The film industry has been buzzing with discussions after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ (FWICE) decision to issue a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh. The ban came after Farhan Akhtar approached the workers’ body regarding Ranveer’s abrupt exit from Don 3. As fans and industry insiders continue to share their views on social media, Manoj Bajpayee also shared his thoughts on the ongoing situation, expressing his hope for a quick resolution.
When asked how the film industry safeguards an actor’s position during such disputes, Manoj pointed out that there is currently limited clarity about the clash between Ranveer and Farhan’s production house, Excel Entertainment.
He said that most members of the fraternity are getting their information from the internet rather than official channels. He added, “I must tell you one thing, that all the people who are in this industry, they are only reading it on social media and we don’t have the detailed information about it. But all we can say as colleagues or as fellow fraternity members that we hope that the matter is sorted out soon.”
Manoj is not the only notable figure to speak up. Earlier, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta took to X to voice his concerns and question the logic behind banning an actor of Ranveer’s stature. Highlighting how a ban impacts everyday crew members, he wrote, ““When an A List Hero shoots there are more than 300 workers working on sets. Ban him and you are not stopping him but depriving the workers of their livelihood. What sense does it even make???”
The dispute traces back to April, when Farhan approached FWICE, claiming that Ranveer’s sudden departure from Don 3 resulted in monetary losses totalling Rs 45 crore. The project was officially announced by Excel Entertainment in August 2023 with a special teaser introducing Ranveer as the new face of the iconic franchise, a character previously made famous by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
According to FWICE, the non-cooperation directive was finalized on Monday after Ranveer allegedly ignored multiple notices sent by the body. FWICE President Ashoke Pandit held a press conference to explain the organization’s stance and clarify the timeline of events.
Explaining the rationale behind the move, Ashoke Pandit said, “As soon as the complaint reached us, we formally registered it. Subsequently, we issued three notices to Ranveer Singh: one every 10 days, inviting him to engage with us, and three reminders. However, we received absolutely no response. Since we received no response, we collectively decided to convene a press conference to apprise the industry of the decision our Federation has taken. The moment we announced the press conference, we received an email from Mr Singh stating that this matter did not fall within our jurisdiction and that we had no authority to interfere in it. We took note of his stance and decided to proceed accordingly.”
Ranveer’s team communicated via email that FWICE was not the appropriate forum to resolve contractual disagreements. However, the workers’ body decided to proceed with their directive based on his refusal to engage with their earlier notices.
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