11 August,2026 09:17 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar. Pics via Instagram
After months of making headlines and leaving the industry divided, the Don 3 row may have taken a backseat, but it's far from over. While more updates in the matter are awaited after the Producers Guild of India is stepping in again to resolve the dispute, Farhan Akhtar recently brought back the controversy to light. The actor-filmmaker, who recently celebrated 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai, was speaking about how Saif Ali Khan almost quit the film days before filming. That's when he decided to take a subtle jibe at Ranveer Singh exiting Don 3.
During a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter India, Farhan was asked about Saif almost leaving the project 25 years ago. Responding to it, Farhan shared that Saif was caught in a difficult situation back then due to scheduling issues and thus eventually decided to leave the film even though everyone was trying to convince him to stay.
The director said, "For me, it was just like my head was destroyed because when we met him, when we got into it, there was nobody else who could've played that part. It was just impossible. That was a true heartbreak for me."
He then recalled that Saif's exit happened about a month before filming. He remarked, "It was a month away from filming, which seems to be a pattern nowadays," which seemed to be a subtle jibe at the Don 3 row. As the interviewer couldn't hold back her laughter at his comment, Farhan smiled and added, "But, not just with me... aisa bhi hota hai."
For the unversed, Farhan, who was helming Don 3 and the producers at Excel Entertainment accused Ranveer of walking away from the project just days before filming was set to begin. Both parties then had a major fallout over this abrupt exit. Although Ranveer reportedly offered to return the signing amount, the makers demanded compensation of Rs 45 crore for the pre-production losses incurred.
The matter later escalated further after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) announced a non-cooperation move against the Dhurandhar actor over his decision to leave Don 3 briefly before filming. However, later, the film body revoked the directive and clarified that the actor had not been banned.
By then, Ranveer Singh had reportedly issued a legal notice to the organisation. All this while, Ranveer has chosen to remain silent on the matter. His spokesperson had issued a statement stating that the actor has immense respect for the film fraternity and everyone associated with Don 3.
