In August 2023, Excel Entertainment dropped an electrifying teaser announcing Ranveer Singh as the new face of the iconic Don franchise. Singh was stepping into shoes previously filled by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Fast forward to mid-2026, and that anticipated collaboration became a closely watched industry battle in Bollywood history due to Singh’s sudden exit from Don 3.
Inside Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar’s fallout
The controversy erupted when filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and his partner Ritesh Sidhwani approached FWICE against Ranveer Singh. According to reports, Singh had signed an agreement, actively participated in location scouting, script readings, and costume trials, before abruptly dropping out of Don 3 in December 2025. It was alleged that he exited just three weeks before the crew was scheduled to fly out for overseas shooting.
Excel Entertainment claimed that this last-minute withdrawal left them stranded, resulting in Rs 45 crore loss. Later, the film body instructed its technicians, crew members, and makeup artists to refrain from working on any future projects involving the Dhurandhar actor.
While the fallout was assumed as creative differences, it became big when Singh’s team reportedly argued that the production lacked a proper bound script. Singh’s representatives responded by stating that he had “consciously chosen to maintain silence, believing that professional discussions and personal equations are best handled with dignity, maturity, and mutual respect.”
While Farhan’s production house is yet to comment on the matter, a producer who attended the mediation meetings between both parties told Variety that a clear message has gone out to anyone intending to back out of a project after investment has been made.
It was also revealed that during the meetings, Sidhwani asked Singh if he exited Don 3 because Dhurandhar became a massive hit. Responding to him, Ranveer said that he would not have done that.
According to Variety’s source, Ranveer Singh was the one who had expressed concern over stars being wronged by producers. He even highlighted cases where directors had committed to projects and then walked away.
