Shah Rukh Khan and Farhan Akhtar Pandey hit gold, when they partnered together for Don and Don 2. The film got the much-needed critical acclaim for superstar and director Farhan Akhtar had a successful sophomore effort enhancing his credibility even further after Dil Chahta Hai. Hoping to their successful partnership intact, Farhan Akhtar waited for ten years for Shah Rukh Khan to agree to do Don 3, however it was not to be as Shah Rukh Khan wanted to exit himself from the popular franchise. According to a Koimoi report, the decision to cast Ranveer Singh was taken after much thought. Apparently when Farhan argued that audience would find it difficult to accept any other actor as Don, SRK argued that James Bond has gone through many profile transferences, from Sean Connery to Roger Moore to Daniel Craig; and now Bond is ready to pass to another actor. So why not Don?
“Khan Sahib (SRK) did not leave Farhan with much choice. Either he shelved the Franchise or cast another actor,” says the source. Apparently Singh lobbied for his own casting until Farhan and his partner Ritesh Sidhwani said yes. Several reports had also earlier suggested that actor Shah Rukh Khan will not be returning for the third instalment of the franchise and actor Ranveer Singh will be seen replacing him in ‘Don 3’. Yesterday, Farhan too officially announced that the third part of his popular action franchise ‘Don’ will star a new actor. In his post, Farhan said he is set to take the film series forward in a new interpretation with "an actor whose talent and versatility" he has long admired. It will release some time in 2025. "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," the director-writer had said in a statement. He had directed the first two parts featuring Shah Rukh Khan, of which first was released in 2006 and the while the second installment came out in 2011.The 2006 film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Isha Koppikar in prominent roles and had also won Best Asian Film at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival. The franchise started after Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani's banner Excel Entertainment bought the rights of the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 1978 film of the same name, written by veteran writer duo Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. Earlier in May, In May, Ritesh had said the third installment was in the "scripting" stage. "Till my partner (Farhan) finishes writing it, we won’t do anything. Right now, he is in the phase of completing the script… Even all of us are eagerly waiting to see ‘Don’," the producer had told PTI.