Why Ranveer Singh left 'Don 3' after months of preparation
What's the story
The ongoing controversy over Don 3 has taken a new turn, with industry insiders questioning why actor Ranveer Singh decided to leave the project after extensive preparations. According to Bollywood Hungama, the film was developed around Singh for nearly 32 months before their collaboration fell apart in December 2025. The report revealed that Excel Entertainment had started working on introducing Singh as the new Don in April 2023.
Contract details
'They re-launched one of Hindi cinema's most iconic franchises...'
The report further states that a term sheet outlining the key terms of Singh's engagement was signed on August 7, 2024. The latest draft of the script was reportedly sent to his team on March 25, 2025. The source added, "People forget what Excel did for this project. They didn't merely cast Ranveer." "They re-launched one of Hindi cinema's most iconic franchises around him." "The entire Don 3 campaign, positioning...and long-term planning revolved around Ranveer Singh despite his back-to-back flops."
Pre-production progress
'Multiple departments had been activated, schedules had been blocked...'
Singh reportedly underwent action training between November 3 and November 12, 2025, with Excel Entertainment covering the costs. He also participated in script-reading sessions with Farhan Akhtar and other key cast members on December 15 and 16, 2025. Another source said, "By that stage, this was not a film waiting for approvals." "This was a film preparing to go on floors. Multiple departments had been activated, schedules had been blocked, and substantial money had already been spent."
Disagreement over exit
'Why continue with action training, costume trials...'
While Singh's camp has claimed there were issues with the project, they have not publicly clarified what those concerns were. One trade veteran remarked, "That is the question everyone is asking. If there were fundamental problems with the script, budget, or the project itself, why continue with action training, costume trials, rehearsals, and script readings?" Reportedly, a look test scheduled for December 17 was cancelled, and on December 20, Singh allegedly informed the producers that he was exiting Don 3.