Farhan Akhtar Takes Dig at Ranveer Singh Amid Don 3 Row

• Farhan Akhtar appeared to reference Ranveer Singh while discussing an actor’s near-exit from Dil Chahta Hai.
• Akhtar said a last-minute departure “seems to be a pattern nowadays,” prompting laughter during the interview.
• Ranveer’s departure from Don 3 has led to a dispute involving Excel Entertainment and industry bodies.
• Reports have cited disagreements over the script, dates, remuneration and the film’s budget, though accounts from the two sides differ.
• FWICE withdrew its non-cooperation directive against Ranveer in June 2026.
• Farhan has previously said the Don 3 experience taught him to “expect the unexpected.”

Farhan Akhtar has appeared to take a pointed but playful swipe at Ranveer Singh while discussing a near-casting crisis from his 2001 directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, bringing renewed attention to the long-running Don 3 dispute.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter India while reflecting on 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai, Akhtar recalled how Saif Ali Khan almost left the film shortly before production because of a scheduling conflict. Akhtar said the possibility was particularly difficult because he felt there was no alternative actor for the role.

While recalling the episode, Akhtar said it occurred about a month before filming and then added that this “seems to be a pattern nowadays.” The remark prompted laughter from the interviewer. Akhtar followed it by acknowledging that such situations can happen in filmmaking. The comment did not name Singh, but its timing and wording were widely interpreted as a reference to the actor’s departure from Don 3.

How the Don 3 dispute escalated

Singh had been announced as the new lead of Don 3 in 2023, taking over the character previously played by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan in earlier versions of the franchise. He later became involved in pre-production, including reported action training and costume work, before stepping away from the project in late 2025.

The circumstances of his departure remain disputed. Early reports described it as Singh walking out, while another contemporaneous account claimed the actor had been removed by the makers. Subsequent reporting has focused on disagreements over the script, scheduling, remuneration and the film’s reduced reported budget. Because the underlying contractual terms have not been made public, those explanations remain attributed claims rather than established facts.

Reports also differed over the financial fallout. Excel Entertainment was reported to have sought compensation for pre-production losses, with later coverage putting the claim at around ₹40 crore. Singh, for his part, reportedly proposed a settlement, while the two sides remained unable to resolve the dispute.

A separate claim that Akhtar had approached Hrithik Roshan about the role also became part of the controversy. Roshan subsequently said he had never been approached for Don 3, adding another clarification to a dispute that has been accompanied by conflicting reports.

Film bodies became involved

The disagreement eventually moved beyond the filmmaker, actor and production company. In May 2026, Akhtar was reported to have approached the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) over the dispute. FWICE subsequently issued a non-cooperation directive concerning Singh.

The directive was withdrawn in June after other industry bodies, including the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association and Cine and TV Artists Association, intervened. FWICE also clarified that Singh had not been formally “banned.” Singh had sent a legal notice to the federation over the directive.

The dispute has also involved discussions with the Producers Guild of India, with mediation efforts reported as part of attempts to settle the financial and professional disagreement.

Farhan Akhtar’s response to the setback

Akhtar has previously addressed the broader Don 3 setback without detailing the contractual dispute. In an April 2026 interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he said the experience had taught him to “expect the unexpected” and that nothing can be taken for granted until a film is actually on screen.

He also reflected on earlier professional disappointments, including the underperformance of Lakshya, saying experience had helped him process setbacks more quickly. His comments suggested that he viewed the difficulties surrounding Don 3 as part of the unpredictability of a filmmaking career rather than as a reason to abandon the project altogether.

His latest “pattern” remark is therefore notable less as a formal statement on the dispute than as an apparent public acknowledgment of the circumstances surrounding Singh’s exit. Neither side’s full contractual position has been publicly established, leaving the precise reasons for the breakdown contested.

For now, Don 3 remains caught in the aftermath of Singh’s departure, while the industry dispute has moved through negotiations, legal notices and film-body intervention. Akhtar’s latest comments have given the episode fresh attention without resolving the underlying disagreement.