03 June,2026 04:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ranveer Singh (Pic via actor`s Instagram handle)
Actor Ranveer Singh walked out of Farhan Akhtar's directorial Don 3 nearly two years after its official announcement, which introduced him as the new face of the franchise previously headlined by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Singh's decision to leave the project coincided with the massive box-office success of Dhurandhar. His exit has since led to a full-blown industry dispute, with unions and guilds stepping in to mediate between the actor and producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment.
Excel Entertainment filed a formal complaint with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), claiming it had already spent Rs 45 crore on preparations for the film and that Singh's withdrawal resulted in a significant financial loss. Although the film had not gone on floors, Singh had reportedly begun training and attended several preparation sessions. However, in December 2025, around the release of Dhurandhar, he allegedly cancelled his training commitments.
According to a report by Variety, Singh continued participating in script-reading sessions and expressed enthusiasm for the project until December 2025. He was scheduled to undergo a look test on December 17 but cancelled it at the last minute. Three days later, on December 20, Singh reportedly informed the producers via phone that he was exiting the film. By then, Dhurandhar had crossed Rs 500 crore at the domestic box office.
Following his abrupt departure, several mediation sessions were held involving key industry stakeholders. Reports suggest Singh initially did not attend some of these meetings. However, during a joint session, he reportedly arrived with several pages of handwritten notes and spoke for nearly 90 minutes.
Singh is said to have argued that the script did not meet the standards he was comfortable with and claimed that Akhtar had not been consistently available for creative collaboration. He also alleged that Akhtar was more focused on his music and acting commitments. Additionally, Singh reportedly claimed that his fee had been renegotiated downward and that the film's budget had been reduced from Rs 300-350 crore to around Rs 150 crore, which he felt did not do justice to the scale of the Don franchise.
When Akhtar and Sidhwani were asked to respond to these allegations, they reportedly presented screenshots of WhatsApp conversations with Singh spanning several years. Sources present at the meeting claimed the messages reflected a positive working relationship and showed that multiple drafts of the script had been shared with the actor.
According to those present, the documented exchanges appeared to contradict Singh's claim that the script had never met his expectations. Regarding the fee dispute, Sidhwani reportedly maintained that Excel Entertainment had never formally renegotiated the actor's remuneration. Sources further stated that Akhtar and Sidhwani contested the allegations regarding the budget reduction and the director's availability.
One of the most notable moments of the proceedings reportedly came when Sidhwani asked Singh whether he would have exited Don 3 had Dhurandhar not become a major box-office success. According to people present at the meeting, Singh replied that he would not have.
