When Don 3 was announced with Ranveer Singh as the new Don, fans were excited to see the actor take on the iconic role. However, the project has now turned into a battle of egos between Ranveer and Farhan Akhtar, the original Don's director.
The dispute began when Ranveer faced backlash for replacing Shah Rukh Khan, who had played Don in the previous two films. Ranveer requested audiences to give him a fair chance, but the backlash continued.
Farhan defended Ranveer, calling him a 'really good and versatile actor' and insisting that he was not worried about the actor leading the third film of the franchise.
However, the cracks reportedly began to show in early 2024, with reports of script and production delays. Ranveer was unhappy with the script, and producers were hesitant to mount an expensive project like Don on Ranveer Singh at that point in his career.
Later, reports surfaced claiming that Ranveer had accused Farhan of considering replacing him with his longtime friend Hrithik Roshan. Ranveer eventually exited the film in December 2025, shortly after the massive success of Dhurandhar.
Farhan reportedly approached the Producers Guild of India seeking ₹40 crore in compensation from Ranveer Singh to recover the film's pre-production expenses. The Guild advised both parties to pursue legal recourse in the matter.
Industry stalwarts like Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Ektaa Kapoor, Zoya Akhtar and Punit Goenka met at Aamir Khan's Mumbai residence in an attempt to resolve the issue amicably. However, neither Farhan nor Ranveer reportedly agreed to compromise.
Farhan later moved to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) with his complaint. On Monday, the federation issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh, asking members not to work with the actor in the future.
