Ranveer SinghThe issue of ‘Don 3’ has been the talk of the town for a long time. On 25 May 2026, the Federation of West Indian Cine Workers (FWICE) held a press conference to issue a non-cooperation directive against the actor after the two parties failed to reach a resolution. The dispute started after Ranveer left the project at the last moment, and the producers Farhan Akhtar he stated that his production house spent 45 million in the pre-production phase of the film. Now, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit of FWICE explains what the directive means for the actor and what he needs to do to lift it.In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Ashoke Pandit was asked about Ranveer Singh’s ‘ban’. The filmmaker was quick to clarify, “See, first of all, the whole conversation has gone wrong. It’s not a ban. See, we are not a court; we can’t ban people, yaar. So we issued a non-cooperation. Non-cooperation means that all of our members in the 30 trades, you know, will not work with him. It’s my choice whether I want to work with him or not.“He added: “So, as a union, we have sent this thing to our members that as far as it is, you will not work until then. This issue is not resolved. Because we feel very strongly that the trend that is going to start is very wrong.”Speaking for the makers, Ashoke Pandit shared, “The producers will be doomed at the last moment if the directors walk out and the actors walk out and, you know, anybody walks out. This will be a huge loss, and at the end of the day, not everyone is Excel Entertainment, who could lose millions. They will kill themselves.”
Ashoke Pandit says he hopes the issue will be resolved soon
FWICE’s chief adviser said: “So we tried to, you know, bring a bit of, you know, at least bring this thing where we can sit together and sort this out, and hopefully. I’m sure… we’re still hopeful that will happen. But the point is, for that, we have to come together, you know.”
Ashoke Pandit reveals Ranveer Singh’s response to their invitations.
Ashoke Pandit shared that they wanted both sides to sit down and resolve the issue. He said that invitations were sent to Ranveer Singh thrice. He stated: “So we tried our best very hard. We sent him invitations three times. There was no response, and finally he sent the message when he found out that we are holding a press conference, saying that this is not under any jurisdiction.”The filmmaker added, “So, having said that, fine, if you feel so strongly. Toh theek hai. Koi baat nahi. (Okay. No problem) It’s all the same. So that’s a basic thing, we’ll wait. We’ll sit with the producer body. We’ll sit with different associations, and we’ll see how things go.”
What does Ranveer Singh have to do to pull this off?
Elaborating on the same, Ashoke Pandit said, “See, there has to be a closure. The producer, he and the body should sit together and come to a solution in a sense. If you say not 45 (crore), we say 30 (crore) or whatever. The discussion has to happen, and then it has to come down to one last thing, and both parties have to close because, at the end of the day, we have to work and all year round. You can’t keep fighting as you know it... Like a family dispute.”
Ashoke Pandit says it’s not just about the actors
Ashoke Pandit said, “At the end of the day in the industry, everyone is a mature person here, and in the creative industry we can’t live like that. Having said that, tomorrow, if this continues, what happens if a great director abandons a project at the last moment; the producer has already invested so much money and everything, you know. So the trend is wrong. You can’t leave a proposal unless it’s a tragedy or something very urgent. That is another matter, but you are part of a project, and this is for everyone, and not just for an actor. It is also with the producer. You can’t fire people at the last minute, you know. So this tendency to abandon the project or fire someone at the last moment is not encouraging for the industry. That’s one thing.”
Ashoke Pandit clarified that they have not used the word “ban” anywhere
The filmmaker concluded by saying, “Unfortunately, people have become so sad; in the entire press conference, we have never used this word (ban). It is not even used in the press release. I don’t know why people are so bent. Har cheez ko glamorise karne ki jarurat nahi hoti hai. Dramatic karne ki jarurat nahi hoti hai. It is a very serious matter. It is a question of the survival of the industry. But you can’t help it.”
Now, ETimes also contacted Chunky Panday and asked him to comment on the matter. He was also asked if he had ever been banned in his career. He revealed: “I’m not completely familiar with the details of this matter, so I may not be the right person to comment on it. But yes, I was banned once too.”Elaborating on the same, he added, “During the shooting of ‘Aag Hi Aag’ in 1987, the film industry went on strike, and no one was allowed to continue shooting. However, Pahlaj Nihalani He was shooting in Bangalore with the entire crew, and later we continued to shoot in Ooty as well. That is why strict measures were taken against me and everyone associated with the film. At that time, all the shooting had stopped. Dharmendra ji and Shatrughan Sinha ji were also a part of the film, but as they were big stars doing 30-40 films, banning was not really possible. I was a newcomer then; my film wasn’t even released, so I ended up getting banned for a week.”Why was he banned Chunky Panday said, “The reason was simple, I was shooting with Pahlaj Nihalani while the entire industry was on strike. As they couldn’t take action against big stars, they took action against me. Later, I apologized, and the ban was lifted within a week. But these things happen. Ours is a very small and fragile industry, and I have experienced it myself.”
More on Ranveer Singh’s ‘Don 3’ case
In the midst of this, Ranveer Singh’s fans have called the FWICE directive, saying that the Bollywood actor is being targeted after the massive success of the ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise.Meanwhile, Singh’s spokesperson released a statement saying, “Ranveer Singh has the utmost respect for the film fraternity and everyone associated with the Don franchise. During the recent developments surrounding Don 3, he has consciously chosen to remain silent, believing that professional discussions and personal equations are handled with dignity, maturity and mutual respect.While various narratives and speculations have surfaced over time, Ranveer has never felt the need to publicly respond or contribute to conjecture. He remains steadfast in his work and future commitments.He continues to have deep respect and goodwill for all involved and sincerely wishes the franchise every success. Choosing moderation and grace in such moments has always been a conscious decision on his part, and he will continue to maintain the same attitude.”
