- Excel Entertainment reportedly seeks about $5 million in compensation
- Dispute followed Ranveer Singh’s alleged exit from Don 3 in December
- Producers cite sunk development and pre-production costs
- Ranveer reportedly left over dissatisfaction with the script
- Producers Guild of India has stepped in to mediate
Farhan Akhtar’s production house, Excel Entertainment, has reportedly demanded approximately $5 million in damages from Ranveer Singh following the actor’s alleged decision to walk away from the highly anticipated film Don 3. The dispute, which surfaced in recent reports, has sparked widespread debate within the Hindi film industry and on social media.
According to sources cited by Variety India, Excel Entertainment claims it suffered major financial losses after Singh exited the project late last year. The production house has reportedly sought compensation for sunk development expenses, scheduling disruptions, and other commitments made during the film’s pre-production phase.
A letter accessed by the publication reportedly states that the company was forced to release several departments from the project, asking heads of departments to seek alternative work due to uncertainty surrounding the film. Based on these developments, Farhan Akhtar’s team believes the actor should be held financially accountable for the losses incurred.
The disagreement appears to center on conflicting accounts of how and why the project stalled. A source familiar with the matter told Variety that Ranveer Singh expressed dissatisfaction with the script and requested multiple revisions. Despite these changes, he reportedly remained unhappy with the final draft and chose to exit the film.
Excel Entertainment, however, maintains that it moved ahead with pre-production only after Singh had approved the script. The production house reportedly argues that his withdrawal came after key decisions had already been finalized, leading to significant financial exposure.
Reports also indicate that Singh and representatives from Excel Entertainment held a two-hour meeting last Friday (6) in an attempt to resolve the issue. The discussion reportedly involved extensive back-and-forth over responsibility and contractual obligations but failed to produce a resolution.
- YouTube youtu.be
As tensions escalated, the Producers Guild of India has stepped in to mediate between the two parties. The guild is reportedly attempting to find common ground and prevent the dispute from turning into a prolonged legal battle.
The issue has ignited strong reactions online, particularly on Reddit, where many users appear to support Ranveer Singh. Several commenters questioned whether Excel Entertainment has written proof binding the actor to the project. Others argued that if Singh received a signing fee, he should only be required to return that amount, minus compensation for any promotional work already completed.
Some users also raised doubts about the scale of the alleged losses, noting that spending nearly $5 million during pre-production seemed excessive even by big-budget standards. Others suggested the production house may be attempting to pressure the actor amid a series of recent box office underperformers.
Don 3 was officially announced by Farhan Akhtar in 2023, with a teaser featuring Ranveer Singh generating significant excitement. However, the film failed to move forward, and reports later suggested it had been pushed to the back burner due to casting and scheduling challenges.
As of now, neither Ranveer Singh nor Excel Entertainment has issued an official public statement addressing the reported compensation demand.
