The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) on Monday announced a non cooperation directive against actor Ranveer Singh over his abrupt exit from Farhan Akhtar’s much-awaited film Don 3. The decision comes more than five months after filmmaker Farhan Akhtar formally approached the federation with a complaint regarding the actor’s withdrawal from the project.
At a press conference held today, FWICE Chief Advisor and Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association President Ashok Pandit detailed the timeline that led to the federation’s decision.
According to Pandit, the matter dates back to April 11, when Farhan Akhtar filed a complaint with FWICE against Ranveer Singh.
“The issue began on 11th April when Farhan Akhtar filed a complaint with FWICE. As the head of the association, I received it. In his complaint, he stated that he wanted to meet us and register a complaint against actor Ranveer Singh,” Ashok Pandit said.
Pandit revealed that the complaint alleged Ranveer Singh withdrew from Don 3 just three weeks before the shooting unit was scheduled to leave, causing significant disruption to the project.
As part of the federation’s standard process, FWICE invited producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani to present their case. While Sidhwani attended the meeting in person, Farhan joined virtually from London.
“For nearly two hours, they explained their entire complaint and narrated the sequence of events as to why they had to take this step. They shared a lot of details with us. We listened to them carefully,” Pandit stated.
He stressed that FWICE followed due process and attempted to hear both sides before taking any action.
“Following natural justice and our institutional rules, we invited the other party. The Federation sent reminders to Ranveer Singh every 10 to 15 days asking him to come and present his side of the story,” Pandit said.
According to him, FWICE issued three formal notices to the actor but received no response.
However, Pandit said that after the federation announced the press conference, Ranveer Singh’s team finally sent an email questioning FWICE’s jurisdiction in the matter and stating that the federation had no reason to intervene in the dispute.
With no formal appearance or resolution from the actor’s side, FWICE deliberated internally and arrived at its decision.
FWICE President B.N. Tiwari underlined that the issue was larger than a disagreement between an actor and producer and concerned the livelihood of thousands of film workers.
“When a film is made, thousands of workers get employment. When a film suddenly stops, junior artists and daily wage workers also suffer financial losses,” Tiwari said.
Emphasising that the federation represents not just technicians but also artists and producers, Tiwari said FWICE does not believe in taking one-sided positions.
He further asserted that stardom cannot place anyone above industry regulations.
“A strong message needs to be sent to the industry, even if someone is a superstar, they are not above the rules and regulations,” he said.
Announcing the decision, Tiwari confirmed that FWICE has issued a non cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh with immediate effect and appealed to all affiliated crafts and producer bodies to support the move until the dispute is formally resolved.
“The Federation issues a non cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh starting right now, and none of our members will work with him,” Tiwari declared.
The development marks a major escalation in the Don 3 controversy and puts the spotlight on industry accountability, contractual commitments, and the role of film bodies in resolving disputes.
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