Farhan Akhtar issues statement after facing backlash to Ranveer Singh replacing Shah Rukh Khan in Don 3.
Farhan Akhtar recently surprised fans as he announced the much-awaited movie Don 3. On August 8, he dropped a small clip showing number 3 illuminated with red light and captioned the post, “A new era begins.” Now the actor and director has issued a statement confirming Shah Rukh Khan’s exit from the threequel and has requested fans to give the same love to the new actor.
On Tuesday, Farhan Akhtar took to his Instagram and issued a statement regarding Don 3. The statement read, “In 1978, a character created by Salim-Javed and portrayed by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan with effortless elan, captured the imagination of theatregoers across the country. That enigmatic character was Don. In 2006, Don was reimagined and brought to life by Shah Rukh Khan in his own irresistibly charming way.”
The statement further read, “From Don’s sardonic wit to his cool but menacing fury, Shah Rukh embodied his persona. As writer & director, I had a great time creating not one but two, ‘Don’ films with Shah Rukh and both experiences remain very close to my heart. 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. We hope that you will show him the love you have so graciously and generously shown to Mr Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. A new era of Don begins in 2025. Watch this space.”
Earlier, there were reports that Ranveer Singh has replaced Shah Rukh Khan in the threequel Don 3. According to a report in Pinkvilla, a source close to the development told the entertainment portal, “Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani have had multiple detailed discussions with Shah Rukh Khan on Don 3. Before the pandemic, a couple of ideas were also discussed, which took the shape of a script through the pandemic. Meetings have happened recently too, but Shah Rukh is not too keen to get back as Don again at this point of time. He is willing to do commercial films that cater to a universal section of the audience, and Don certainly doesn’t fit the bracket of cinema that he is willing to do for the coming few years. He has conveyed his decision to the stakeholders at Excel.”
The news of Ranveer Singh replacing Shah Rukh Khan left fans angry and unhappy with the decision. Netizens also reacted to Farhan AKhtar’s statement and expressed their disappointment. One of the fans wrote, “no SRK, no Don.” Another wrote, “Shah Rukh Khan is the only Don we will except.” Another fan commented, “Can’t imagine Don 3 without Shah Rukh Khan please atleast give us a perfect trilogy with SRK one last time.”
While Farhan Khan has not revealed the name of the new actor who will be playing the role of Don in the prequel, if the reports are to be believed, a new A-list actor (Ranveer Singh will be playing the lead.
Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh is currently enjoying the success of his recent movie Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani which also stars Alia Bhatt. He will be next seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Baiju Bawara. Shah Rukh Khan on the other hand is gearing up for the release of his upcoming movie Jawan helmed by Atlee. The action-thriller also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi and is set to release on September 1.
