Why Ranveer Singh has been banned by film workers party amid Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 fiasco | Explained

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) on Monday said its more than four lakh members would not work with Ranveer Singh following his last minute exit from Farhan Akhtar's "Don 3" which had been in the making for three years.

Akhtar and his partner Ritesh Sidhwani had filed a complaint against Singh before the Indian Film & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA), which then referred the matter to FWICE for further intervention.

"Don 3", which was to reboot the successful franchise for a third time with a new face, was yet to begin shooting. The producers claim that more than Rs 45 crore had already been spent in the pre-production phase.

What FWICE Ashoke Pandit said

Post the Dhurandhar actor's exit, FWICE's Ashoke Pandit issued a statement after Farhan Akhtar reached the doors of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees. Speaking to Bombay Times, he was quoted saying, “It’s a very serious matter, and this trend is very wrong. You can’t withdraw from a project 10 days before the shoot starts. We are having an internal meeting first, and then we are taking a call.”

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What is the Don 3 controversy about?

The dispute stems from reports that Ranveer Singh, who had officially been announced as the new face of the Don franchise, stepped away from the project after months of development work.

The situation escalated further after reports suggested that Farhan Akhtar and Excel Entertainment were considering legal options over the financial implications of the delay.

What Farhan Akhtar said

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor and filmmaker finally broke his silence and said, “What I have learnt is to expect the unexpected. Nothing can be taken for granted till you actually have it on film.”

Akhtar added, “Honestly, I also feel that from the time I began- from that moment that an Aamir, Akshaye, Preity, Dimple, Saif, Ritesh as my partner- till they come on and said yes ‘let’s make this film’- from that moment on, actually all the way pretty much through till 2022, which is 22-23 years, I have had the most incredible ride.”

With added inputs from agencies