Mumbai: The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (Federation of Western India Cine Employees) on Monday announced that its over four lakh members will not work with actor Ranveer Singh following his last-minute exit from Farhan Akhtar’s Don 3, a project that had been in development for nearly three years.
The move comes after filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and his production partner Ritesh Sidhwani filed a complaint against Singh before the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), which referred the matter to FWICE for further action.
Don 3, intended as a reboot of the popular franchise, was yet to begin shooting, but producers claim over Rs 45 crore had already been spent during its pre-production phase.
FWICE honorary general secretary Ashok Dubey said the federation has decided to impose a non-cooperation directive against the actor.
“We will not work with Ranveer Singh after today, whether it is cameraman, spot boy, lightmen or anyone else from our side. This non-cooperation will continue until the dispute is resolved,” Dubey said at a press conference, adding that the decision reflects solidarity with producers and technicians who had worked on the project for years.
He further said the federation had written to Singh but received no response, leading to the decision.
FWICE president B. N. Tiwari said the body supports its workers but will also stand by producers if they face injustice, adding that “a superstar is not bigger than rules or the system”.
Chief advisor Ashoke Pandit said Singh withdrew from the film just three weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin, causing significant financial losses to the makers.
He added that Singh did not respond to three notices issued by the federation and that FWICE members across 38 crafts would not work on any project involving the actor, effectively halting productions.
Pandit also said Singh sent an email to FWICE after the press interaction was announced, stating that the federation had no jurisdiction over the dispute.
Don 3, directed by Farhan Akhtar, was intended to be his return to direction after Don 2 (2011), which starred Shah Rukh Khan. The original Don (1978) was written by Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan and featured Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman.
Reports suggest Singh exited the film citing script changes, while producers claim repeated delays led to his final exit in December last year.
With PTI inputs