The much-discussed third installment of the Don franchise, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, is reportedly going to be made on a whopping budget of 275 crores, making it the most expensive film in the Don reboot series.
The film, directed by Farhan Akhtar, is expected to be a high-octane action thriller with spectacular stunts and locations. But will the film be able to recover its massive cost at the box office?
Don 3 to be the most expensive Don film
According to a source close to the project, Don 3 will be the most expensive Don film. “Don 1 and Don 2 with Shah Rukh Khan were made on decent budgets, but with Don 3, Farhan Akhtar aims to make a global film. The vision with Don 3 is not just to compete with action films of India, but also to go global on the scale front. Don 3 is Farhan’s attempt to make a global action thriller and no one better than Ranveer Singh to spearhead the franchise in the new era,” a source told Bollywood Hungama.
“The action has been visualized in a way that Don 3 stands tall against the Spy Universe. However, what separates Don 3 from other action films of India is the protagonist, who has shades of negative elements,” the source said further.
Don 3, third instalment in Don reboot series
The makers of Don 3 have been keeping the details of the film under wraps, but they have recently announced that Kiara Advani will be playing the female lead opposite Ranveer Singh.
Don 3 will mark the third installment in the Don reboot series, which was started by Farhan Akhtar in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan as the titular anti-hero. The first film was a remake of the 1978 classic Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan. The second film, Don 2, was released in 2011 and was a sequel to the 2006 film. Both the films were commercially successful and received positive reviews from critics and audiences.
However, after the second film, the third film was put on hold for several years due to various reasons. Shah Rukh Khan, who played Don in the first two films, reportedly opted out of the project due to creative differences with Farhan Akhtar. The fans of the franchise were eagerly waiting for an official announcement on the status of the film.
Finally, in August 2023, Excel Entertainment released a teaser video that revealed Ranveer Singh as the new Don. The video showed Ranveer Singh in a hooded jacket, lighting a cigarette and saying the iconic dialogue, “Tum toh hai jaante jo mera naam hai. 11 mulkon ki police dhoondti hai mujhe, par pakad paaya hai mujhko kaun? Main hoon Don.”
The comparison with the previous Don films, which starred Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role has already created a mixed sentiment around the film.
Challenges Don 3 is going to face at box office
However, despite the grand scale and the hype, Don 3 faces several challenges in terms of its box office prospects. The first and the foremost challenge is the comparison with the previous Don films, which starred Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role. The 2006 remake of the 1978 classic, which starred Amitabh Bachchan, was a huge hit, earning Rs 106 crore worldwide. The sequel, Don 2, released in 2011, was also a success, earning Rs 206 crore worldwide. Both the films were praised for their stylish and slick presentation, and for Shah Rukh Khan’s charismatic and charismatic performance as Don.
Ranveer Singh, who is known for his energetic and versatile acting, has a tough task ahead of him to fill in the shoes of Shah Rukh Khan, who has become synonymous with the character of Don. While Ranveer Singh has proved his mettle in various genres, from comedy to drama to romance, he has not done a full-fledged action thriller before. Moreover, he will have to face the inevitable comparisons and criticisms from the fans of Shah Rukh Khan, who may not be ready to accept a new Don.
(Also read: Vivek Vaswani Reveals, “Shah Rukh Khan Did Not Charge A Penny For THIS film, Decades Into His Superstardom”)
Another challenge that Don 3 faces is the changing landscape of the Indian film industry, which has seen a shift in the audience’s preferences and tastes. The audience today is more discerning and demanding, and expects more than just star power and spectacle. They are more interested in full scale action and entertainment quotient that connects with all. The audience today is also more exposed to the global cinema, and the scale. Also the action films today have gone more hard core action rather than just staying stylish, which Don series stands for.
To recover the budget from box office, the film will need to do global box office collections of 600 crore which will be a big challenge since a last few Ranveer films were dud, like Cirkus, Jayeshbhai Jordaar and 83. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was the only saving grace in his career, but that also had Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar to credit for.
So the question remains, will Don 3 be able to live up to the expectations and the legacy of the previous Don films, which featured Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role? Only time will tell.
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