Don 3 row: Ranveer tells producers' body to back off as Rs 45 crore dispute grows

Actor Ranveer Singh has asked the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) to stay out of the dispute surrounding his exit from Don 3, insisting that the matter is between him and the film's producers, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.The development comes days after Ranveer's father, Jagjit Singh Bhavnani, met IMPPA and submitted a plea challenging Excel Entertainment's reported Rs 45 crore compensation claim against the actor. IMPPA is currently examining documents submitted by both sides before deciding how it will proceed.According to a source familiar with the latest development, Ranveer remains firm that an industry body should not adjudicate a dispute that he believes is essentially a matter between him and the producers.“His lawyers mentioned that FWICE or IMPPA should not be the ones handling the issue. He believes it doesn't come under their jurisdiction. However, as an industry, these are the bodies that step in to resolve such matters. So, he will have to toe the line,” the source mentioned. The position puts Ranveer and IMPPA at an interesting point of conflict. While the actor's camp believes the dispute should remain between the contractual parties, the producers have taken the matter to industry bodies after their attempts to resolve it directly with Ranveer failed.IMPPA President Abhay Sinha, meanwhile, defended the association's intervention, saying it was acting within the framework governing the organisation. "We are a producers' body and are acting in accordance with the laws governing us. I cannot speak on Ranveer's behalf, but we are following the legal process," Sinha told India Today. He added, "Once the lawyers of both parties go through the documents, we will be able to take a call. He is entitled to have his opinions, but we are following the protocols."How the Don 3 dispute beganWhat started as a casting change has now turned into one of Bollywood's most closely watched industry disputes. Ranveer was announced as the new Don in 2023, taking over a role previously played by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Farhan Akhtar was set to direct the third instalment, with Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan producing it under Excel Entertainment.But by December 2025, Ranveer was no longer part of the project.The circumstances surrounding his departure have remained contested. Initial reports suggested that the actor had walked out of Don 3, with creative differences, production delays and concerns over the script among the issues reportedly discussed. At the time, however, sources close to Ranveer's camp told India Today that he had not walked out and that the makers had instead removed him from the film following differences over his demands.The dispute subsequently became financial.Excel Entertainment reportedly claimed that around Rs 45 crore had already been spent on pre-production when the project hit the roadblock. The figure was said to cover expenses including overseas recce trips, hotel bookings and arrangements for a large crew. FWICE later cited the same amount while taking up the producers' complaint.The producers sought compensation from Ranveer for the losses they said were incurred following his departure.Before the matter became a full-blown industry dispute, there were attempts at a private settlement. Ranveer's camp reportedly offered Rs 10 crore upfront along with a Rs 25 crore discount on a future collaboration with Excel, taking the proposed settlement to Rs 35 crore. The proposal was not accepted by the producers.Bollywood's biggest names tried to broker peaceThe matter was subsequently taken to the Producers Guild of India, where multiple rounds of mediation reportedly took place.Several prominent names from the industry were said to have attempted to help both sides reach a settlement. According to reports, the discussions involved people including Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Rohit Shetty and Rajkumar Hirani, among others.At one of the meetings, Ranveer reportedly explained at length why he had decided to leave the project, with concerns over the script, creative direction, budget revisions and production delays forming part of the discussion. A reported exchange with producer Ritesh Sidhwani also focussed on whether Ranveer would have taken the decision to leave had his film Dhurandhar not become a blockbuster.The mediation did not resolve the financial dispute.How FWICE entered the pictureWith the matter still unresolved, Farhan and Ritesh approached the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA), which referred the complaint to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).In May, FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer, asking its members not to work with the actor over what the federation described as his last-minute exit from Don 3. The move was widely described as a ban, although FWICE itself maintained that it was a non-cooperation directive rather than a formal ban.Ranveer subsequently sent a legal notice to FWICE, questioning the directive and the body's authority to intervene in the dispute.FWICE withdrew the directive in June following intervention from IMPPA, the Producers Guild of India and the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA). The federation said the decision was aimed at allowing the parties to sit together with the producers' body and find an amicable solution.However, the withdrawal did not resolve the underlying Rs 45 crore dispute.Why IMPPA is now involvedAfter FWICE's directive was withdrawn, the matter moved back into the producers' ecosystem.Farhan and Ritesh approached IMPPA with a formal complaint and submitted documents related to their claim. IMPPA subsequently wrote to Ranveer seeking his response.Ranveer's father then agreed to meet the association. Jagjit Singh Bhavnani eventually met IMPPA officials and submitted a plea opposing Excel Entertainment's Rs 45 crore claim. The association said its legal team would examine the documents and evidence before deciding on the next step.Ranveer's latest position, however, makes it clear that his camp does not believe IMPPA should be the forum deciding the dispute.The actor, meanwhile, has started working on his next film - a zombie-thriller titled Pralay, which he's also producing under his banner Maa Kasam Films.- EndsPublished By: Vineeta KumarPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 13:04 IST