Farhan Akhtar takes a cheeky dig at Ranveer Singh over Don 3 exit: ‘Seems to be a pattern nowadays’

Farhan Akhtar appears to have taken a subtle swipe at Ranveer Singh over his sudden exit from Don 3, which sent the interviewer Anupama Chopra into hysterics. The filmmaker’s remark was made during a discussion around the 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai, the film that launched his career as a director.

While speaking at the event, Farhan recounted how he faced issues while casting Dil Chahta Hai. He shared that Saif Ali Khan, who ended up playing the role of Sameer, almost decided to walk out of the film. Farhan mentioned that he had to convince the actor into doing the film.

In the course of the discussion, Farhan made the joke on how actors backing out of projects has become a trend these days. Most people interpreted the statement as a jab aimed at the ongoing controversy around Ranveer and Don 3.

Ranveer was announced to be the new Don in 2023, taking over the role from Shah Rukh Khan. However, he suddenly dropped out of the film a few weeks before the filming was supposed to start, causing a lot of friction between him and the filmmakers.

The controversy intensified when Excel Entertainment expressed their worries regarding the financial impacts purportedly caused by the sudden pullout. Following this development, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees directed a non-cooperation order against Ranveer, which he countered through legal action. The Producers Guild of India intervened and appealed for peaceful resolution of the issue.

Farhan had talked about the Don 3 issue before, calling the matter complicated, and agreeing that he had trouble leaving the project.

Although he did not mention Ranveer in his latest statement, the way he used the word “pattern” made many believe it referred to the whole Don 3 situation.