"It seems to be a pattern nowadays."
Farhan Akhtar recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of his directorial debut, Dil Chahta Hai (2001).
Since making that film, Farhan has helmed some excellent cinema, including the Don franchise.
The saga began with Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006), which was a remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 blockbuster.
Farhan’s film starred Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role and spawned a sequel, Don 2 (2011).
In August 2023, Farhan announced a third film in the franchise, Don 3, which would star Ranveer Singh.
However, Ranveer later exited the film amid a lot of reported controversy.
Farhan Akhtar recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter India for an interview about Dil Chahta Hai.
During the interaction, the actor-director shared how Saif Ali Khan almost left the film.
However, Farhan seemed to take a swipe at Ranveer’s exit from Don 3 via his comments.
The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag star said: “Saif suddenly had some date issues and he was in a bit of a spot.
“He had to leave the film, and everybody tried to convince him.
“For me, my head was just destroyed. There was nobody else who could have played that part. It was just impossible.
“That was true heartbreak for me.
“It was maybe about a month away from filming. It seems to be a pattern nowadays.”
This remark caused the host, Anupama Chopra, to burst out laughing.
She then said: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh so loudly!”
Don 3 was also due to star Kiara Advani in the female lead, but she also left the project.
This film is not the only movie planned by Farhan Akhtar to land in development hell in recent years.
In August 2021, the director announced a project titled Jee Le Zaraa, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt.
However, the film is still yet to go on the floors.
Along with Saif Ali Khan, Dil Chahta Hai also starred Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity G Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, and Dimple Kapadia.
It tells the story of three friends who have different interpretations of love and where this takes them.
The film was a success when it was released and is touted as a game-changer for Bollywood.
On the work front, Farhan Akhtar is reported to play the lead role in an upcoming biopic on the legendary Indian music composer, RD Burman.
Akshay Kumar will reportedly have a cameo as his late father-in-law, Rajesh Khanna.
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