The Don 3 controversy has become one of the biggest talking points in the Hindi film industry, and the latest developments have raised a question that many insiders are now asking privately: if Ranveer Singh had serious issues with the film, why did preparations continue till just days before the scheduled shoot?Bollywood Hungama has learned from sources familiar with the matter that Don 3 was not merely a project in development. Instead, the film had been built around Ranveer Singh for nearly 32 months before the collaboration collapsed in December 2025.Sources reveal that Excel Entertainment began work on introducing Ranveer Singh as the new Don as early as April 19, 2023, when the production house shot the first-look announcement video at its own expense. The teaser was eventually unveiled on August 9, 2023 and marked the formal passing of the baton from Shah Rukh Khan's era of the franchise to Ranveer Singh's. Excel Entertainment and Farhan Akhtar took a significant reputational risk at the time by backing Ranveer despite resistance from a section of fans who were unhappy with the recasting.A source told Bollywood Hungama, “People forget what Excel did for this project. They didn't merely cast Ranveer. They re-launched one of Hindi cinema's most iconic franchises around him. The entire Don 3 campaign, positioning and long-term planning revolved around Ranveer Singh despite his back-to-back flops.”The collaboration moved ahead substantially over the next two years. Sou