Ranveer Singh's father reaches out to film body over Don 3 row as Pralay goes on floors
Ranveer’s father, film bodies seek truce as Don 3 row shadows Pralay shoot
The fallout from Ranveer Singh's abrupt departure from Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 is far from over, even though FWICE lifted its restrictions on the actor more than two months ago. A second industry body, IMPPA, has now stepped into the dispute, and there are signs of movement.
According to IMPPA president Abhay Sinha, Ranveer's father, Jagjit Singh Bhavnani, recently got in touch with the association to signal the family's openness to a sit-down. Sinha also confirmed that Ranveer's legal representative followed up by email, committing to attend a meeting once one is arranged, according to Indian Express's Screen.
The timing is notable. This gesture toward resolution lands just as Ranveer kicks off production on his next major project, Pralay, a zombie apocalypse thriller directed by Jai Mehta that began shooting in Mumbai. The film brings together an unusual production lineup: Jai's father Hansal Mehta's True Story Films, Ananya Birla's Birla Studios, and Maa Kasam Films, the actor's own newly launched banner, marking his first credit as a producer. Kalyani Priyadarshan, known for Lokah: Chapter 1, joins him in a lead role.
How the Don 3 dispute began
The controversy traces back to August 2023, when Excel Entertainment unveiled Don 3 with Ranveer stepping into the role Shah Rukh Khan had made iconic across the franchise's first two installments in 2006 and 2011. A promo at the time revealed his look as the character.
The plan derailed shortly after Dhurandhar, Ranveer's spy thriller directed by Aditya Dhar, posted strong numbers at the global box office. Without offering a public explanation, Ranveer told Excel Entertainment he intended to walk away from Don 3, a decision that landed just three weeks before more than 200 crew members were scheduled to travel abroad for the first shoot.
Excel Entertainment responded by bringing the matter to FWICE. The body heard the production house's account, then gave Ranveer an opportunity to respond. When he declined to engage, FWICE issued a non-cooperation order against him, a measure it reversed just over a week later, citing pressure from other film bodies concerned that sidelining an actor of his profile would cost thousands of industry workers potential employment.
IMPPA entered the picture roughly a month after that reversal, when Farhan Akhtar and his co-producer Ritesh Sidhwani brought their case to the association, laying out the signed contract, the three-year-old promotional footage, and a message reportedly sent by Ranveer expressing enthusiasm for the role.
Throughout the saga, Ranveer himself has offered no public comment. Even as FWICE moved against him, his camp issued only a brief statement reaffirming his decision to stay silent on the matter and keep his focus on his work.
