4 min readNew DelhiFeb 12, 2026 08:25 PM IST
In a new development amid the Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment dispute following the star’s exit from Don 3, Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani-led production house has now reached out to Birla Studios. The newly minted production house is supposed to be backing Ranveer’s ambitious zombie thriller Pralay, and Sidhwani has requested them not to go ahead with funding and shooting of the film till the Don 3 dispute is resolved. Excel Entertainment has demanded nearly Rs 40 crore from the actor for walking out of the film, claiming they have incurred massive losses due to his exit after the film’s pre-production had started. The gambit seems to have paid off as Ranveer, who till now had maintained that he is not liable to pay a single rupee, has now asked for an audit of the cost incurred by Farhan’s studio, as per sources close to the development.
Excel Entertainment had sought compensation from Ranveer for sunk development costs, as well as delays tied to scheduling and planning, as per sources close to the development. “Money had been spent on pre-production — scouting location, doing recce, scheduling and budgeting etc. The producers’ guild also needs to set a precedent in such cases where either the actors exit or the producers steps back. There is merit to their argument and they have also submitted messages from the actor saying he’s onboard with script development while he has complained of an absentee director.” However, at the moment, both the sides seem to be deadlocked, leading to speculation that they may take a legal recourse. “The guild has also lost power over the years and it’s quite likely the stakeholders will take legal recourse. They appear to be deadlocked at the moment,” says the source.There have been such cases earlier — when Deepika Padukone stepped away from Race 2 after shooting for a few days or when Sara Ali Khan was sued by the makers of Kedarnath after scheduling conflicts with Rohit Shetty’s Simmba.
Producers Guild of India stepped in to resolve the dispute and two meetings have already taken place. During the meetings, Ranveer’s team blamed Excel Entertainment for unprofessionalism and for not being serious about taking Don 3 on floors. He complained that there was no bound script and an absentee director in Farhan Akhtar, who refused to collaborate with him or accept his feedback. He further alleged that Excel 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. He said he is not liable for damages as he did not accept any remuneration from the producers. He cited his experience with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s shelved Baiju Bawra, for which he had prepared for a year without seeking compensation after the project was called off. He argued that such developments are inherent to the industry. Ranveer also referenced Shah Rukh Khan, who, according to him, had been approached for Don 3. Given that Shah Rukh has headlined the franchise twice, Ranveer reportedly argued that if the superstar had agreed, he would have been replaced without compensation. He also sought more time from the guild saying that he is at present busy with the release of Dhurandhar 2: The revenge.
Farhan’s position was also presented at the meetings. He reportedly maintained that Ranveer had never raised concerns about the script and had been enthusiastic about portraying the third generation of Don after Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. He even claimed that drafts were shared at regular intervals and approved at each stage. Besides the reimbursement, they have also urged producers’ body to frame resolutions against what they describe as unreasonable star demands.
