Farhan Akhtar on mixed reactions to casting Ranveer Singh in Don 3: ‘He is going to do a great job’

Farhan Akhtar is addressing the combined reactions that erupted after the announcement of Ranveer Singh changing Shah Rukh Khan for Don 3 went public. In an interview with BBC Asian Network, the filmmaker revealed that Ranveer is ‘actually excited and actually nervous’ to step into the franchise, that have been beforehand led by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. (Also learn: Zeenat Aman cheers for Ranveer Singh forward of Don 3: ‘May you find worthy jungly billi’)

What Farhan stated

In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Farhan addressed the criticism and added, “Ranveer is amazing. He’s great for the part. He’s also, as you can imagine, really excited and really nervous, about the thing. You’re filling some big shoes before you. But we went through the same emotional process when Shah Rukh did it and everyone was like ‘Oh my God, how can you replace Mr Bachchan?’ That whole thing happened then.”

Adding that it’s also his accountability as a director to make the sequel work, Farhan stated, “It really is about an actor coming in and owning the part and making it really like, giving it their style and their flair. And he has that, he has that in spades. So, he is going to do a great job. I think the responsibility is more mine now to make sure that the script and the film work out the way I imagine.”

Don 3 announcement

Last week, Excel Entertainment, the manufacturing home helmed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, shared a first-look video of Ranveer within the titular character. “A New Era Begins. #Don3 @ranveersingh @faroutakhtar” learn the caption. The response to the announcement was largely detrimental, with many calling it a parody as an alternative. Shah Rukh performed Don within the 2006 film Don: The Chase Begins Again and its 2011 sequel Don 2: The King Is Back. It was initially performed by Amitabh Bachchan within the 1978 movie directed by Chandra Barot.

Recently, Ranveer took to Instagram and shared pictures from his childhood and talked about how he all the time dreamt of turning into an actor after watching Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan movies. His caption learn: “Gosh! I’ve been dreaming about doing this for a very, very long time! As a child I fell in love with the movies, and like the rest of us, watching and worshipping Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan – the two G.O.A.Ts of Hindi Cinema.”