Farhan Akhtar takes apparent swipe at Ranveer Singh? His ‘pattern nowdays’ remark reignites Don 3 controversy

Farhan Akhtar appears to have taken a subtle swipe at Ranveer Singh while discussing the making of Dil Chahta Hai and an actor’s last-minute uncertainty over a film. Although Farhan did not mention Ranveer or Don 3 by name, his comment about actors stepping away from projects shortly before filming immediately brought the long-running dispute back into the spotlight.

Farhan recalls Dil Chahta Hai crisis

As Dil Chahta Hai completes 25 years, Farhan revisited the challenges he faced while making his directorial debut. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, the filmmaker recalled how Saif Ali Khan almost left the film shortly before the shoot because of a scheduling problem with another project.

Farhan said Saif’s dates had shifted, leaving the actor caught between the two films. The filmmaker remembered desperately trying to convince him to stay because, in his mind, there was no one else who could play Sameer.

The situation, Farhan admitted, left him devastated. He eventually revealed that the uncertainty happened roughly a month before they were due to begin filming. That is when his comment took an interesting turn.

Farhan said the experience “seems to be a pattern nowadays” before adding, with a smile, “Not just with me. Aisa bhi hota hai.”

While he was clearly talking about an incident from Dil Chahta Hai, the timing of the remark made it difficult for many to ignore its apparent connection to the Don 3 controversy involving Ranveer Singh.

Ranveer and Farhan’s Don 3 fallout

Ranveer was announced as the new face of the Don franchise after Shah Rukh Khan, with Farhan returning as director. However, the highly anticipated third instalment became embroiled in controversy when Ranveer reportedly decided to walk away from the project in December 2025, only weeks before filming was expected to start.

The exit reportedly triggered a dispute with Farhan’s production house, Excel Entertainment. The production had already involved substantial pre-shoot planning, and the disagreement eventually moved beyond the two parties.

Industry bodies became involved, with discussions taking place over compensation and the consequences of Ranveer’s decision. A non-cooperation directive was briefly issued against the actor by a cine body before being withdrawn within days.

Ranveer was also reported to have offered around Rs 10 crore as compensation and returned his signing amount. CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon later publicly backed the actor’s position, saying that he had been willing to compensate the producers for losses and had apologised for leaving.