New Delhi: Ranveer Singh‘s abrupt exit from Farghan Akhtar’s Don 3 led to a major fallout between the actor and the filmmaker. Before everything went public
and FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees) issued and revoked non-cooperation against the Dhurandhar actor, several closed-door mediation sessions took place between both parties.
However, none of them was able to come to a mutual agreement. The dispute stems from Ranveer’s decision to walk out of the film just weeks before the shooting was scheduled to begin. Excel Entertainment, headed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, demanded compensation, following Ranveer’s exit. And everything blew out of proportion.
Ranveer skipped meetings
Before Excel Entertainment approached the Producers Guild of India, a series of informal mediation sessions was attended by 25 senior industry personalities. The meeting was attended by Salman Khan, according to a report by Variety. The report further stated that later sessions were attended by Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, and others.
These meetings were kept to allow parties to speak freely. However, Ranveer did not attend these initial meetings.
Ranveer Singh finally joined the meeting
In a later session, Ranveer Singh joined the meeting. Both parties were brought together under one roof and it was attended by Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Rohit Shetty, Rajkumar Hirani, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Sidharth Roy Kapur and Viacom 18 studio head Ajit Andhare, among others, according to Variety. ,
What did Ranveer Singh say?
During the meeting, Ranveer reportedly outlined four grievances why he walked out of the film. As per the publication, he said that the script never reached a stage he was comfortable with. He further expressed frustration over Farhan’s availability, citing his other commitments, including concert tours and acting projects.
He further revealed that his remuneration had been renegotiated downward and the film budget had been significantly reduced from Rs 300 crore to Rs 150 crore, adding that he has not received any signing amount for the project.
What did Excel Entertainment say?
In response to Ranveer Singh’s claims, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani arrived with printed records of WhatsApp conversations exchanged with Ranveer over several years. According to sources present in the meeting, the messages showed Ranveer acting positively to multiple script drafts.
They also disputed Ranveer’s claim over his fee and said that remuneration was reduced after terms were agreed upon. According to the report, the fee negotiations took place before the term sheet was signed and did not amount to a post-contract reduction. As per sources present at the meeting, many felt that documentary evidence addressed a substantial portion of Ranveer’s concerns.
Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment even asked Ranveer whether he would have exited Don 3 if Dhurandhar had not become the blockbuster, Ranveer responded by saying that he would not have left the project under those circumstances.
Ranveer’s settlement offer
Ranveer proposed a settlement in an attempt to resolve the dispute. The actor offered Rs 10 crore in immediate compensation along with a 25 per cent discount on his fee for any future projects produced by Excel Entertainment. However, Farhana and Ritesh rejected the proposal.
On the fee discount, they said that future collaborations carried little value as they were no longer interested in pursuing another project with Ranveer and were instead seeking compensation of Rs 45 crore for losses incurred.
Recently, Poonam Dhillon, President of Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA), told Free Press Journal, “I am sure he would be a fair person, and if he feels that he is, he is not the kind of person who will deliberately harm or hurt anybody and he has an excellent relationship with Excel. Yeah, he’s given two big hits with them. So, if there was any reason that he is not comfortable doing this film, could be for various reasons. And kudos to him that he offered compensation for losses incurred and paid back the signing amount. Many don’t even do that.”
