With Don 3, Jee Le Zaraa in limbo, Farhan Akhtar jokes he’s still trying to direct — where the films stand now

A script that's been locked for years and there's legal standoff involving crores in damages.

Farhan Akhtar finds himself in an odd spot: The man behind two of Bollywood's most anticipated upcoming films, and yet neither is anywhere close to a set.

It's a strange contrast to sit with. At a recent Dil Chahta Hai reunion with Yuva, marking the film's 25th anniversary, Saif Ali Khan turned to his old director and told him that he's great at his job. You should direct more films, he said.

Farhan brushed it off with a laugh, 'I'm trying' and well, right now, 'trying' is exactly where both Jee Le Zaraa and Don 3 stand.

What happened to Jee Le Zaraa?

Start with the quieter of the two delays. Farhan announced Jee Le Zaraa back in 2021, timing the reveal to the 20th anniversary of Dil Chahta Hai and unveiling a stacked cast, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt, for an all-female road trip film meant to round out an unofficial trilogy alongside Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Cameras were supposed to roll by 2022.

They never did. For years, the project sat frozen, with Farhan periodically stepping in to squash shelving rumours. "I would hate to say that it's shelved," he said at one point on Our Stupid Reactions podcast. "What I will say is that it has been put on the back burner. It is a film that will happen. Again, I don't know when it will be."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Akhtar also addressed the ongoing speculation around the film and its progress. Talking about the journey so far, he said the process has been less straightforward than expected and described it as something that has required patience and persistence.

He shared that while the idea remains close to him, various factors have slowed development, noting that he is currently taking time to reassess his next steps as a director. He explained, “There is some kind of chaotic design to all of it. I couldn’t write it down and tell you, but it comes from whatever feels right in – that I really must do this. It is going to be an experience that if I don’t do, I will miss."

He added that it has been four-and-a-half years of him trying to put the film together. "For various reasons, one wheel or the other keeps falling off. But, I am excited about wanting to do it. I feel that in some way, the universe is testing me, to see how badly do I want it. So, I am just waiting for that final wheel to be put back in place.”

The screenplay, written by Farhan alongside Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, has reportedly been locked for a long time now. What's been missing is far less glamorous: Three overbooked actresses whose calendars simply won't line up.

That may finally be changing, if numerous reports are to be believed. With Don 3 tied up in chaos (we'll get to that), Farhan has apparently shifted his focus back to Jee Le Zaraa, reopening talks with all three leads. If schedules cooperate, it is suggested the film could actually go into production in the second half of 2026, prep work like locations and music, by most accounts, is already sorted. However, the filmmaker hasn't confirmed anything yet.

The Don 3 turbulence

Farhan unveiled Ranveer Singh as the franchise's new lead back in August 2023, continuing a lineage that runs from Amitabh Bachchan through Shah Rukh Khan. It should have been a straightforward passing of the torch. Instead, in December 2025, right on the heels of Ranveer's hit Dhurandhar. And then, he exited the film altogether.

Why he left depends on who's telling the story. Some accounts point to Ranveer wanting distance from another gangster role; others cite frustration with delays and a script that never fully came together.

Whatever the real reason, the split hasn't come cheap. Excel Entertainment Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani's production house, reportedly sought roughly Rs 40–45 crore in damages, pointing to money already spent on script work, scheduling and locations. Ranveer's side has pushed back just as firmly, with his legal team reportedly arguing that no binding contract ever existed, only a memorandum of understanding, and that the dispute belongs in court, not before an industry body.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) slapped Ranveer with a non-cooperation directive, prompting the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) to publicly back him in response. Meanwhile, whispers that Hrithik Roshan might replace Ranveer entirely grew loud enough that Hrithik had to shut them down himself: "I would like to categorically clarify that I was never approached for Don 3 at any given time."

The standoff is still unresolved, now sitting with the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) as both camps hold firm.