The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has taken a strong stand against Ranveer Singh for his sudden, unceremonious exit from Farhan Akhtar’s directorial Don 3. The film body has issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer, alleging that he failed to respond to their invitation to appear in person and discuss the issue despite three reminders.

“On 11th April, Farhan filed a complaint. Three weeks before the unit was to leave for shoot, Ranveer left the movie,” said Ashoke Pandit, Chief Advisor to FWICE, while addressing the media in Mumbai on Monday.

After they invited Farhan and his producing partner Ritesh Sidhwani, of Excel Entertainment to tell their side of the story, Ritesh appeared personally at the FWICE office while Farhan attended the meeting remotely on Zoom since he was in London.

“They narrated the full incident for two hours. They also presented all the expenses incurred on pre-production, which are accounted for and audited. These include hotel bookings, location bookings, and overseas travel bookings for over 200 workers. Everything is on paper. Nothing is hearsay,” said Pandit.

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All the pre-production expenses add up to Rs 45 crore, which Excel Entertainment has demanded as damages from Ranveer Singh. “Ranveer had signed a contract with Excel Entertainment for three films. The entire recce was in his presence. The inputs for script were made in his presence. A promo was shot with him to announce the film,” underlined Ashoke Pandit.

As part of due process, the FWICE then invited Ranveer Singh to appear before them to present his side of the story. However, despite three reminders every 10 days, the actor didn’t respond to their requests. It was only last Saturday, on May 23, that his secretary sent them a mail, arguing that the FWICE doesn’t have the jurisdiction over this matter, so they can’t demand his presence. The secretary also offered to meet them on Ranveer’s behalf.

FWICE members further explained why the film body decided to take a strong stand against Ranveer.

“When a federation is inviting you to talk, you say it’s not our domain. We know our jurisdiction. It’s a trade union. We don’t appreciate him saying that. We’ve taken a stand in the interest of the producers and the industry,” said Ashoke Pandit.

“We’ve decided to send a message to the industry that a superstar is not bigger than the law. We’re issuing a non-cooperation directive until he decides to meet us personally,” said BN Tiwari, FWICE president.

“None of our sitting workers across India — including technicians, spotboys, etc — will work with Ranveer Singh,” added Ashok Dubey, General Secretary, FWICE.

“We request all producer bodies to support us because any actor can leave a project by flatly saying that he doesn’t like the story,” said BN Tiwari. “When a film is stopped suddenly, thousands of workers’ jobs get hampered. It’s a big loss for the producers and the workers. We’ve always maintained a fair balance between the producers and the workers. Tomorrow, if a producer removes a director or a technician at the last minute, we’ll take a similar stand. We should ensure people are not humiliated like this,” added Ashoke Pandit. He confirmed that top actors and producers like Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, and Shibashish Sarkar tried to mediate, but all talks fell through.

Pandit further said that since FWICE has over 5000 sitting members and 32 affiliated craft unions, the non-cooperation directive will affect Ranveer Singh’s future projects, including ad films, because all the technicians, workers, and vanity van suppliers are the same. On whether Ranveer will still move forward with Jai Mehta’s zombie apocalypse thriller Pralay, backed by Hansal Mehta and Applause Entertainment, Pandit stated, “It’s a producer’s risk. We’ve warned the producers that if they go ahead, it’s going to be their loss. This stand should have ideally been taken by producer bodies.”

Also Read – As Ranveer Singh exits Don 3, did he really need the franchise at all? Should Shah Rukh Khan make a comeback as the ’11 mulkon ka Don’?

He further pointed out that nearly five lakh workers are employed in the film industry, stressing that it is “not just about the actors.”

“We all respect him. This is not personal. He’s a very important person of the film industry. He’s brought the audience back to the theatres,” said Ashoke Pandit, referring to Ranveer Singh’s blockbuster franchise Dhurandhar, which reportedly earned over Rs 3000 crore worldwide this year.

“We celebrate and respect his stardom. But you can’t take a stand of being aloof from the industry,” added Pandit.

“Bachche jab kharab ho jate hain, unko sahi karna padta hai,” concluded BN Tiwari.

Responding to FWICE’s non-cooperation directive, Ranveer Singh’s spokesperson said, “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. While several narratives and speculations have surfaced over time, Ranveer has never considered it necessary to respond publicly or contribute to conjecture. His focus remains firmly on his work and the commitments ahead. He continues to hold deep respect and goodwill for all those involved and sincerely wishes the franchise continued success. Choosing restraint and grace in moments like these has always been a conscious decision on his part, and he will continue to maintain the same stance.”

In December 2025, Ranveer Singh exited Don 3, a film he had signed on to headline nearly two years earlier. The actor reportedly cited changes in the script as the reason behind his decision. His departure came just days after the massive theatrical success of his spy thriller Dhurandhar, which hit cinemas on December 5, 2025.

Farhan Akhtar and his producing partner Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment alleged that the production house had already invested heavily in the film’s pre-production based on Ranveer’s commitment. According to them, the actor kept delaying the film, citing scheduling conflicts and other reasons before eventually opting out. Following his exit, Excel Entertainment reportedly sought Rs 45 crore in compensation from the actor.

While Ranveer Singh has remained silent on the matter, Farhan Akhtar addressed the controversy during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India. “What I’ve learnt is expect the unexpected. You can’t take anything for granted until it’s on film,” he said. “You realize at some point, there’ll be a period that would come that would be a bit challenging. You’ve had it good. It’s okay, just take it in your stride,” the filmmaker-actor added.

Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) is a film industry workers’ union and the parent body of 32 craft associations. It works towards promoting and safeguarding the economic and cultural interests of its members.

FWICE intervenes in matters related to professional disputes, contractual disagreements, and non-payment of wages. It also has the authority to issue non-cooperation directives against actors, directors, producers, or production houses accused of violating industry norms. The organisation can direct its members to refrain from working with a particular individual or banner.

In addition, FWICE lays down guidelines regarding working hours, minimum wages, and safety standards for daily-wage workers, technicians, and artistes. The body also looks into cases of workplace misconduct and can enforce disciplinary action when required.