Ranveer Singh calls Excel unprofessional, says they tried to replace him with Hrithik Roshan in Don 3 amid Farhan Akhtar’s Rs 40 cr demand: report

Ranveer Singh Alleges Unprofessionalism at Excel Entertainment

Now, a recent report by Bollywood Hungama has offered detailed insight into what has transpired behind closed doors. According to the publication, the fallout led to two closed-door meetings held under the auspices of the Producers Guild of India, attended by some of the most influential figures in the film industry. The report quoted a source who said: “From the outset, it was made clear that the intent was not to single out or blame any individual. The discussion revolved around a larger industry issue; what options a filmmaker has after investing substantial money in a film’s pre-production when the principal actor exits the project. The stakeholders also examined the issue from the actor’s point of view and deliberated on safeguards producers can put in place to prevent such situations in the future.”

Ranveer Singh has alleged that for more than three years, Farhan Akhtar remained focused on his acting career rather than actively and creatively developing Don 3.

Two meetings have taken place so far. In the first meeting several senior producers, including Sajid Nadiadwala, were present. This initial discussion focused on understanding the circumstances surrounding Ranveer’s exit and the broader implications for producers when a film collapses at an advanced pre-production stage. The second meeting, was a more detailed one, attended by the likes of Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ramesh Taurani and Kumar Taurani, among other key industry stakeholders.

In this meeting, Ranveer’s position was presented first. The report quoted an anonymous producer who revealed: “Ranveer blamed Excel Entertainment for unprofessionalism and not being serious about taking Don 3 on floors. He stated that Farhan Akhtar never had a bound script in place and that, as an actor, he prefers to work only with fully developed material.” The source further added: “Ranveer also pointed out that Farhan was never open to feedback on the script and had issues incorporating certain subplots. He further alleged that Excel was exploring the possibility of getting Hrithik Roshan on board and only re-approached him after the success of Dhurandhar, to capitalise on his momentum.”

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The report further noted that the actor weathered close to three years of uncertainty, during which he alleged that Farhan was occupied with multiple professional commitments, including his acting assignments, while Don 3 failed to progress creatively. Ranveer is said to have believed that the material ultimately fell short of the scale and stature that had been assured to him at the time he came on board.

Farhan Akhtar Seeks Rs 40 Crore Compensation From Ranveer Singh

Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani (co-founder of Excel Entertainment) were also present at the meetings and presented their version of events. Farhan presented documentation to counter claims of script dissatisfaction. The source was quoted as saying: “Farhan maintained that Ranveer never flagged any script issues. In fact, he was enthusiastic about portraying the third generation of Don after Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. He claimed the script was shared at regular intervals and approved by Ranveer at every stage.”

Excel Entertainment informed the Guild that Ranveer Singh’s exit resulted in losses amounting to approximately Rs 40 crore, despite producers agreeing to several of the actor’s demands. Farhan and Ritesh are reportedly firm on seeking reimbursement and have urged producers’ bodies to frame resolutions against what they describe as unreasonable star demands. Ranveer, on the other hand, is said to be deeply upset with how a potential franchise juggernaut like Don 3 was handled.

Ranveer Singh also claimed that Farhan Akhtar was considering replacing him with Hrithik Roshan.

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Summing up the issue and concerns from both sides, the report quoted a source stating: “It’s a war between the two parties, as Farhan and Ritesh are adamant to get their losses reimbursed. Farhan has also urged the Guild to form a resolution against the unreasonable demands of Ranveer and other actors. Ranveer, on the other hand, is upset with how casually a potential cash cow like Don was treated by the stakeholders, and left the project due to the sheer incompetence of the banner to deal with a mega-film like Don 3. If there were issues even before it went on floors, he can’t even think of the madness of unprofessionalism on sets from Excel.”

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Amid such uncertainty and unresolved disputes, it now appears unlikely that Don 3 will see the light of day anytime soon. Meanwhile, Ranveer is said to be wrapping up the remaining shoot of Dhurandhar 2, which is slated for release next month. Following that, he is reportedly set to begin filming Pralay, touted as Bollywood’s first zombie apocalypse actioner. Farhan, meanwhile, is said to be contemplating reviving Jee Le Zaraa, a project announced with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt, which, like Don 3, was unveiled with much promise but has yet to move forward.