Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Pattern Nowadays’ Remark Revives Don 3 Row, but It Is Not a New Casting Update

 Farhan Akhtar has brought Don 3 back into the conversation without actually mentioning the film.

During a discussion marking 25 years of Dil Chahta Hai, the filmmaker recalled a casting crisis from his 2001 directorial debut, when Saif Ali Khan had nearly stepped away shortly before filming. While narrating the episode, Farhan joked that such last-minute situations “seem to be a pattern nowadays.” The timing was enough for the comment to be widely interpreted as a possible reference to the turmoil surrounding Don 3.

The crucial distinction, however, is that Farhan did not name Ranveer Singh or explicitly say he was referring to Don 3. His remark can reasonably be discussed in the context of the ongoing controversy, but it should not be presented as a confirmed attack on the actor or as a fresh casting announcement.

Why the comment immediately brought Don 3 back into focus

The connection being made to Don 3 is understandable because the film’s casting situation has changed dramatically from what Excel Entertainment officially announced in 2024.

At that stage, Excel publicly listed Ranveer Singh as the new lead of the franchise, with Kiara Advani starring alongside him and Farhan Akhtar directing. The production banner also included Don 3 in a slate developed with Amazon Prime Video.

That remains useful historical confirmation of what the project was officially intended to be. It should not, however, be mistaken for the film’s current cast status.

By 2026, multiple reports said both originally announced leads were no longer attached in the same form, leaving the film facing renewed uncertainty. Farhan himself acknowledged the difficult position in April, calling the situation a “challenging moment” and saying he had learned to “expect the unexpected.”

That earlier statement is more directly relevant to the condition of Don 3 than his latest “pattern nowadays” joke.

The original remark was actually about Dil Chahta Hai

The context of Farhan’s comment is important.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, he was looking back at Dil Chahta Hai and the uncertainty he faced when Saif Ali Khan considered withdrawing close to production because of scheduling complications. Farhan recalled that he had difficulty imagining another performer in the role of Sameer after already becoming attached to Saif’s interpretation.

It was while discussing that episode that he made the contemporary-sounding aside about actors leaving films becoming a “pattern nowadays.”

Given the public history surrounding Don 3, the reference may look pointed. But the available interview does not establish whom Farhan had in mind.

That makes headlines such as “Farhan Akhtar confirms Ranveer Singh dig” stronger than the evidence supports.

Ranveer Singh’s Don 3 exit became more than a casting story

The reason the speculation has persisted is that the issue did not end with a routine recasting.

Recent reporting says Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani subsequently approached industry bodies over the fallout from Ranveer’s reported departure, while Ranveer’s side agreed to participate in discussions aimed at addressing the dispute.

The Indian Express and other publications have separately described Ranveer’s exit as having occurred close to the planned start of production, which is why Farhan’s anecdote about Saif nearly leaving Dil Chahta Hai shortly before filming immediately invited comparisons.

These developments are reported rather than independently documented through a public contract or legal order, so the precise financial or contractual terms between Ranveer and Excel should not be stated as fact unless supported by primary documentation.

What is officially confirmed about Don 3?

There is a useful line between what was officially announced and what is currently known.

Excel Entertainment officially confirmed in March 2024 that Don 3 was to be directed by Farhan Akhtar and star Ranveer Singh and Kiara Advani.

Farhan has since publicly acknowledged that the project ran into significant difficulties.

What has not been established through a fresh official Excel Entertainment announcement reviewed for this article is a replacement lead cast or a revised production start date.

That means speculation around names linked to replacing Ranveer should remain exactly that unless Excel, Farhan Akhtar or another authorised party makes a formal announcement.

Don has already reinvented itself once before

Casting change is not new to this franchise.

Farhan Akhtar directed Shah Rukh Khan in the 2006 reimagining of Don, itself built from the legacy of Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 film. Excel’s official archive lists Shah Rukh alongside Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor and Boman Irani in Farhan’s first Don.

The franchise therefore has a history of reinventing its central character across generations.

What makes the Don 3 situation different is not simply that the lead may change. It is that Excel had already formally positioned Ranveer as the next Don before the project subsequently entered a prolonged period of uncertainty.

That gap between announcement and execution is what has made every new Farhan Akhtar comment unusually scrutinised.

The Celebrity Hour Take

Farhan’s “pattern nowadays” comment is interesting precisely because it is ambiguous. The surrounding circumstances make a Don 3 interpretation plausible, but plausibility is not confirmation.

The more substantive story is how dramatically the status of Don 3 has shifted since Excel’s 2024 announcement. The project moved from having a formally announced director and two lead stars to a situation in which Farhan has publicly acknowledged production uncertainty and industry bodies have reportedly become involved in the fallout.

Until Excel Entertainment announces the next lead or a revised production plan, cryptic remarks should not be treated as casting news. The next genuinely important Don 3 development will be an official one.

Sources & Verification

This article was prepared by reviewing Farhan Akhtar’s remarks from The Hollywood Reporter India’s 25th-anniversary discussion of Dil Chahta Hai, Excel Entertainment’s official 2024 information for Don 3, Farhan’s April 2026 comments about the project’s difficulties, and recent reporting about the dispute surrounding Ranveer Singh’s departure.

The original comment was verified in context rather than treated as a direct statement about Don 3. No official replacement casting announcement was located in Excel Entertainment’s currently available project/news material reviewed for this report.