Is Don 3 Shelved? Inside the 3-Hour Secret Meeting at Aamir Khan’s Bandra Home Last Night
Mumbai, February 17 – The lights at Marina Apartments in Bandra didn’t go off last night. While the city slept, the future of one of Bollywood’s biggest franchises was hanging by a thread in Aamir Khan’s living room.
A massive, high-stakes confrontation took place between a fuming Ranveer Singh and the brass of Excel Entertainment, with the superstar host playing the unlikely role of mediator. The issue isn’t just creative differences anymore; it is a cold, hard invoice of ₹40 Crores.
Excel Entertainment claims this is the “sunk cost” for pre-production, sets, and blocked dates that went to waste because Ranveer Singh allegedly got cold feet about the script. Ranveer, on the other hand, reportedly threw the “unprofessionalism” card on the table, refusing to shoot a script that wasn’t locked. This wasn’t a friendly dinner; it was a rescue mission for Don 3, and Aamir Khan was the one holding the gavel.
Why This Midnight Drama Changes Everything
You might think this is just another actor-producer tiff, but look closer. This is the first time in years we are seeing Aamir Khan step up as the industry’s “Big Brother” in a dispute that doesn’t even involve his own production house. It signals a panic in Bollywood.
The industry cannot afford Don 3 to become a disaster before the cameras even roll. For Shah Rukh Khan loyalists who were already skeptical about Ranveer filling those legendary shoes, this chaos is fuel for the fire. If the movie gets shelved or delayed indefinitely because of a legal battle, it confirms every troll’s theory that the “Don” legacy should have ended with SRK.
For the trade, this is terrifying. If a contract signed by a star of Ranveer’s magnitude can be challenged this easily, or if a production house like Excel can be accused of having a “half-baked” script after years of hype, investor confidence hits rock bottom.
We are talking about a franchise that practically prints money. If they are fighting over ₹40 Crores now, imagine the mess if the film flops. Aamir intervening suggests that the legal route was about to be taken, which would have dragged both parties through the mud publicly. Nobody wants a court case. Everyone wants a solution. But the ego in that room last night was likely heavier than the box office collections of most recent hits.
The Industry is Walking on Eggshells
There is a strange mood in the production circles this morning. Usually, these fights happen over profit-sharing or release dates. Fighting over “sunk costs” is ugly. It implies that the project is dead or dying. It feels like the industry is shrinking, where even the biggest giants have to call a third party to stop them from tearing each other apart. The days of a handshake deal are over, yet clearly, the paperwork isn’t strong enough to stop the bleeding.
Is Ranveer Singh being too cautious after a few box office stumbles, or is Farhan Akhtar pushing a project that isn’t ready just to capitalize on the IP? It is a valid question. We have seen big budget films crash because the script was written on the sets. Ranveer is right to be scared. But Excel is running a business, and ₹40 Crores is a massive hole in the balance sheet.
The 3-Hour Showdown: Claims and Counter-Claims
The meeting reportedly stretched for over three hours. According to insiders monitoring the movement at the residence, cars belonging to the Excel founders and Ranveer Singh were spotted entering Aamir’s compound late in the evening and didn’t leave until the early hours of the morning. The paparazzi frenzy outside was the first clue that something major was brewing, as reported by outlets like NewsBytes and Indiaglitz who first caught wind of the gathering.
Excel Entertainment’s argument is purely financial. They allege that sets were constructed, technicians were hired, and international action directors were paid advances based on Ranveer’s initial commitment. They want that money back if he walks out or delays further. That figure stands at ₹40 Crores.
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Ranveer’s defense is sharper. He is reportedly arguing that the “final draft” he was promised is vastly different from the narration he signed up for. He is calling it “unprofessional” to demand a start date when the material isn’t up to the mark. He refuses to shoulder the financial burden for what he calls a creative failure on the studio’s part.
Aamir Khan’s role here was crucial. He is known for being a perfectionist who delays shoots until the script is gold. He likely sympathizes with Ranveer’s artistic hesitation but understands Excel’s business loss. The “Peace Treaty” on the table likely involves Ranveer staying on board but with a new timeline, or a settlement figure that doesn’t bankrupt the relationship.
What Happens Next?
This morning, there is silence from all three PR teams. That is usually a good sign. It means a compromise is being drafted. If the talks had failed, we would be seeing blind items and leaked legal notices by now.
Don 3 is not dead, but it is definitely in the ICU. The next few weeks will tell us if Aamir’s mediation worked. If Ranveer is spotted at the Excel office soon, we know the treaty was signed. If not, get ready for the ugliest legal battle Bollywood has seen in a decade.
The hope is that the film moves forward. The industry needs big event films. But this midnight madness proves that the glitz and glamour are just a facade for a business that is currently fighting for every single rupee.
This is messy, and honestly, it looks bad for the Don franchise. When you start a movie with a ₹40 Cr dispute, the vibes are already off. Aamir stepping in saves face for now, but trust is like a glass vase—once cracked, you can glue it, but the cracks show in high resolution.
My Take
Original Source: This development was first hinted at by paparazzi spotting the actors at Aamir’s residence and subsequently reported by trade insiders to NewsBytes.
Question For You: Do you think Ranveer Singh should pay the ₹40 Cr penalty and leave the movie, or should he stick it out and risk a bad script?
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