SRK is not opting out of Don 3, confirms industry sources; Ranveer joining the franchise is very unlikely

The speculation about actor Shah Rukh Khan, riding high on the success of his big blockbuster Pathaan, stepping out of Don franchise has left all his fans worried. However, industry sources confirm to us that there is no truth in such reports, adding that there can’t be Don franchise without the star power of Khan.

Earlier this week, several reports stated that producer-director Farhan Akhtar is planning to reboot the franchise with a new leading man, with all the discussion with SRK regarding the third part hitting a standstill.

“Shah Rukh is not too keen to get back as Don again at this point of time. He is willing to do commercial films that cater to a universal section of audience, and Don certainly doesn’t fit the bracket of cinema that he is willing to do for the coming few years,” a source said.

Now, we have learnt that the script of the third part of Don is in a very early stage, and is being planned with SRK in mind. “All these reports are baseless, and just done to create a stir. It is a very speculative piece, with no confirmation. In fact, the reports indicate that Don is not a commercial project, which shows how baseless the report is. The success of the first two parts signal how commercial it is. At the moment, Farhan is just starting to work on the script, and there is no discussion regarding Shah Rukh leaving the franchise. Everyone knows that there is no Don franchise without Shah Rukh Khan,” says a source close to the industry.

In fact, another source also dismisses the report, wondering why Khan would wait for over 10 years for a follow up, and quit abruptly.

“He has not opted out of the franchise, and he would never do that. That is because he has made an image out of the film now. In fact, he has many franchise led projects in his kitty, which he is not willing to let go off. Agar Don ko quit karna hota woh bahut phele hi kar chuka hota, especially when there has been such a long gap after the second part,” states another source.

The insider adds, “His career has come back on track after Pathaan, and he would not leave a big franchise which is expected to be a money churner. This is a very speculative story to get clicks and grab eyeballs, and the reason is because there has not been any announcement from his side after Dunki. He is taking his time to analyse, and working at his own pace. He has opted for Pathaan, Jawan and then Dunki. Now that the shoot is over all such stories will start coming in. There is no truth in that. He is just weighing his options, for all the projects and Don 3 is still on his mind,” says the source.

Meanwhile, there is a buzz that actor Ranveer Singh is being considered as a replacement to Khan in the Don franchise, with a source being quoted, “We’re waiting to see how fans of the Don franchise react to Ranveer’s casting considering Shah Rukh won over everyone with his charismatic portrayal of Don”.

Commenting on this, an industry source tells us, “The speculation is growing, because no one has come forward to refute, and they won’t. That’s making people believe that it might be true. It is unlikely that SRK will leave the franchise, and if Ranveer will join, it will be interesting to see how he will be handed over the franchise”.