While the whereabouts of the first two 'Dons' became known to the entire world, capturing the third 'Don' has proven truly impossible; the situation has now escalated to the point where the matter, having passed through the courts, has finally reached the FWICE.

**Bollywood's Third 'Don'**
In the 1970s, the world of cinema found its very first 'Don' in Amitabh Bachchan. Subsequently, in 2006, Shah Rukh Khan took the mantle and dominated the screen as 'Don'. Across the two films in this franchise, only one 'Don' reigned supreme—and that was Shah Rukh. Then came the turn of the third installment; this time, Ranveer Singh stepped in to take Shah Rukh's place.

**Farhan Akhtar's Official Seal of Approval**
When the first sparks of 'Don 3' began to fly within film circles, the rumor mill went into overdrive with speculation regarding who would ultimately become the next 'Don'. Amidst the whispers, the name of Ranveer Singh—the actor behind the iconic 'Khilji' in *Padmaavat*—emerged as a frontrunner. Months passed in mere conjecture until Farhan Akhtar—the director and co-producer of the 'Don' franchise—finally made the official announcement to the world regarding the identity of the 'Next Don'.

**The Cast of 'Don 3' Was Finalized**
Then came August 2023, bringing with it one of cinema's biggest announcements: Ranveer Singh was set to take on the role of 'Don' in *Don 3*. For Ranveer—known for his roles in *Gunday*, *Ram-Leela*, and *Simmba*—becoming a part of such a blockbuster franchise was a monumental achievement. Everything was in place. Initially, there was talk of Kiara Advani playing the role of the 'Junglee Billi' (Wildcat), but she was subsequently replaced by Kriti Sanon.

**Production Plagued by Repeated Delays**
With the main cast finalized, the only remaining step was to commence filming. However, the film's production faced repeated postponements. Initially, shooting was scheduled to begin in August 2024. This date was subsequently pushed back to January 2025, only to be delayed once again by another three to four months. At times, Ranveer Singh became occupied with his personal and professional life—specifically, his preparations for *Singham Again* and the impending arrival of his first child—while at other times, Farhan Akhtar was engrossed in his own film, *120 Bahadur*. It was widely expected that immediately after wrapping up *120 Bahadur*, Farhan would dive straight into *Don 3*.

**'Dhurandhar' Takes Center Stage, Pushing 'Don' Aside**

However, even before filming could commence, Ranveer Singh's *Dhurandhar* hit the screens. The film completely upended all box-office equations, becoming a massive success and allowing Ranveer to dominate the spotlight. Just days after the triumph of *Dhurandhar*, reports began to surface suggesting that Ranveer had decided to bow out of *Don 3*. The reason cited for this departure was "creative differences."

**The Farhan-Ranveer Dispute**

Eventually, it was officially confirmed that Ranveer Singh had indeed exited *Don 3*. Reports revealed that Ranveer was dissatisfied with the script for *Don 3* and had been pressing Farhan to implement certain creative changes. Subsequently, news emerged that due to the repeated delays surrounding *Don 3*, Ranveer was unable to focus on his other projects, which were consequently facing delays of their own.

**A Demand for ₹45 Crores**

Rumors also circulated that, despite Ranveer's involvement, Hrithik Roshan had been approached for *Don 3*. However, the *Krrish* actor himself later refuted these rumors. It was alleged that Ranveer Singh's abrupt withdrawal from the film had resulted in a financial loss of approximately ₹40–45 crores for Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani. The filmmakers reportedly demanded that Ranveer compensate them for this loss. Consequently, Farhan approached the Producers Guild of India to present his case; however, the matter remained unresolved.

**Calls for a Ban on Ranveer Singh**

In April, Farhan Akhtar escalated his grievances by approaching the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). Both Farhan and the producers filed a formal complaint against Ranveer. The FWICE stated that although they had repeatedly sought a response from Ranveer regarding the matter, he failed to provide any reply. Subsequently, during a press conference, the FWICE issued a 'non-cooperation' directive against the actor and demanded that the industry ban him.

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