Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Pattern’ Dig Revives Ranveer Singh’s ‘Don 3’ Row: Full Timeline
Farhan Akhtar’s latest ‘Pattern’ dig at Ranveer Singh revives the ‘Don 3’ row. Here’s the full timeline of the fallout and everything that happened.
Ranveer Singh’s departure from ‘Don 3’ remains a talking point, and Farhan Akhtar appears to have revisited the episode with a pointed remark during a recent interaction. The filmmaker-actor was discussing an entirely different situation when the subject of an actor quitting a project unexpectedly came up. Farhan was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India as part of a conversation marking 25 years since the release of his directorial debut ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. During the discussion, he recalled how Saif Ali Khan had once considered walking away from the film shortly before production began.
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According to Farhan, a scheduling change involving another project created a difficult situation for Saif. Despite attempts to persuade the actor to continue, Saif ultimately decided to leave the film. Recalling his reaction, the filmmaker described the situation as a “true heartbreak” and said he could not imagine anyone else playing the part.
You know how cool Farhan Akhtar is? He made a joke about Ranveer Singh's Don 3 exit without any bitterness. Real sorted chap he is. pic.twitter.com/Yvh95PXOLt
— B.H.Harsh (@film_waala) August 10, 2026
The conversation then prompted Farhan Akhtar to recall a more recent casting setback involving ‘Don 3’. Ranveer Singh had been announced as the new face of the franchise after Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan's iconic portrayals of ‘Don’, but his association with the project later ended.
ALSO READ | Ranveer Singh’s First Reaction Following Shocking FWICE Ban Over ‘Don 3’ Dispute
“For me, it was just like my head was destroyed because it was. When we met him, when we got into it, there was nobody else who could've played that part. It was just impossible. It was a true heartbreak,” said Farhan.
“It was a month away from filming, which seems to be a pattern nowadays,” Farhan said. The remark immediately drew laughter from the interviewer, Anupama Chopra, who appeared to recognise the reference. Farhan then appeared to soften the comment, adding, “But, not just with me, things like this happen too.”
Ranveer's exit from ‘Don 3’ has been surrounded by controversy, reportedly leading to tensions between the actor and the filmmaker. The matter also escalated beyond the casting decision, with legal notices reportedly being exchanged and industry bodies becoming involved. Farhan's latest comment added further spice to the already heated topic, and if you are not aware of the entire fiasco, here's the full timeline of the row between Farhan and Ranveer over ‘Don 3’.
Without further ado, check out the full timeline here:
August 2023: Farhan Akhtar Announces New Don
The story began in August 2023 when Farhan Akhtar officially announced ‘Don 3’. The announcement video carried the tagline ‘A New Era Begins’ and confirmed that Ranveer Singh would play the new Don. Farhan was returning to the director’s chair after having directed ‘Don’ and ‘Don 2’, both starring Shah Rukh Khan. At that point, however, there was little indication that the project would eventually become embroiled in a major professional dispute. The focus was almost entirely on Ranveer stepping into Shah Rukh Khan’s shoes. The official announcement established the central equation: Ranveer as Don, Farhan as director and Excel Entertainment as the production house.
A New Era Begins #Don3 @RanveerOfficial #JasonWest @javedakhtarjadu @ritesh_sid @ShankarEhsanLoy @PushkarGayatri @j10kassim @roo_cha @vishalrr @excelmovies @rupinsuchak @chouhanmanoj82 pic.twitter.com/i1hHrl6fuo
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) August 9, 2023
2024: Delays Begin To Dominate Conversation
As 2024 progressed, reports about ‘Don 3’ increasingly focused on its delayed production. Farhan had other professional commitments, most notably his acting project ‘120 Bahadur’. Reports suggested that his work on that film affected the schedule of ‘Don 3’. There were also reports of script-related delays and uncertainty surrounding when the film would actually go before the cameras.
This period is important because Ranveer’s eventual decision to leave cannot be understood without looking at the long gap between the announcement and the proposed start of filming. By November 2024, Excel Entertainment publicly pushed back against reports that ‘Don 3’ had been postponed indefinitely. The production house said the timeline remained unchanged and that the film was still scheduled to begin shooting in June 2025.
December 2025: Ranveer Singh Reportedly Exits Don 3
The controversy exploded in December 2025. Reports emerged that Ranveer Singh had decided to step away from ‘Don 3’. The development came shortly after the release and success of ‘Dhurandhar’, prompting speculation that Ranveer’s evolving career trajectory had influenced his decision. One report said Ranveer wanted to move away from doing back-to-back gangster or crime-related roles and was keen to prioritise projects such as ‘Pralay’.
The reports also suggested that the actor wanted ‘Pralay’ to move forward more quickly following his exit from ‘Don 3’. But almost immediately, another version of the story emerged. The narrative that Ranveer simply walked away because ‘Dhurandhar’ became a huge success was challenged by subsequent reports. A December 2025 report stated that the actor had not left ‘Don 3’ for the reasons circulating in sections of the media.
By early 2026, reports began providing much more detail about what allegedly went wrong. According to multiple reports citing Ranveer’s position, one of the central problems was the status of the ‘Don 3’ screenplay. The actor’s camp reportedly felt the script was not sufficiently locked and that the project had been repeatedly delayed. There were also claims that Ranveer had concerns about the creative direction and wanted changes to the screenplay. Farhan’s side, however, reportedly disputed the suggestion that the script was not ready.
The Hrithik Roshan Angle
Another allegation soon entered the story. Reports claimed that Ranveer was unhappy because the makers had allegedly considered casting Hrithik Roshan as Don. The allegation was particularly sensitive because Ranveer had already been announced as the face of the franchise. The reported version suggested that the actor felt the makers were insufficiently committed to him during the long period when his films were underperforming.
According to this narrative, the situation changed after Dhurandhar’s success, when Ranveer’s market position improved dramatically. However, Hrithik subsequently denied that he had been approached for the role, calling the claim unverified and false.
Rs 45 Crore Compensation Demand Emerges
The dispute took a dramatic financial turn in February 2026. Reports stated that Excel Entertainment was seeking approximately Rs 45 crore from Ranveer over his departure from ‘Don 3’. The producers reportedly argued that substantial money had already been spent on pre-production, planning and other arrangements for the film.
However, Ranveer’s reported position was dramatically different. According to reports, the actor did not believe he was liable for the entire amount claimed by Excel. His side reportedly cited the project’s prolonged delays and questioned whether the film was genuinely ready to begin shooting.
FWICE Steps In
According to FWICE’s account, Farhan Akhtar filed a complaint on April 11, 2026. The federation said it convened meetings to hear the matter and sought Ranveer's participation. FWICE later claimed that it had sent multiple reminders asking Ranveer to appear before the organisation and explain his position.
The federation said the actor did not respond to those invitations, which later prompted the federation to issue a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer. Although much of the media described it as a “ban”, FWICE representatives repeatedly stressed that the terminology used by the federation was a non-cooperation directive.
The practical implication, however, was serious: members associated with the federation were instructed not to cooperate with Ranveer until the dispute was addressed.
Ranveer Fights Back With Legal Notice And FWICE’s Withdrawal
Ranveer Singh then reportedly sent a legal notice to FWICE challenging the non-cooperation directive. His side questioned the federation's authority to intervene in what was essentially a contractual dispute between an actor and a production house.
On June 3, FWICE announced that the directive against Ranveer had been withdrawn with immediate effect. The withdrawal meant Ranveer was no longer subject to the non-cooperation directive. Because the withdrawal happened shortly after Ranveer's legal notice, some observers naturally interpreted it as a response to the legal challenge.
The controversy surrounding ‘Don 3’ has continued to attract attention. Farhan’s latest remarks have added a new layer to the ongoing discussion, with his reference to a “pattern” being widely interpreted as a playful dig at Ranveer’s decision to exit the project.
