Gyaarah mulkho ki police came in search of Don for the first time in 1978, the OG Don - Amitabh Bachchan, an unapologetic villain at his best. From unforgettable dialogues to the charismatic lead antagonist, the thrills were manifold. Zeenat Aman, the sassiest actress of the '70s and early '80s, played the first Roma - the epitome of strength and sensuality.
Instagram/bollywoodmemories
The masses could have never imagined anyone else pulling off these iconic roles until 28 years later, when Farhan Akhtar came with the new age Don (Shah Rukh Khan) and Roma (Priyanka Chopra) in 2006.
Movie poster of Don (2006)
And just when another Don or Roma could not be re-imagined again, the makers announced Don 3 with Ranveer Singh, this time Don for Gen-Z. The following question automatically pointed to who Roma would be.
For the longest time, it was Kiara Advani, until a few months back, when the news of Kriti Sanon stepping in started making the buzz. The reason is that Kiara Advani has just welcomed her baby girl, and priorities hence need to be shuffled.
Last week, Farhan Akhtar's production house, Excel Entertainment, released a statement about Kriti Sanon as the female lead opposite Ranveer Singh in Don 3.
As reported by News18, the confirmation read, "Farhan Akhtar is also preparing for his next directorial venture, Don 3, which is expected to go on floors in January 2026. The film will feature Ranveer Singh and Kriti Sanon in leading roles. Casting for the film is underway, with the makers reportedly in talks with a top A-list actor to take on the intense antagonist role."
A Kriti Sanon Throwback Before The Don Mania Hits
As a rank outsider, Kriti Sanon has managed to score big in every juncture of her journey in the movies. The engineer-turned-model-turned one of the most sought after actresses today, she has had a steady rise up the ladder in just 11 years since her 2014 debut Heropanti.
A scene from Heropanti
She turned into an entrepreneur in 2022 with a fitness app, and then in 2023, she launched a skincare brand. In 2024, she made her debut both as a producer and in her first double role in Do Patti, bankrolled by Blue Butterfly Films, her production house.
A scene from Do Patti
Kriti Sanon has worked in 20 films so far across Telugu and Hindi languages in her career spanning 11 years. While films like Dilwale, Housefull 4, Luka Chuppi brought commercial successes, titles like Mimi, and Bareilly Ki Barfi rang in critical acclaim.
Kriti Sanon As Roma In Don 3
And now 11 years laters, if rumours are to be believed, Kriti Sanon has bagged one of the biggest franchises with Farhan Akhtar's Don 3.
Rewinding back to how the character of Roma came to its being - a fierce woman out to avenge her brother's death. While good looks are an armour that works in her favour, her sharp mind adds oodles of charisma that cannot be escaped. Roma has commendable combat skills. Trained in judo and karate. Her physical prowess overpowers her exterior enigma.
Kriti Sanon has always had a knack for action. In Ganapath (2023), she underwent nunchuck skills and dirt bike riding.
A scene in Ganapath
An action star in the making, and a stunning face to add to it - Kriti Sanon is not someone to shy away from the intensity that an action role brings. A glimpse of which we have already had before, and a trait that would be of ample use as Roma in Don 3.
Whether Kriti Sanon as Roma 3.0 will be same or different from the character growth we saw in Priyanka for Don and then Don 2, is what needs to be explored. But that Roma falls in love with Don, not knowing he is impersonating Vijay, is a thread that cannot go missing in any sequel. She did fall in love with the enemy.
But what will it be this time? Will Kriti Sanon, aka Roma, choose between duty and love in a modern-day love story? Time will tell.
Zeenat Aman: The OG Roma To OG Don
No one can take away the OG Roma title from Zeenat Aman. Her character was a mix of vulnerability and intrigue. While she never batted an eyelid to stand up for herself, she did have her softer moments as she felt attracted to Don, despite of a case of mistaken identity. She's no damsel in distress, and there's an air of mystery that seems to surround her.
zeenat aman as roma in don (chandra barot, 1978) pic.twitter.com/bh1Fk64HDC
— sirk se sirke (@stelladilli) March 18, 2023
Zeenat Aman has also been synonymous with being a fashion trailblazer of her time. A slew of jumpsuits, corpcore fits and glamorous bodycon number in dark hues, which was a reflection of Roma's personality, was a conversation starter. She broke the monotony of traditional garments with a wardrobe replete with bold silhouettes.
literally zeenat aman as roma in don (1978) https://t.co/o0NSeFLk2H pic.twitter.com/lWv716kR82
— 🛋️ (@tanniefication) May 5, 2023
Chandra Barot, the director of the 1978 Don, believed Zeenat Aman was the coolest kitten as Roma, as did we. In an era where the representation of women on the big screen was all about looking demure, Zeenat Aman's Roma broke the mould with confidence and panache.
Recalling how she got the role, Zeenat Aman had revealed at an event titled Zeenat Aman Rewind To Don, "We were shooting for a film called Roti Kapda Makaan. Nariman A Irani was the camera person. Chandra Barot was the Chief Assistant Director. Of course, Amit Ji (Amitabh Bachchan) and I were in it. And at some point, I did not know what was happening behind the scenes and what their financial situation was. They approached me and said they were planning a project called Don, and they had a role for me. I just told Chandra that I want to do something, I don't want to be like gaana gaaye chale jaaye. He said, 'Don't worry. We will include you in all the action, drama and everything.' I was very excited."
Jiska Mujhe Tha Intezaar is one of the most memorable songs from the film. An intelligent take at putting across her goal to defeat Don, with a musical rendition.
While Zeenat Aman's onscreen character, Roma, was trained in Judo and karate to get stronger for her vendetta against Don, there's no mention of the actress undergoing any training for the same.
Zeenat Aman was all praises when it came to Priyanka Chopra as Roma in Farhan Akhtar's Don. The '70s diva, who is known for her elaborate vintage posts on Instagram, had shared a snippet of the song Khaike Pan Banaras Wala from Don (1978).
A part of her post showed her love for the new Don and Roma in 2006, as she penned, "Goodness! The song seemed to take the country by storm at that time. It was always on the airwaves, and some media reports suggested that audience members were hitting the theatres again and again just to catch this one number. It was later reenacted by SRK and Priyanka Chopra in Farhan Akhtar's 2006 remake of the film. And "their" number is just as catchy and upbeat as "ours" was!"
Zeenat Aman as Roma is special, firsts are always special.
Priyanka Chopra: The Roma To Shah Rukh Khan's Don
One has to consider that as big a task it was for Shah Rukh Khan to step into the large shoes of Amitabh Bachchan as Don, Priyanka Chopra, too, had a point to make.
Shah Rukh Khan as Don is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to Bollywood. Change my Mind?#Don3 pic.twitter.com/xk1mJiA24C
— Anjali🥤 (@iamanjali16) August 9, 2023
While Roma's onscreen character is seen to be mastering her skills in Judo and Karate, Priyanka Chopra underwent physical training in Tai Chi and Martial Arts to ace her action sequences. It was an all new experience for her, and the actress did perform her stunts on her own. This was the first time Priyanka was up for a faceoff with hardcore action, and she had Don to defeat.
A scene from Don
One has to agree that Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan's onscreen love-hate relationship as Roma and Don was just the tease that the audience revelled in. The first part ends with Roma realising she has been deceived by Don, once again, who wore the garb of Vijay and took her for a ride. More than rage, it is the vulnerability that takes over Roma's character, played by Priyanka in the 2006 film.
A scene from Don
And with vengeance burning in her eyes, she makes a smashing comeback as Junglee Billi 2.0 in the 2011 film Don 2. The intensity doubles, there's more hand-to-hand combat and the whole "with him, against him" loop that Roma has to tackle, with a part of her still harbouring feelings for Don. She is mature now, toughened up. But her loyalty to the police force somewhere is on the brink of faltering when Don comes into the picture.
A scene from Don 2
What stays with us long after Don 2 has ended is the look of frenemies exchanged between Priyanka's Roma and Shah Rukh Khan's Don. Don, who has now claimed his throne over the European drug cartel, exchanges a final glance with Roma, a slow-burning ending that speaks volumes about her unresolved emotions towards Don.
What's Kriti Sanon In For?
So, the stakes are high, as is the challenge. But Kriti Sanon has proved her mettle time and again and is seemingly one of the best competitors for Roma's role in Don.
- In an interview with The Indian Express, the actress had mentioned how it took her years to shed the title of "Tiger Shroff's Heroine" after her debut in Heropanti (2014). 11 years later, she has come a long way.
A scene from Heropanti
- It was in 2017, with Bareilly Ki Barfi, that Kriti Sanon broke stereotypes as Bitti Sharma, a small-town UP Girl, who is traditional but also modern in her approach to life. She is independent and isn't afraid to question anything. She wants love and asks for it unabashedly. It made her uniquely relatable and made a wider audience accept her.
A scene from Bareilly Ki Barfi
- In many ways, this was the start of Kriti Sanon being universally loved for playing small-town characters, be it Bareilly Ki Barfi, followed by Luka Chhupi (2019). The helpless heroine act was up, and it was time to represent modern women with a voice of their own.
- And then came Mimi (2021), Kriti's first titular character as a surrogate mother. Kriti Sanon went on to win a National Award for Best Actress in 2023. The emotional depth of her role in Mimi was a shining example of her range. She had put on 15 kgs for her role in Mimi, all for a convincing portrayal.
A scene in Mimi
- 2024 was Kriti Sanon's year once again, with three releases and her debut as a producer. She held her ground in Crew (2024), which was a commercial blockbuster. Despite of having stars like Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon stood out.
A scene in Crew
- In Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024), she once again took up a challenge as she played the role of a robot.
A scene in Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya
- Then came her OTT release Do Patti (2024). Her performance as twin sisters Saumya and Shailee were poles apart. While the first one was simple, the latter was wild. Her performance as the grey character Shailee was applauded.
the dual role wasn't easy, but she pulled it off like she owned it ❤️#DoPatti #KritiSanon pic.twitter.com/mo8iXI98fd
— 🌻 (@kritsaffection) July 19, 2025
- For now, she is gearing up for an intense love story with South star Dhanush in Aanand L Rai's Tere Ishk Mein.
With a career graph like that, whether she is a perfect choice as Roma in Don 3, with Kiara Advani reportedly walking out? Only time will tell.
One of Don's iconic dialogues are, "Mujhe do tarah ki ladkiyan pasand nahi aati. Ek woh joh mere pass aane mein bahut derr lagaye aur doosri woh joh bahut jaldi aa jaye..."
One can hope that the new Roma in the making fits the bill.
