Farhan Akhtar is one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood. He is known for his incomparable mettle in acting, as well as music and filmmaking. Speaking about filmmaking, Farhan rose to fame by directing the iconic franchise of the film, Don, which he kickstarted in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan as the lead, and re-creating the Amitabh Bachchan film of the same name, which was released in 1978. Thereafter, Farhan took the reigns of the film ahead and made a sequel to his film, titled Don 2 in 2011, where Shah Rukh Khan continued with the lead role. However, recently, Farhan surprised everyone when he announced the third instalment of the same series, but with SRK being replaced with Ranveer Singh in the lead. While this decision created an instantaneous debate among cine lovers, the filmmaker now opened up about the same.
In a recent interview with Variety, Farhan Akhtar opened up on his decision to replace Shah Rukh Khan with Ranveer Singh for the next instalment of the Don series, Don 3. Reacting to the popular dissatisfaction of accepting any other actor in place of SRK for such an iconic role, the filmmaker revealed the inside story for taking such a huge decision. He mentioned that he had discussed the role and the scope of film with SRK for some years now, and unfortunately, they couldn’t land up on the same page over the same. Citing creative differences behind the same, Farhan mentioned:
“These are things that we discussed over the years, I wanted to take a certain direction with the story, but somehow, we (Shah Rukh Khan and I) just couldn’t find common ground. We just parted mutually knowing that it’s probably for the best. So that’s where it is.”
Recommended Read: Rahul Vaidya And Disha Parmar Make 1st Appearance With Their Daughter, He Reveals His Best Bday Gift
In the same interaction, Farhan Akhtar spoke about taking Ranveer Singh as the new lead for such an iconic film franchise and mentioned that he and the former were very thrilled about how the film would pan out. He mentioned that Ranveer is quite energised and is excited for the role. In his words:
“I’m really excited Ranveer’s on board. He’s so charged and so ready to go. It’s a big film, just purely from the point of view of an actor, it’s a big thing to do, and we’re really excited to have him on board. His energy is energizing us, so to speak.”
Well, while a massive section of the audience was left unimpressed with Ranveer Singh being chosen as the lead of Don 3 in place of Shah Rukh Khan, the former, on the contrary, had felt quite grateful and privileged for being able to do such a role. In one of his media interactions, Ranveer had mentioned how exhilarating it felt for him to be able to step into the shoes of great legends, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who did the films earlier. For the unversed, Don 3 is set to release in 2025.
Check This Out: Kareena Kapoor And Saif Take Part In A Little Magic Game On Former's B'Day, Inside Video Goes Viral
Right before making his big announcement for Don 3, Farhan Akhtar had taken to his social media handle on August 8, 2023 and penned a note, that carried a hint for a new actor taking on the reins for such a massively successful film franchise. He mentioned that the new actor will be following in the footsteps of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who had previously played the lead roles. He had written:
“It was 1978 when the nation witnessed the rage of Don for the first time with superstar Mr Amitabh Bachchan playing the lead. While the first film continues to hold its charm, Excel Entertainment is delighted to announce the directorial homecoming of Farhan Akhtar's Don. The time has now come to take the legacy of Don forward and joining us in this new interpretation will be an actor whose talent and versatility I have long admired. A new era of Don begins in 2025.”
What do you think about Farhan Akhtar and Shah Rukh Khan having creative differences for Don 3? Let us know.
Next Read: Kajol Wishes Mother, Tanuja On Her 80th Birthday With A Video Featuring Latter's Rare Interviews
