‘Don 3’ will start shooting later this year: Farhan Akhtar

Mumbai, Mar 1 (PTI) Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akthar said he is determined to start filming for his much-awaited directorial “Don 3” later this year.

The third part of the popular action franchise will see Bollywood star Ranveer Singh stepping into the iconic role of Don. The movie was officially announced in August 2023.

“There is no delay, I’ll start shooting ‘Don 3’ this year. I won’t be able to do two films, ‘Don 3’ and ‘Jee Le Zaraa’ at the same time,” Farhan, known for directing films like “Dil Chahta Hai”, and “Lakshya”, told PTI.

Singh replaces superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who played Don in Farhan’s 2006 movie, “Don” and its 2011 follow-up, “Don 2”. The film also featured Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Khan’s love interest, Roma.

“Don 3” will feature Kiara Advani as the female lead.

The franchise started after Excel Entertainment bought the rights to the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 1978 film of the same name, written by veteran writer duo Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan.

Farhan said his other directorial venture, “Jee Le Zaara”, will take a while to begin filming.

“It (‘Jee Le Zaara’) will depend on when the cast comes together. But right now, my focus is on ‘Don 3’,” he said.

The film, themed on female friendships and road trips, will feature Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. It was earlier scheduled to start production in 2022.