While conversations around Don 3 continue to dominate Bollywood headlines, Ranveer Singh seems to be taking a step away from the noise.The actor was recently in Budapest ahead of a major football weekend. His passion for the Arsenal club was visible again recently when the club narrowly missed out on a major European triumph. Despite the disappointment, Ranveer posted a heartfelt message supporting the squad.
What we wrote on Instagram
Ranveer Singh shared a series of photos enjoying his time watching the match. Taking to his Instagram stories, he wrote, “Proud of the boys. Fought like lions! Couldn’t get any closer in a game of such fine margins. Congratulations to my Arsenal family on a historic season. And….the best is yet to come!” The post was widely appreciated by fellow Arsenal supporters online.
A viral Bollywood-football crossover
Earlier this week, Ranveer delighted fans by sharing a picture with Arsenal and England star Declan Rice from Budapest. Posted on his Instagram stories, the photo showed the duo enjoying a casual meetup, with Ranveer sporting a pastel, printed shirt, blush-pink trousers, and tinted sunglasses, while Rice opted for a laid-back all-black look. The actor captioned the post, “About last night,” accompanied by red and white heart emojis. He also added the nostalgic Kishore Kumar classic, “Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan, Kahan Aisa Yaarana,” as the background track.
The unexpected Bollywood-football crossover quickly grabbed attention online, with fans from both worlds flooding social media with reactions. For Arsenal supporters, the picture felt especially fitting given Ranveer’s long-standing admiration for the North London club. During his time in Budapest, the actor was also seen interacting with fans, posing for selfies and enjoying some downtime.
Ranveer’s long-standing love for Arsenal
For longtime fans, Ranveer’s excitement around meeting Rice is hardly surprising. The actor has openly spoken about being a dedicated Arsenal supporter for years. Speaking about his long-standing connection with the club, Ranveer previously shared that Arsenal was not a family he was born into but one he consciously chose. He revealed that after being mesmerised by Arsène Wenger’s iconic Invincibles side and the way they played football, he became a lifelong Arsenal fan in 2001 when he was just 16 years old. The actor added that he has never regretted that choice, praising the club’s style, flair and dazzling brand of football.
The Don 3 controversy continues
Even as Ranveer was spending time in Budapest, discussions around Don 3 continued to make headlines back home. The controversy gained momentum after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) reportedly issued a non-cooperation directive against the actor amid reports of his exit from the much-anticipated franchise. According to reports, filmmaker Farhan Akhtar approached the industry body, claiming that Ranveer’s alleged departure from the project resulted in substantial financial losses for Excel Entertainment, bringing the matter under increased industry scrutiny.
Addressing the issue, Ranveer’s spokesperson recently released a statement that read: “Ranveer Singh holds the highest regard for the film fraternity and for everyone associated with the Don franchise. Throughout the recent developments surrounding Don 3, he has consciously chosen to maintain silence, believing that professional discussions and personal equations are best handled with dignity, maturity and mutual respect.” The statement further clarified that the actor does not wish to comment on the matter beyond this.
Up next for Ranveer Singh
For Ranveer Singh, he will be busy with zombie adventure movie Pralay, starring alongside Kalyani Priyadarshan. The film is slated to begin production in August this year. It is being produced by Hansal Mehta’s True Story Films in association with Ranveer Singh’s Maa Kasam Films and Applause Entertainment.
