Don 3 Dispute: Excel Demands ₹40 Crore, Ranveer Singh Pushes Back

Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment is reportedly seeking ₹40 crore in damages from Ranveer Singh after the actor’s alleged decision to step away from Don3 in December, a move the production house claims caused substantial financial setbacks.

According to reports, Excel has cited losses linked to development expenses and disruptions to planning, scheduling, and pre-production workflows. A communication accessed by Variety India reportedly states that the delays forced the company to release several departments from the project, with heads of departments being asked to seek other work due to the film’s uncertain status.

The production banner reportedly believes these losses stem directly from Singh’s exit and has therefore held the actor responsible for compensating the company.

Sources quoted by Variety suggest that Singh withdrew from the film due to dissatisfaction with the script. The actor is said to have asked for multiple revisions and remained unhappy with the final version. Excel Entertainment, however, reportedly maintains that it only proceeded with pre-production after receiving Singh’s approval on the script.

The disagreement reportedly led to a two-hour meeting between Singh and Excel representatives on Friday, but no resolution was reached. Both sides are said to have disputed responsibility for the stalled project and the resulting financial impact. With talks failing to break the deadlock, the Producers Guild of India has now stepped in to mediate, aiming to prevent the dispute from escalating further.

The issue has triggered extensive debate on social media, particularly on Reddit, where many users have expressed support for Singh. Several commenters questioned whether Excel has a legal basis for its claim without written commitments from the actor, while others argued that, at most, Singh should only be required to return any signing fee he may have received.

Some users also cast doubt on the scale of the alleged losses, noting that ₹40 crore seems unusually high for pre-production expenses alone. Others accused Excel Entertainment of attempting to pressure Singh, pointing to the production house’s recent box-office struggles and suggesting the claim could be an effort to recover losses or push the actor back into the project.

Don 3 was officially announced in 2023, with Farhan Akhtar unveiling a teaser featuring Ranveer Singh. Despite the announcement, the film failed to move forward, and subsequent reports claimed it was put on hold after the makers were unable to find a suitable replacement for Singh.

As of now, neither Ranveer Singh nor Excel Entertainment has released an official statement addressing the reported dispute.