The ongoing controversy regarding Bollywood’s most talked about and cult franchise ‘Don 3’ has now moved out of the film corridors and has reached the doorstep of the court. Superstar Ranveer Singh has approached the court challenging the ‘Non-Cooperation Directive’ issued against him by the ‘Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ (FWICE). This step has been taken just a week after the organization announced the alleged ‘ban’ on the actor.
FWICE Chief Advisor Ashok Pandit has confirmed that the federation has received a notice from Ranveer Singh’s legal team. After this new development, the Federation has called another emergency press conference in Mumbai, in which the official stand will be given on this big conflict growing between ‘Excel Entertainment’ and Ranveer Singh. Although the details of the notice have not been revealed yet, it is expected that the film organization will talk about the growing conflict between Ranveer Singh and ‘Excel Entertainment’ in this media briefing.
This decision of FWICE was taken on the basis of the complaint that Akhtar had made against Singh earlier this year. In its official statement to the media, the federation indicated that Singh had not behaved properly and refused to talk to them on the matter despite several attempts. “In view of the conduct shown towards the Federation and people associated with this project, the office of FWICE has decided to issue a ‘Non-Cooperation Direction’ (NCD) against Mr. Ranveer Singh,” the statement said.
Also read: Cocktail 2 Trailer: Shahid stuck between Kriti and Rashmika or is it something else?
Singh issued a statement the same day, reacting to the direction issued against him by FWICE, saying he would not speak publicly on the matter. A statement issued by the actor said: “Ranveer Singh has the utmost respect for the film industry and everyone associated with the ‘Don’ franchise. During the recent developments related to ‘Don 3’, he has deliberately decided to remain silent as he believes that professional conversations and personal relationships are best handled with dignity, understanding and mutual respect.”
Also read: Big confession of ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain’ fame Shilpa Shinde! She said- ‘The case of sexual harassment against the producer was false’
Pandit had also clarified the federation’s stand during an earlier press conference. He said, “No employee or member of any of our departments will work on any of their projects. We have appealed to all producers to support us, stand united with us, raise their voice against such behavior and take a strong decision.”
However, as the protests grew, he later clarified that the film body had only issued a “directive” against the actor and not a “ban”. He made it clear that the workers associated with the federation will not work with Singh, but the rest of the industry is free to do so.
As the controversy escalated into an unprecedented industry confrontation, several members of various film bodies protested against the action taken against Ranveer Singh. Many believed that a ‘non-cooperation’ directive against an actor would hardly prove effective, and could instead have a negative impact on the workers who depend on film production.
Interestingly, in his message to the federation—parts of which were later shared with the media—Singh said he did not consider it the “right forum” to discuss the matter. Refusing to comment on the matter or hold talks with the federation, the actor said he did not want to fuel further speculations over the issue.
A part of the statement issued by him said, “Although many things and speculations have come to light from time to time, Ranveer has never considered it necessary to respond publicly or indulge in these speculations. His entire focus is on his work and his future responsibilities.”
Don 3 drama: What went wrong behind the scenes?
This controversy can be considered to have started from August 2023, when Ranveer Singh was announced as the new face of Don 3. He took over the role that was immortalized by Amitabh Bachchan and later reimagined by Shahrukh Khan. This announcement sparked vigorous debate among fans; While on one hand there was excitement about the return of the franchise, on the other hand there was also skepticism regarding the change in casting.
Farhan Akhtar’s announcement teaser promised a new chapter for the famous action franchise, introducing Ranveer as a younger and more modern Don. Nevertheless, after the initial buzz, news regarding the film gradually diminished. There was little clarity regarding the cast, production schedule, or release plans, leading to speculation about activities going on behind the scenes.
Over time, discussions in the industry shifted from questions about delays to reports of deeper differences. While initial rumors linked this uncertainty to Ranveer’s ongoing box-office troubles at the time, later reports indicated that the conflict arose from creative and logistical concerns related to the project itself.
Several reports claimed that the actor was fed up with the repeated delays and the screenplay not being finalized. There were also indications of differences in creative approaches; It was reported that Ranveer wanted to give the character a darker and darker take, while the producers preferred to maintain the basic DNA established in the previous installments of the franchise.
The situation reportedly worsened when reports surfaced that despite Ranveer being publicly associated with the project, other options were being considered for casting. What initially started as whispers of creative differences soon turned into big news that the actor is no longer associated with the film.
However, the impact of this controversy was not limited to creative differences alone. Industry reports later claimed that Excel Entertainment demanded compensation of around Rs 40–45 crore, citing losses incurred during the film’s development process. It was reported that the dispute was first raised with the ‘Producers Guild of India’, and later the matter reached the ‘Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ (FWICE).
FWICE chief advisor Ashok Pandit later revealed that Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani had personally approached the federation regarding the matter. According to Pandit, a lot of investment had already been made in the pre-production work of the film; This included reconnaissance trips to international locations, accommodation arrangements and preparations involving hundreds of crew members. He further alleged that Ranveer had signed a three-film deal with Excel Entertainment and had actively participated in the script discussions as well as the promotional campaign through which he was officially introduced as the new ‘Don’ of the franchise.
Considering the current situation, the work of ‘Don 3’ has been completely halted. Its entire story is known only to Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar, but the project which once had tremendous excitement, has now become one of the most controversial cases of Bollywood in recent times.
Entertainment News Hindi Today only at Prabhasakshi