Almost two years ago, one summer afternoon, Excel Entertainment released a promotional unit for Don 3. But there was a twist: it wasn’t Shah Rukh Khan who was featured; instead, it was a new face, Ranveer Singh. As expected, the unit was mercilessly trolled. Netizens questioned filmmaker Farhan Akhtar’s choice of Ranveer for the next installment of the action franchise, despite clear hints at the end of Don 2 that SRK would reprise the role. It seemed like a sign from the universe that the project would face challenges, surrounded by constant negativity. In the years that followed, the film was postponed multiple times. Reports surfaced that Farhan was reworking the script, and the lead actress was changed from Kiara Advani to Kriti Sanon. Now, the final blow appears to have been dealt: according to reports, Ranveer Singh has walked out of the film just a month before it was scheduled to go on floors.
Rumours about his exit are swirling. According to Mid-Day, the reasons were primarily a fee hike by Ranveer following the thunderous success of Dhurandhar, and a scheduling conflict, as he still has portions of Dhurandhar 2, scheduled for an Eid 2026 release, to shoot. Whatever the reason, his departure raises pressing questions: Does Ranveer need a Don 3 in his career? And on a larger level, does the world need another Don?
“I’m really excited Ranveer’s on board. He’s so charged and so ready to go. It’s a big film, just purely from the point of view of an actor, it’s a big thing to do, and we’re really excited to have him on board. His energy is energizing us, so to speak,” Farhan told Variety in late 2023. On the other hand, soon after the film was announced, Ranveer wrote on Instagram: “I understand what a great responsibility it is to be a part of the ‘Don’ dynasty. I hope the audience gives me a chance and showers me with love, the way they have for numerous characters over the past so many years.”
There’s no doubt that, despite trolling, Ranveer has the range and charisma to pull off a menacing underworld don. But much has changed since the film was announced. The Hindi film industry is now crowded with high-octane action films. What started with Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan has since snowballed into Jawan, Animal, Gadar 2, Kill, Yodha, Yudhra, Baby John, Sky Force, Jaat, Deva, Chhaava, Sikandar, Maalik, War 2, Baaghi 4, and the list really goes on and on. And this is just Hindi cinema. Southern industries has been leading the trend with the likes of KGF, Vikram, Pushpa, RRR, and, peaking this year, with Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1. Ranveer himself is coming off his career’s highest grosser with Dhurandhar. So the question remains: how much action can audiences tolerate, and for how long will it dominate trends?
It’s worth asking: when Ranveer already commands a blockbuster action franchise like Dhurandhar, does he really need the baggage of the Don franchise on his shoulders?
The success of films like Saiyaara and Stree 2 shows that audiences are increasingly open to different genres. By the time Don 3 would have released, (given repeated delays), viewers would already have experienced multiple action spectacles. 2026 alone is packed with tentpole releases. And then to top it all, masters of the genre are coming up with their own renditions. There’s SS Rajamouli’s time-travel actioner Varanasi with Mahesh Babu, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s cop film Spirit with Prabhas, Atlee’s reincarnation drama with Allu Arjun, and Lokesh Kanagaraj is also planning Kaithi 2 and superhero film with Aamir Khan. In such a crowded landscape, is there space for a slick, urban actioner like Don 3? Does Ranveer Singh need another action franchise, especially when the genre is already saturated and he already has Dhurandhar?
Indeed, the odds seem heavily stacked against Farhan Akhtar’s film. After all, in an era where even the Spy Universe is going through a slump due to its Hollywoodized sensibilities, and gore-fest actioners like Animal, Kill, Marco, and Dhurandhar are ruling the box office, Farhan will need to completely redesign the existing aesthetic of the franchise.
Shah Rukh is a proven draw, especially after delivering recent all-time grosses. His presence guarantees anticipation and box-office pull, particularly as he has finally stepped into an action avatar lately. But he already has Siddharth Anand’s King in his kitty, which appears to see him in a similar “cool assassin” role. Moreover, Farhan has said in an interview with Raj Shamani that Shah Rukh couldn’t be part of Don 3, as the filmmaker wanted a “young Don” and needed a next-generation actor for the ideas he had in mind. So, unless Farhan revamps the script entirely, it seems unlikely that SRK will return.
Farhan Akhtar said Shah Rukh Khan couldn’t do Don 3 due to creative differences, as the filmmaker wanted a younger generation to take on the role.
In that case, Farhan’s options are limited. He can indeed take a new face for the role, but another viable path might be revisiting Jee Lee Zara. Announced in 2021 with Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, and Katrina Kaif, the film has seen no concrete developments. Farhan has previously admitted on Unfiltered by Samdish that delays in the film were stressful. Perhaps now is the time to revive it. Because, heaven knows, it’s the perfect time for an all-female-led road-trip comedy amid the wave of action bonanzas coming our way over the next two years.