Farhan Akhtar seems to have made a subtle dig at Ranveer Singh with his exit from Don 3, bringing back the doubts about the much-anticipated movie to the fore once again. Farhan said it when talking about making his 2001 directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Farhan recalled how Saif Ali Khan almost walked away from Dil Chahta Hai just weeks before filming was scheduled to begin. Saif faced a scheduling conflict after the dates of another project shifted, and he seriously considered leaving Farhan's film.
Farhan described the experience as a major heartbreak because he felt there was nobody else who could play Saif’s character in the film. Saif’s decision came about a month before filming, Farhan said, “It was a month away from filming, which seems to be a pattern nowadays.” The interviewer chuckled and it was widely taken as a reference to the recent Don 3 controversy.
The Don 3 controversy started after Ranveer Singh quit the project before filming even started. There were reports of disputes over the film's development and production plans. There also were demands for compensation over alleged pre-production losses and involvement of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). FWICE later clarified that Ranveer had not been banned after a non-cooperation order.
Ranveer has largely kept quiet on the matter, and his spokesperson has stressed the actor's respect for the movie fraternity and people associated with Don 3. Farhan and the production side have also vehemently rejected some of the stories about Ranveer's exit. As a result, many of the details of the dispute are based on competing reports rather than on a public account.
Farhan’s latest comment has, however, provided fresh fuel to the discussion. Although Farhan did not name Ranveer explicitly, the timing and phrasing of his “pattern nowadays” comment was difficult to miss. The filmmaker’s response that “not just with me… things like this happen too” appeared to soften the remark but kept things light.
Don 3 remains one of the most well-covered casting controversies in Bollywood as Ranveer was expected to be the replacement of Shah Rukh Khan. Production plans and casting updates are on the rise so I shall be closely monitoring for the next official update soon.
However, Farhan’s comment has reopened the discussion, and many read it as a playful but pointed comment on Ranveer Singh’s Don 3 exit rather than a direct accusation.
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