Villain Swap in Bollywood’s Biggest Franchise: Karan Veer Mehra to Heat Up Don 3 After Massey Exit

Bollywood's hot franchise, Don 3, is buzzing with extreme casting overhauls as Bigg Boss 18 champion Karan Veer Mehra is said to be portraying the role of the villain opposite Ranveer Singh following the abrupt exit of Vikrant Massey.

 

Key Highlights
 

Karan Veer Mehra in Advanced Talks: Reality TV personality and actor Karan Veer Mehra, the newest Bigg Boss 18 winner, is the favorite to play the lead antagonist in the much-awaited Don 3. He is reportedly said to have impressed the producers with his recent rugged performances, and he is now the favorite for the role.

 

Vikrant Massey Exits: Vikrant Massey, who was initially cast as the villain, has officially left the project after finding his character to be one-dimensional and lacking depth—a decision that left fans in shock as well as Don 3 producers.

 

Casting Shuffle: Ranveer Singh remains the new Don, and National Award winner Kriti Sanon is on board as the heroine in place of Kiara Advani who walked off after giving birth to a child with Sidharth Malhotra.

 

Industry Gossip: South superstar Vijay Deverakonda and Aditya Roy Kapur were also shortlisted to play the antagonist, but Deverakonda quit after the failure of Liger and Kapur remains to be confirmed.

 

Production Schedule: The filming of Don 3, helmed by Farhan Akhtar, is to commence in January 2026 with the release planned in the latter half of the same year.

 

Cameo Speculations: There have been speculations that Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra would be making cameo appearances, but nothing has been officially confirmed.

 

The Big Picture

 

Karan Veer Mehra's shift from television to prime-time villain in Don 3 is a significant career change and has the industry and public holding its breath for an official announcement. With the Don franchise starting a new chapter, the world waits to see if Mehra will infuse the edge and charm audiences have grown to associate with Bollywood's biggest franchise into the franchise's most iconic cat-and-mouse series.

 

Source: News18,Times of India, ABP Live