Inside the Explosive Don 3 meet: What really went down behind closed doors as Ritesh Sidhwani-Farhan Akhtar locked horns with Ranveer over Rs. 40 crores
In August 2023, Don 3 was officially announced by Excel Entertainment, with Ranveer Singh unveiled as the new face of the iconic franchise. A slick announcement video followed, generating massive excitement. The action spectacle was slated to go on floors in 2026.However, some time ago, it came to light that Ranveer Singh had exited the project, triggering intense chatter within industry circles. Bollywood Hungama has now learned that the fallout has led to two closed-door meetings held under the aegis of the Producers Guild of India (GUILD), involving some of the most powerful names in the business.The first meeting took place nearly a week before the latest developments and was conducted under the banner of the Producers Guild of India. Senior producers, including Sajid Nadiadwala, were present. This initial discussion focused on understanding the circumstances surrounding Ranveer Singh’s exit and the broader implications for producers when a film collapses at an advanced pre-production stage.The matter escalated further on Saturday, February 7, when a second, more detailed meeting was held at Lands End, again under the aegis of the Producers Guild of India. Present at this meeting were Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ramesh Taurani and Kumar Taurani, among other key industry stakeholders. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani represented Excel Entertainment and formally placed their concerns before the Guild members.A source told Bollywood Hungama, “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.”At the second meeting, Ranveer’s stance was presented first. A producer present at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, 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 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.”According to Ranveer’s camp, the actor endured nearly three years of indecision, claiming that Farhan focused on multiple commitments, including his acting career, while Don 3 remained creatively underdeveloped. He reportedly felt that the script did not match the stature promised to him at the time of signing.Soon after, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani presented their version of events. A source from the venue shared with Bollywood Hungama, “Farhan highlighted issues with Ranveer’s temperament and demands. Ranveer insisted on seven vanity vans, including two exclusively for his staff. He also wanted a DJ on set every day, who charged a hefty fee to play music of his choice.”The source further added, “Ranveer wanted Excel to bear the expenses of his extended staff of nearly 28 people throughout the shoot. These demands were made even before Dhurandhar released and escalated further after its historic success.” Farhan also reportedly presented documentation to counter claims about script dissatisfaction. “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’s exit resulted in losses of approximately Rs. 40 crore, despite the producers agreeing to several of his demands. Farhan and Ritesh are now firm on seeking reimbursement and have urged producers’ bodies to frame resolutions against what they describe as unreasonable star demands.Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, is said to be deeply upset with how a potential franchise juggernaut like Don 3 was handled. According to his camp, the exit stemmed from creative dissatisfaction and concerns over larger on-set chaos had the project moved forward."It's a war between the two parties, as Farhan and Ritesh are adamant to get their losses reimbursed by Ritesh Sidhwani They have 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. He left the film for his own sanity. If there were problems even before the film went on floors, he couldn’t imagine the level of unprofessionalism once shooting began. He chose his sanity over a compromised project,” a source summed up for Bollywood Hungama.Much more was said behind closed doors and tempers clearly ran high. For now, the industry is watching closely as the standoff between Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment threatens to intensify further in the days ahead.Also Read: Ranveer Singh enters ultra-luxury space with Rs. 11 lakh whisky; ABD Maestro unveils ‘The Collective’ 34-year-old single malt
