You could call it a last-ditch effort at making amends for Don 3, but Farhan and Ritesh have put their foot down. The numbers on the table were straightforward: an upfront 10 crores and a 25 crore write-off for some other film in the pipeline. But for Excel, that was a no-go.
Why Excel said no
If you ask those in the know, the producers had already decided after a two-year slog. With all the hiccups and the way things fell apart in the end, they were left with a lot of damage to make good on, both in their books and in terms of standing. They just didn’t see how they could do business with him anymore.
Those close to the situation say the message was plain: Excel wanted to be made whole right now. After what they’ve been through, there was no point in leaving the door open for more of the same with Ranveer.
The offer that fell flat
Word is that a sit-down happened in the first week of March with a room full of big names – Aamir Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala, Karan Johar, and of course, Farhan and Ritesh. That was when Ranveer’s side put forward their case.
It was a two-pronged approach: hand over 10 crores to Excel on the spot and give them a 25 crore break on a different movie. “They were trying to put money in Excel’s pocket while also showing they were still in the game for the future,” is how one source put it.
But Excel wasn’t having it. What good is a discount if you’re not going to be working together? By then, the matter was closed.
FWICE directive raises the stakes
Then you have the FWICE to deal with. The Federation has put out a non-cooperation order for the Dhurandhar star. It’s an organisation with 4 lakh members, so it’s not something you can ignore when you are running a production of this size.
And the ban is very much in place. More than 4 lakh in the industry have put in their notice that they won’t be part of his films. It’s a cloud that will follow him to whatever he does next.
What this means for Don 3
They are going to have to find someone else to put in the lead. Which means the clock is reset. You can count on some slippage in the schedule and a later release for the fans.
To put it in perspective:
– The offer came in early March
– 10 crores on the table for immediate payment
– A 25 crore concession for another project
– Excel put up a hard no
– 4 lakh-strong FWICE has called for non-cooperation
What to watch next
We’ll be looking for two things: who Excel puts in the role and how Ranveer handles the directive from the workers’ body. Some word on a new lead would put an end to the speculation. If he can come to terms with the union, his slate of work might look better.
Bottom line: Ranveer is out of Don 3 and the producers have to put the pieces back together. They have drawn a line in the sand. He has some reputation to defend. And the rest of us in Bollywood are waiting to see where it goes from here.
