Background of the Dispute
A significant development has taken place in the Bollywood industry, where a major film workers’ union has decided to lift a ban on actor Ranveer Singh. This decision comes after mediation efforts by various industry bodies, which aimed to resolve the ongoing legal tensions surrounding the film Don 3. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), a prominent trade organization in the Indian film industry, announced on Wednesday that it would be withdrawing the “non-cooperation directive” against the actor with immediate effect.
The original directive had instructed all FWICE-affiliated workers, including technicians and spotboys, not to work with Singh until he personally appeared before the organization regarding his departure from the project. The dispute originated from Singh’s abrupt withdrawal from Don 3, the long-delayed third installment in director Farhan Akhtar’s reboot of the Don franchise. This franchise, originally created by screenwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, first starred Amitabh Bachchan in the 1978 film, while Akhtar’s 2006 and 2011 reboots featured Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.
The Role of Don 3 and Production Issues
Singh was announced as the successor to Khan’s Don in August 2023, with the project intended to mark a new era for the franchise. The films follow Don, a wanted international crime boss, and his lookalike Vijay, a street performer recruited by police to infiltrate the underworld after Don is believed to have been killed.
Excel Entertainment, the production house behind the film, alleged that Singh exited the production in December 2025, roughly three weeks before filming was due to begin. He had participated in action training, costume trials, and script-reading sessions before leaving. FWICE stated that producers claimed to have incurred losses of approximately Rs450m (£3.49m) on pre-production costs, including overseas location bookings and arrangements involving more than 200 crew members.
The timing of Singh’s exit became a point of contention, as producers alleged he left the film after the success of Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller Dhurandhar. The film went on to gross more than Rs 13bn (£101.1m) worldwide, while its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge became the second-highest-grossing Indian film of all time.
Mediation Efforts and Industry Involvement
The fallout led to multiple mediation meetings involving some of Bollywood’s most influential actors, filmmakers, and producers through the Producers Guild of India. Participants across the sessions reportedly included Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty, Rajkumar Hirani, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Anil Kapoor, Ashutosh Gowariker, and Viacom18 studio head Ajit Andhare.
According to reports, Singh argued during one meeting that he was unhappy with the script, the reported reduction of the film’s budget from Rs 3bn-3.5bn (£23.3m-£27.2m) to around Rs 1.5bn (£11.7m), and Akhtar’s availability due to other commitments.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, FWICE said the decision had been taken after “careful thought, introspection, and constructive discussions.” The organization emphasized the importance of mutual respect, collaboration, and solidarity within the entertainment industry.
Legal and Industry Reactions
The withdrawal came a day after Singh sent FWICE a legal notice challenging the directive and disputing the organization’s jurisdiction over the matter. Singh argued that FWICE was not the appropriate forum since the dispute is contractual in nature and should instead be resolved through a recognized legal process.
FWICE president BN Tiwari denied that the federation had backed down because of the legal notice. “Our organisation is 70 years old. We’ve seen countless legal notices being sent to us. We know how to handle them. This is not about that. This is about catering to the larger interest of the film industry,” he told The Indian Express’ Screen.
FWICE chief adviser Ashoke Pandit stated that the directive was revoked after requests from IMPPA, the Producers Guild of India, and the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA). “Considering their appeal and the larger interest of the film industry, we’re immediately revoking the directive against Ranveer Singh,” Pandit told reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Pandit also urged Singh and Excel Entertainment to resolve the matter privately. The Producers Guild of India also issued a separate statement warning against “growing instances of talent, directors, and technicians reneging on their commitments to producers, often at the eleventh hour.”
CINTAA general secretary, Upasana Singh, called for reconciliation while speaking to reporters in Mumbai. “The film industry is a family. We have a lot of domestic quarrels at our home also, but that doesn’t mean we should escalate it every time,” she said, according to The Indian Express.
