The ‘Don 3’ saga has taken yet another dramatic twist. Reports surfaced on Monday that FWICE had issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh, following his widely talked-about exit from the film. The move has once again drawn attention to the deepening rift between the actor and Excel Entertainment, the production house run by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.
How industry heavyweights tried to broke peace between Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment
But before things escalated to this point, there were efforts behind the scenes to find a resolution. As per the reports, a crucial meeting was held in the first week of March, bringing together some of the biggest names in the industry, including Aamir Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar, and Ritesh Sidhwani, among others. It was at this gathering that Ranveer’s team put forward a special offer to Excel Entertainment, in what appeared to be an attempt to bridge the gap before things went too far.
Ranveer Singh’s team offered Rs 10 cr upfront and Rs 25 cr discount on future film to Excel Entertainment
According to Bollywood Hungama, Ranveer’s team offered to pay Rs. 10 crores upfront to Excel Entertainment. In addition, they also offered a discount of Rs. 25 crores on any other film that Excel may want to do with him outside of ‘Don 3’. The idea was to compensate Excel immediately while also keeping the professional relationship open for the future. the Excel team felt that the offer of a future discount made no practical sense as they had no intention of collaborating with Ranveer again. Farhan and Ritesh were very clear that they did not want to work with Ranveer Singh after what they had gone through over the last two years. They felt that the delays, uncertainty and the eventual fallout had caused them serious financial and professional damage. Hence, they refused the offer. Their stand was that Excel should get upfront compensation.
Excel Entertainment sought compensation for ‘Don 3’ pre-production losses
According to industry sources, the banner had formally placed its demand for compensation before the concerned bodies, pointing to the losses incurred on account of the extensive preparations, scheduling, and groundwork that had gone into the film before Ranveer’s exit.
Ranveer Singh felt Excel lost faith in him, was unhappy with ‘Don 3’ script too
Ranveer’s camp, however, tells a very different story. The actor and his team are said to have taken strong exception to what they perceived as Excel’s attempts to explore other casting options during a difficult period in Ranveer’s career. Adding fuel to the fire, there is industry talk that the film was also discussed with Hrithik Roshan at some point, a development that reportedly did not sit well with Ranveer’s side at all. Reportedly, Ranveer felt that if Excel was not fully backing him at a time when he needed their confidence, then the trust had already been broken. He was also not convinced about the script as the right follow-up to ‘Dhurandhar’. After the impact that film had, he wanted absolute conviction from the director and the banner. He felt Farhan was distracted and that the project did not have the kind of 100 percent commitment it required. That is why the offer was made. Rs. 10 crores upfront, plus a Rs. 25 crores discount on a future film, was Ranveer’s way of trying to settle the issue amicably. But Excel did not want a future collaboration. They wanted cash compensation.
‘Don 3’ fallout becomes Bollywood’s biggest controversy, both sides await next move
FWICE’s non-cooperation directive has pushed the dispute into a whole new territory, taking it far beyond private discussions. What started as a disagreement between an actor and a production house over money and creative differences has now become one of the biggest controversies in Bollywood. Both sides are currently waiting to see what happens next. One thing is clear though, the ‘Don 3’ fallout is only getting bigger, and with Ranveer, Excel Entertainment, and the entire film industry watching closely, there is still a lot more to come.
