What if Dhurandhar had flopped? Inside Ritesh Sidhwani's showdown with Ranveer Singh
A new report about the Don 3 dispute suggests that Ranveer Singh exited the film after Dhurandhar's success and admitted that he wouldn't have left the film otherwise. The disclosures have intensified the dispute as he challenges FWICE's non-cooperation directive in court.
The Ranveer Singh-Don 3 controversy has taken a dramatic new turn after a detailed report revealed what allegedly transpired behind closed doors as Bollywood's biggest names attempted to resolve the dispute between the actor and Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment. The report paints a picture of the disagreement between the two parties, mentioning the one big Dhurandhar question that Ranveer couldn't skip answering.
As per the report in Variety India, the matter grew far beyond a routine actor-producer fallout, eventually drawing in stars including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and Karan Johar. Here's the timeline that follows:
August 2023: Ranveer becomes the new Don
The story began in August 2023 when Ranveer Singh was officially announced as the new Don, taking over one of Bollywood's most iconic franchises after Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
The announcement generated massive excitement and debate among fans. However, after the initial launch, updates on the film became increasingly scarce even as work reportedly continued behind the scenes.
December 2, 2025: Dhurandhar arrives
According to the report, preparations for Don 3 were well underway by late 2025. Ranveer had participated in action training, rehearsals were being planned, and costume trials had already begun. But a major shift came on December 2, 2025, when Dhurandhar was released in theatres.
The film went on to become a blockbuster, dramatically altering Ranveer's position in the industry after a difficult phase at the box office.
December 20, 2025: The exit call
Just days after attending script-reading sessions with Farhan Akhtar and the cast, Ranveer reportedly informed the makers that he was exiting Don 3.
By then, Dhurandhar had crossed the Rs 500-crore mark at the domestic box office. The decision shocked the production and triggered a dispute that would soon spill beyond the offices of Excel Entertainment.
Bollywood's biggest names step in
What followed was an unusual attempt by the industry to broker peace. The report claims that multiple mediation meetings were held after Excel Entertainment raised the issue with industry bodies.
Salman Khan was among those present at an early meeting. Subsequent discussions reportedly involved Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar. A later joint session attended by representatives from both sides included Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Rohit Shetty, Rajkumar Hirani, Ashutosh Gowariker, Siddharth Roy Kapur and several other senior industry figures.
Ranveer reportedly arrived at one of the meetings with handwritten notes and spent nearly 90 minutes explaining his reasons for leaving the project. He is said to have raised concerns regarding the script, creative direction, budget revisions and production delays.
Direct confrontation
One of the most striking moments from the mediation process reportedly came when producer Ritesh Sidhwani directly questioned Ranveer about the timing of his decision.
According to sources cited in the report, Sidhwani asked the actor whether he would have exited Don 3 had Dhurandhar not become a blockbuster.
The report claims Ranveer responded that he would not have.
The exchange is now being viewed as one of the most important moments of the discussions, especially given how closely the actor's exit coincided with Dhurandhar's massive success.
The dispute did not end with mediation.
As per the report, the Rs 45 crore amount that FWICE said Excel has demanded from Ranveer was, in fact, calculated by an independent audit. The matter eventually reached multiple industry bodies before culminating in FWICE (Federation of Western Cine Employees) issuing a non-cooperation directive against the actor.
While the complete truth behind the fallout remains known only to those directly involved, the revelations offer the clearest picture yet of how a film that began as one of Bollywood's most anticipated franchise revivals transformed into one of the industry's biggest and most closely watched disputes.
In the latest development, Ranveer has sued FWICE for issuing a non-cooperation directive against him. The federation is scheduled to address the media on the matter later today.
The Ranveer Singh-Don 3 controversy has taken a dramatic new turn after a detailed report revealed what allegedly transpired behind closed doors as Bollywood's biggest names attempted to resolve the dispute between the actor and Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment. The report paints a picture of the disagreement between the two parties, mentioning the one big Dhurandhar question that Ranveer couldn't skip answering.
As per the report in Variety India, the matter grew far beyond a routine actor-producer fallout, eventually drawing in stars including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan and Karan Johar. Here's the timeline that follows:
August 2023: Ranveer becomes the new Don
The story began in August 2023 when Ranveer Singh was officially announced as the new Don, taking over one of Bollywood's most iconic franchises after Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
The announcement generated massive excitement and debate among fans. However, after the initial launch, updates on the film became increasingly scarce even as work reportedly continued behind the scenes.
December 2, 2025: Dhurandhar arrives
According to the report, preparations for Don 3 were well underway by late 2025. Ranveer had participated in action training, rehearsals were being planned, and costume trials had already begun. But a major shift came on December 2, 2025, when Dhurandhar was released in theatres.
The film went on to become a blockbuster, dramatically altering Ranveer's position in the industry after a difficult phase at the box office.
December 20, 2025: The exit call
Just days after attending script-reading sessions with Farhan Akhtar and the cast, Ranveer reportedly informed the makers that he was exiting Don 3.
By then, Dhurandhar had crossed the Rs 500-crore mark at the domestic box office. The decision shocked the production and triggered a dispute that would soon spill beyond the offices of Excel Entertainment.
Bollywood's biggest names step in
What followed was an unusual attempt by the industry to broker peace. The report claims that multiple mediation meetings were held after Excel Entertainment raised the issue with industry bodies.
Salman Khan was among those present at an early meeting. Subsequent discussions reportedly involved Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar. A later joint session attended by representatives from both sides included Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Rohit Shetty, Rajkumar Hirani, Ashutosh Gowariker, Siddharth Roy Kapur and several other senior industry figures.
Ranveer reportedly arrived at one of the meetings with handwritten notes and spent nearly 90 minutes explaining his reasons for leaving the project. He is said to have raised concerns regarding the script, creative direction, budget revisions and production delays.
Direct confrontation
One of the most striking moments from the mediation process reportedly came when producer Ritesh Sidhwani directly questioned Ranveer about the timing of his decision.
According to sources cited in the report, Sidhwani asked the actor whether he would have exited Don 3 had Dhurandhar not become a blockbuster.
The report claims Ranveer responded that he would not have.
The exchange is now being viewed as one of the most important moments of the discussions, especially given how closely the actor's exit coincided with Dhurandhar's massive success.
The dispute did not end with mediation.
As per the report, the Rs 45 crore amount that FWICE said Excel has demanded from Ranveer was, in fact, calculated by an independent audit. The matter eventually reached multiple industry bodies before culminating in FWICE (Federation of Western Cine Employees) issuing a non-cooperation directive against the actor.
While the complete truth behind the fallout remains known only to those directly involved, the revelations offer the clearest picture yet of how a film that began as one of Bollywood's most anticipated franchise revivals transformed into one of the industry's biggest and most closely watched disputes.
In the latest development, Ranveer has sued FWICE for issuing a non-cooperation directive against him. The federation is scheduled to address the media on the matter later today.
