MUMBAI: Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who is set to essay the role of Hindi cinema’s iconic character of Don in his upcoming film ‘Don 3’, has spoken up on the criticism that he received even before he started working on the film.

Ranveer, who was recently honoured at the Red Sea Film Festival, was subjected to online criticism for stepping into the role which was portrayed by Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan in Farhan Akhtar directed ‘Don’ franchise, a role which was originally portrayed by the veteran megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1978 film which was penned by Farhan’s father Javed Akhtar in association with Salim Khan - the father of Salman Khan as the duo Salim-Javed.

Addressing the flak that he received for taking the baton forward, Ranveer said, quoted by Deadline: “I’m hoping to make Don my own and give it my spin, my interpretation. It is the handing over of the baton of one of the most loved and revered franchises of Hindi cinema. The significance of that is not lost on me. When the announcement was made, as expected, it came with its share of skepticism.”

He further mentioned as he went on to draw parallels with the criticism that Daniel Craig received when he stepped into the role of cinema’s one of the most iconic characters, James Bond.

Ranveer shared: “But throughout the history of cinema, this has happened. Even as recently as perhaps when the Bond franchise changed hands and they announced Daniel Craig as the new Bond, it came with its fair share of skepticism. So, this is only natural.”