Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta publicly questioned FWICE’s decision to ban Ranveer Singh over his exit from ‘Don 3’ and argued that the ban would ultimately deprive 300 workers of their livelihood. FWICE issued this direction after Farhan Akhtar claimed that Ranveer’s sudden departure led to a loss of Rs 45 crore during the pre-production phase of the film.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) banned the actor on Monday (May 25). Ranveer Singh after his sudden departure Farhan AkhtarFarhan himself had put the matter of ‘Don 3’ before the workers body. After this decision, there has been a sharp reaction from the industry including film producers. Sanjay Gupta Now the federation is publicly questioning the logic behind this move.

Sanjay Gupta hits back at FWICE

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Three notices, zero response – how did the non-cooperation directive come against Ranveer?

A non-cooperation directive was issued by FWICE against Ranveer after Farhan approached the federation over the ‘Don 3’ controversy in April. The actor was served several notices by the body, to which he responded by saying that FWICE was not the “appropriate forum” to resolve a contractual matter between the parties involved.

FWICE President Ashok Pandit breaks down federation’s decision in press conference

FWICE President Ashok Pandit addressed the media at a press conference to highlight the reasoning behind the federation’s decision. He explained that FWICE was forced to take action after Farhan filed a formal complaint, alleging that Ranveer had walked out of the film days before the shooting began and the actor had consistently failed to respond to his notices. “As soon as the complaint reached us, we registered it formally. Subsequently, we issued three notices to Ranveer Singh: one every 10 days, inviting him to join us, and three reminders. However, we received no response at all. Since we received no response, we collectively decided to call a press conference to inform the industry of the decision taken by our federation. As soon as we announced the press conference, we received a letter from Mr. Singh Received an email stating that this matter does not come under our jurisdiction and we have no right to interfere in it. We took note of their stand and decided to proceed accordingly,” Pandit said.

Farhan claims loss of Rs 45 crore – the financial stakes behind ‘Don 3’ controversy

Last month, Farhan had brought the matter before FWICE and alleged that Ranveer’s sudden exit from the project had caused a financial loss of Rs 45 crore. The official letter from the federation elaborates on the sequence of events, “A complaint was filed by filmmaker Farhan Akhtar before IFTDA on 11th April 2026, following which the matter was officially referred to FWICE for further action and appropriate intervention. In accordance with the principles of fairness, transparency and natural justice, FWICE convened meetings with all concerned parties to hear the case. Farhan Akhtar with the film’s producer. During the proceedings, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani informed FWICE that they have already collected around Rs. Rs 45 crore was spent on the pre-production of the film. He expressed serious concern that the sudden exit of such a big actor from the project at the final stage could cause serious financial loss to the producer and adversely affect the overall execution of the film.”

From Amitabh to Shahrukh Khan and Ranveer – the iconic legacy of the ‘Don’ franchise ‘Don 3’

‘Don 3’ was officially announced by Farhan’s production house Excel Entertainment in August 2023, with a teaser that introduced Ranveer Singh as the new face of the iconic ‘Don’, a role originally brought to life by Amitabh Bachchan and later re-imagined. Shahrukh Khan.