Ever since Ranveer Singh’s exit from Don 3 triggered a dispute with Farhan Akhtar and Excel Entertainment, the issue has dominated industry conversations. Now, comedian Tanmay Bhat has joined the chatter in his own way, cracking a joke during a recent appearance with Varun Dhawan that many viewers believe was a subtle dig at the ongoing Don 3 fallout. During the conversation, Tanmay appeared to reference the controversy surrounding the film while also poking fun at Varun’s box-office performance in comparison to the blockbuster success of Dhurandhar.
Tanmay Bhat takes a dig at Varun Dhawan
Varun recently joined Tanmay on his YouTube channel for a light-hearted episode alongside comedians Rohan Joshi, Piyush Sharma and Zakir Khan. Amid the banter, Tanmay first took a dig at Varun’s latest film and compared its prospects to the phenomenal success of Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar franchise.
“The amount of hard work you are putting in promoting the film (Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai) is commendable because it takes some kind of optimism to work this hard to get 1% of Dhurandhar box office numbers,” Tanmay joked.
Varun took the remark sportingly and responded with a laugh, saying, “I think post Dhurandhar we are living with this weight ki bhai hum bhi kuch na kuch karle (brother, we also have to do something).”
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Tanmay Bhat jokes about Ranveer Singh-Farhan Akhtar’s Don 3 dispute
However, it was another comment from Tanmay later in the episode that quickly grabbed attention online.
Referring to Varun’s reputation in the industry, Tanmay said, “Varun, anyone who has ever worked with you has always said that despite being a big Bollywood star, you’re still like professional, committed, reliable. Which is incidentally, exactly the kind of actor that Farhan Akhtar is looking for right now. I don’t know, maybe you should…”
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The punchline left everyone on the panel in splits, including Varun. As laughter filled the room, the comedians continued building on the joke. One quipped, “Don No. 1,” while another added, “Main tera Don,” prompting another round of laughter. Varun himself joined in, repeatedly saying “Main Tera Don” while laughing.
The moment quickly made its way to social media, where viewers speculated that Tanmay’s comment was a subtle jab at Ranveer Singh amid the ongoing Don 3 controversy. Others viewed it as a playful reference to the widely discussed fallout between the actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.
What is the Don 3 controversy?
The discussion comes amid a public dispute surrounding Ranveer’s departure from Don 3, a project he was announced to headline in 2023. Before exiting the film, Ranveer had reportedly participated in script-reading sessions, action workshops and look tests as preparations for the project were underway.
His exit led to a dispute with Excel Entertainment over the costs incurred during the film’s pre-production phase. The matter eventually reached industry bodies, with Farhan claiming that the actor’s withdrawal from the project had caused losses of around Rs 45 crore.
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The issue escalated further when the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer. The body later withdrew the directive following requests from other industry associations.
The Producers Guild of India also released a strongly worded statement condemning last-minute exits from film projects. While the Guild did not name any individual, it confirmed receiving formal complaints from member producers, including Excel Entertainment and Panorama Studios International, against actors, directors and technicians who allegedly backed out of commitments shortly before principal photography was set to begin.
As of now, no resolution has been reached between Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment, and the dispute remains ongoing.
Dhurandhar’s blockbuster success and Varun’s latest release
Tanmay’s joke about Dhurandhar comes against the backdrop of the franchise’s massive commercial success. Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar released on December 5, 2025, while Dhurandhar 2 arrived in theatres on March 19 this year.
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The first film reportedly earned over Rs 1307 crore worldwide, while the sequel collected more than Rs 1,812 crore globally, according to Sacnilk. Together, the two films have grossed over Rs 3000 crore worldwide, making the franchise one of the biggest box-office success stories in Indian cinema.
Meanwhile, Varun was most recently seen in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by David Dhawan. The romantic comedy, which also stars Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde, Rakesh Bedi, Jimmy Shergill, Maniesh Paul and Mouni Roy, released on June 5 and opened to mixed reviews.
The film’s India gross currently stands at Rs 31.86 crore, while its India net collection has reached Rs 26.59 crore.
Varun Dhawan recently joined Tanmay on his YouTube channel for an episode. (Photo: Instagram/Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar)