Ranveer Singh banned by film body over Don 3 exit, Farhan Akhtar seeks damages: 'Superstar not bigger than the law'

A long-running industry standoff around Don 3 has taken a decisive turn, with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh now facing a ban imposed by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

The decision was announced on Monday after the film body accused the actor of failing to respond to repeated requests to appear before them and explain his side of the dispute.

FWICE takes action after complaint by Farhan Akhtar

The controversy began after Farhan Akhtar approached FWICE through its affiliated body, the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), over Ranveer Singh’s sudden departure from Don 3 just weeks before the shoot was scheduled to begin.

“On 11th April, Farhan filed a complaint. Three weeks before the unit was to leave for shoot, Ranveer left the movie,” said Ashoke Pandit, Chief Advisor to FWICE, while addressing the media in Mumbai on Monday, as quoted by Indian Express.

According to FWICE, the organisation first heard the producers’ side in detail before deciding to intervene. Farhan Akhtar and his producing partner Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment were invited to present their case, with Ritesh appearing in person at the FWICE office while Farhan joined remotely from London over Zoom.

“They narrated the full incident for two hours. They also presented all the expenses incurred on pre-production, which are accounted for and audited. These include hotel bookings, location bookings, and overseas travel bookings for over 200 workers. Everything is on paper. Nothing is hearsay,” Pandit said.

Rs 45 crore damage claim and contract dispute

The production house has reportedly sought Rs 45 crore in damages from Ranveer Singh, claiming massive financial losses linked to the actor’s withdrawal from the project after extensive pre-production work had already been completed.

“Ranveer had signed a contract with Excel Entertainment for three films. The entire recce was in his presence. The inputs for script were made in his presence. A promo was shot with him to announce the film,” underlined Ashoke Pandit.

Ranveer Singh had exited Don 3 in December 2025, reportedly citing script changes as the primary reason behind his decision. His departure came shortly after the blockbuster success of Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller that released on December 5, 2025.

FWICE says Ranveer ignored repeated notices

As part of the process, FWICE invited Ranveer Singh to appear before the federation and present his side of the matter. However, the body claims the actor failed to respond despite three reminders sent every 10 days.

According to FWICE members, it was only on May 23 that Ranveer’s secretary replied via email, arguing that the federation did not have jurisdiction over the matter and therefore could not compel the actor’s appearance. The secretary also reportedly offered to meet the body on Ranveer’s behalf.

“When a federation is inviting you to talk, you say it’s not our domain. We know our jurisdiction. It’s a trade union. We don’t appreciate him saying that. We’ve taken a stand in the interest of the producers and the industry,” said Pandit.

FWICE president BN Tiwari made the organisation’s stance even clearer.

“We’ve decided to send a message to the industry that a superstar is not bigger than the law. We’re issuing a non-cooperation directive until he decides to meet us personally,” he said.

“None of our sitting workers across India — including technicians, spotboys, etc — will work with Ranveer Singh,” added Ashok Dubey, General Secretary, FWICE.

Industry-wide impact feared

FWICE members stressed that the issue extends beyond one film or one actor, arguing that abrupt exits from projects can jeopardise thousands of livelihoods tied to large productions.

“We request all producer bodies to support us because any actor can leave a project by flatly saying that he doesn’t like the story,” said BN Tiwari.

“When a film is stopped suddenly, thousands of workers’ jobs get hampered. It’s a big loss for the producers and the workers. We’ve always maintained a fair balance between the producers and the workers. Tomorrow, if a producer removes a director or a technician at the last minute, we’ll take a similar stand. We should ensure people are not humiliated like thi,” added Ashoke Pandit.

Pandit also revealed that several prominent industry names, including Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, and Shibashish Sarkar, had attempted to mediate the dispute, but discussions ultimately failed.

The federation further warned that the directive could affect Ranveer Singh’s future film projects and advertisements because FWICE represents thousands of technicians and workers across multiple craft unions.

Since the body has more than 5,000 sitting members and 32 affiliated unions, Pandit claimed the non-cooperation directive would extend to technicians, workers, and even vanity van suppliers associated with upcoming productions.

Speaking about whether Ranveer could still move ahead with Jai Mehta’s zombie apocalypse thriller Pralay, backed by Hansal Mehta and Applause Entertainment, Pandit said, “It’s a producer’s risk. We’ve warned the producers that if they go ahead, it’s going to be their loss. This stand should have ideally been taken by producer bodies.”

'This is not personal'

Despite the strong stand, FWICE members insisted the matter was not driven by personal hostility toward the actor.

“We all respect him. This is not personal. He’s a very important person of the film industry. He’s brought the audience back to the theatres,” said Ashoke Pandit, referring to Ranveer Singh’s blockbuster franchise Dhurandhar, which reportedly earned over Rs 3000 crore worldwide this year.

“We celebrate and respect his stardom. But you can’t take a stand of being aloof from the industry,” he added.

A dispute that began with an exit

The controversy traces back over five months, when Ranveer Singh unexpectedly walked out of Don 3, a film he had been signed on to headline for several years. His departure in December 2025, according to him, was driven by script changes.

The timing of the exit added further attention to the fallout, coming just days after the box office success of his film Dhurandhar, the Aditya Dhar-directed spy thriller released in cinemas on December 5, 2025.

While Singh has remained silent publicly on the matter, the production house behind Don 3, Excel Entertainment, led by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, later alleged that the actor’s exit had caused significant financial and scheduling disruption during pre-production. The banner also claimed Singh had repeatedly delayed the project due to scheduling conflicts before eventually stepping away. On that basis, Excel Entertainment reportedly sought compensation of Rs 40 crore from the actor.

FWICE steps in

The matter escalated further after Farhan Akhtar approached the Federation of Western India Cine Employees through its affiliated body, the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), of which he is a member.

According to an official statement from FWICE, the complaint and surrounding circumstances were reviewed, and the federation is now set to deliver its decision publicly.

“During the press conference, FWICE will officially address the matter and communicate its stand and decision after examining the complaint and the related circumstances,” the statement said, as quoted by Indian Express.

What Farhan Akhtar said

While Ranveer Singh has not publicly addressed the dispute, Farhan Akhtar spoke about the situation last month in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, reflecting more broadly on the unpredictability of filmmaking and production setbacks.

“What I’ve learnt is expect the unexpected. You can’t take anything for granted until it’s on film,” he said.

He further added, “You realise at some point, there’ll be a period that would come that would be a bit challenging. You’ve had it good. It’s okay, just take it in your stride,” acknowledging the inevitable hurdles that come with large-scale film projects.

Farhan also admitted, with a lighter tone, that such production roadblocks sometimes make him reconsider his dual responsibilities in the industry.

“Sometimes, when roadblocks happen, I feel I should just go back to acting. I wouldn’t have to deal with all this stuff,” he said, while also referencing the prolonged delays surrounding Jee Le Zaraa, the road movie announced years ago featuring Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt.

He added, “And the synergy with whoever’s going to eventually come in and play those parts is going to be right for the film.”