Taking serious cognisance of the complaint of the Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) regarding actor Ranveer Singh’s alleged last-minute withdrawal from Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Don 3, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has issued a non-cooperation directive against the actor.
The complaint was filed by director Farhan Akhtar before his Association, the IFTDA, on April 11, 2026, following which the matter was referred to the FWICE for action and intervention. Farhan and Ritesh informed the FWICE that they had incurred expenditure of approximately Rs. 45 crore towards pre-production of the film and were shocked at the sudden withdrawal of Ranveer Singh from the film at an advanced stage, which could expose the producers to severe financial losses.
The FWICE wanted to hear Ranveer’s version too, but the actor did not appear before the Association, stating that the FWICE was not the appropriate forum for the complainants to raise their grievances and that the issues raised were contractual in nature and hence would require adjudication before an appropriate legal forum.
WHAT DOES FWICE’S NON-COOPERATION MEAN?
The non-cooperation directive issued by the FWICE effectively means almost nothing because it does not have a legal stamp. The FWICE is registered as a trade union which does not have the powers to ban anyone. It is not a judicial body. Therefore, the FWICE directive has more of shock value than anything else.
Since Ranveer Singh is an ‘A’-list actor, any news surrounding him makes headlines. Obviously, news about an Association ‘banning’ him was bound to raise eyebrows. And that’s what the news has done… and is doing. But frankly, other than that, the non-cooperation directive of the FWICE doesn’t have meaning and enforceability.
Frankly, the FWICE’s ego seems to have been hurt after being ignored by Ranveer Singh who preferred not to even make an appearance before it. The FWICE’s own press release, announcing the non-cooperation, says, “FWICE has taken serious note of the said response (mentioned above) received from Mr. Ranveer Singh.” (Brackets ours.) The action by the FWICE seems to have been taken to create a sensation more than anything else because even the Association is aware that the directive cannot be enforced in the court of law. Of course, if all the affiliate associations of the FWICE go by the directive, the non-cooperation could have some meaning till the court intervenes. But given the way the industry functions, it is anybody’s guess that no cine worker and no technician is going to stop working with Ranveer Singh or in a film in which Ranveer is the actor.
IS THERE NO WAY OUT?
So what’s the way forward? There are two options: Either the two warring parties will have to settle the dispute by approaching the court or they will have to sit across the table and arrive at a consensus settlement. Sources close to the actor had revealed to Information not too many weeks ago that Ranveer is not the kind of actor who would wash his hands off the issue, that he would be willing to compensate the producers but if they demand a reasonable amount of money. The sources also revealed that the walkout was because Ranveer’s requests to Farhan Akhtar to work more on the script so that it could be bettered, fell on deaf ears.
Information predicts that better sense will prevail on both the sides and the matter will be resolved sooner than later.