‘Unverified, false’: Hrithik Roshan dismisses Ranveer Singh’s claim that Farhan Akhtar approached him for Don 3 | Bollywood News
4 min readMumbaiFeb 13, 2026 01:22 PM The long-awaited Don 3, which had been in the works for nearly three years and was expected to hit the floors in early 2026, has hit a major roadblock. At the last moment, Ranveer Singh reportedly walked out of the film, sparking a public feud between the actor and the director-producer Farhan Akhtar. Amid the controversy, Hrithik Roshan’s name was also dragged into the mix. Ranveer has repeatedly claimed that even after being signed for the lead role, the makers were in talks with Hrithik, questioning Ranveer’s market viability in a pre-Dhurandhar landscape. Ranveer had refused to pay the Rs 40 crore reported cost cited Farhan’s production house.
Now, Hrithik has come forward to set the record straight. Speaking to the media, he said: “What started off as just a rumour has now taken an entire life of its own, and it’s important to set the record straight. I would like to categorically clarify that I was never approached for Don 3, at any given time. Requesting media to steer clear of any such unverified reports.”
Sources close to the development told SCREEN that Excel has also met Kuman Magalam Birla, whose Birla Studios is fronting Ranveer Singh’s ambitious film Pralay not to release the funds or start the shoot till the Don 3 exit issue is resolved. Ranveer, who had decided to move to Pralay after Dhurandhar and whose production house is also co-producing the venture, had no choice but to soften their stand and have now asked for audited accounts of Don 3 production cost.
ALSO READ: How Farhan Akhtar’s Excel is blocking Ranveer Singh’s Pralay to settle Rs 40 cr Don 3 exit dispute
For those unaware, Ranveer walked out of the project shortly after the release of Dhurandhar. Earlier this week, reports surfaced presenting both sides of the dispute. Farhan Akhtar had sought compensation from Ranveer for sunk development costs and delays tied to scheduling and planning. The publication referenced a letter that reportedly stated the production had been compelled to release several departments, asking heads of departments (HODs) to seek work elsewhere. Citing financial losses, Farhan’s team believes Ranveer should compensate the company. The report also noted that, with tensions escalating, the Producers Guild of India has stepped in to mediate and prevent further fallout.
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Ranveer’s side was also presented during a meeting under the supervision of the guild. He is said to have blamed Excel Entertainment for unprofessionalism and claimed Farhan was an ‘absentee director’ and he had other claims on his time rather than taking Don 3 to floors. He had claimed that the production house was exploring the possibility of getting Hrithik Roshan on board and only re-approached him after the success of Dhurandhar, to capitalise on his momentum.Story continues below this ad
With Hrithik’s clarification, the situation has become even murkier. It is also worth noting that Hrithik had a cameo in the franchise earlier, appearing in Don 2 (2011). On the work front, Hrithik is gearing up to step into direction with Krrish 4, while Ranveer has Dhurandhar 2, slated to release next month, followed debut in the genre of a zombie-actioner, with Pralay.
