'It’s not a ban': FWICE chief advisor on Ranveer Singh amid Don 3 row

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Ranveer Singh's reported exit from Don 3, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has reacted to the widespread reports that say the actor has been "banned" by the organisation, leading the film body's chief advisor Ashoke Pandit to clarify the situation.

Is Ranveer Singh actually banned?

In a conversation with ETimes, Pandit stated that FWICE has not imposed a legal ban on the actor. "See, first of all, the entire conversation has become wrong. It's not a ban. See, we are not court; we can't ban people, yaar. So we have issued a non-cooperation. Non-cooperation means all our members who belong to 30 crafts, you know, they will not work with him. It's my choice whether I want to work with him or not," he said.

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What's the controversy?

On Monday, FWICE announced a non-cooperation directive against Singh after complaints were allegedly filed in connection with Don 3. The organisation claimed that he did not appear before the body despite multiple notices.

As per reports, the dispute began after the actor stepped away from Don 3, which is backed by Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani under Excel Entertainment.

According to FWICE, the production house claimed substantial pre-production expenses had already been incurred before Singh's departure from the film. "During the proceedings, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani informed FWICE that they have already incurred approximately Rs. 45 crores towards the pre-production of the film," the statement read.

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Also Read: Don 3 row: FWICE issues non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh amid Farhan Akhtar dispute

Why did FWICE intervene?

Explaining why FWICE decided to intervene, Pandit said, "So we, as a trade union, have issued this thing to our members that as far as wherever he is there, you will not work till the time. This issue is not sorted out. Because we very strongly feel that this is a very wrong trend which will start," he stated.

Pandit further argued that such incidents can severely impact producers who invest heavily in films. "So we tried to, you know, bring in a little bit of, you know, this thing that at least we can sit together and sort this out, and hopefully it will. I’m sure... we are still hopeful that it will happen. But the point is, for that, we have to meet, you know," he added.

Also Read: Ranveer avoids paparazzi in first appearance after FWICE ban over Don 3 exit

No closure yet

Pandit hinted that compensation discussions could still be negotiated. "See, there has to be a closure. The producers, him, and the body should sit together and come to a solution to this in a sense. If you say it's not 45 (crore), we say 30 (crore) or whatever. The discussion has to happen, and then you have to come to a final thing," he said. "In the entire press conference, we have never used this (ban) word. It is not used in the press release also. I don't know why people stoop so low. It's a very serious matter. It's a matter of the industry's survival," he concluded.

Ranveer Singh's reaction to the ban

Soon after the press conference held by FWICE, Singh's spokesperson issued a statement maintaining that Ranveer does not wish to escalate the issue publicly. "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," he said.