MOVIES, FASHION & LIFESTYLE

Farhan Akhtar on mixed reactions to casting Ranveer Singh in Don 3

By: Priyal Joshi

Farhan Akhtar is responding to the mixed feelings that surfaced after it was revealed that Ranveer Singh would be taking the place of Shah Rukh Khan in the upcoming film Don 3. Ranveer is “really excited and really nervous” to take over the franchise, which was previously headed by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, the director said in an interview with BBC Asian Network.

Farhan responded to the criticism in an interview with BBC Asian Network, adding, “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.” Farhan continued by saying that it is also his duty as a filmmaker to make the sequel successful,  “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.”

Last week, Excel Entertainment, the production house helmed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, shared a first-look video of Ranveer in the titular character. “A New Era Begins. #Don3 @ranveersingh @faroutakhtar” read the caption. The reaction to the announcement was largely negative, with many calling it a parody instead. Shah Rukh played Don in the 2006 movie Don: The Chase Begins Again and its 2011 sequel Don 2: The King Is Back. It was originally played by Amitabh Bachchan in the 1978 film directed by Chandra Barot. Recently, Ranveer took to Instagram and shared photos from his childhood and talked about how he always dreamt of becoming an actor after watching Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan films. His caption read: “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.”