to the project, and the argument over the withdrawal of the actor has been fronted by Excel Entertainment and its producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.
The movie is not yet confirmed to be cancelled. Simultaneously, no official statement has been conducted, which will prove the existence of a new lead actor, a new shooting date or the re-establishment of production.
Individual FWICE non-cooperation order on Ranveer Singh was called off on June 3 after being intervened by other film industry organisations and after the actor filed a legal challenge. The withdrawal must not be mistaken with an established resolution of all the financial or contractual issues between Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment.
The best bet at the moment is that the project of Don 3 is still not fully developed in the wake of Ranveer Singh quitting, and the action on the industry level against the actor has been withdrawn. The remarks of Farhan Akhtar merely highlight the uncertainty brought about by setbacks in the production but this does not translate to an assurance of how the next edition of Don 3 will appear.
The recent events thus incline towards a project trapped between a proclaimed casting, a failure in the collaboration between actors and film-makers and a broader debate regarding professional obligation in Bollywood. Until the filmmakers officially declare the cast and production of the film, the fact that the film will have a second release should not be trusted.
