Farhan Akhtar reveals why Shah Rukh Khan was perfect to play 'Don', says it was a massive for him being a fan of the original film and Amitabh Bachchan

Farhan Akhtar is gearing up for the next installment of ‘Don’. Ranveer Singh has got on board to fit into the shoes of ‘Don’ - a character which has been immortalised by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and later Shah Rukh Khan pulled it off with panache. The film though, has kept getting delayed. Now as the female lead, Kiara Advani is pregnant, the makers haven’t yet announced a new actress to replace her in the film.Amidst ‘Don 3’ talks, Farhan has now opened up on why he thought Shah Rukh was the perfect don.Akhtar opened up on it at the Waves Summit 2025 and said, “Shah Rukh’s personality was tailor-made for that part. From 2001 to 2005, we spent a lot of evenings together. When I started writing Don, I was convinced it had to be him. His sense of humour, his self-deprecating style, his ability to be both charming and menacing — it was all inherently Don."The actor-director also added that even for Shah Rukh, playing Don was a huge deal. He said, “For him, Don is massive. He’s a huge fan of the film and Mr Bachchan. So stepping into those shoes was very exciting for him."When asked if at that point, Shah Rukh had any apprehensions about playing the character or if he was scared of comparisons, Farhan clarified, “I don’t think Shah Rukh is scared of things like that. He’s very confident in his abilities. We’d been spending so much time together, and I had told him I was writing it. He was ready. Before I even offered it, I think he knew I was going to."