FWICE's Ashoke Pandit Claims WhatsApp Chats Between Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar Were Reviewed In Don 3 Dispute

The controversy surrounding Ranveer Singh's departure from Don 3 continues to make headlines. Now, Ashoke Pandit, President of the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) and Chief Advisor to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), explained why it announced non-cooperation against the actor.

Speaking to Hindi Rush, Pandit claimed that the makers of Don 3 had approached the federation with a formal complaint after significant money had already been invested in the project.

“A producer and director came to us and filed a complaint saying they were making Don 3 and that around Rs 45 crore had already been invested in the project. They brought all the documents, expense sheets and details of the signing amounts,” he said.

According to Pandit, such expenditure is not unusual for a big-budget film. “If you're making a Rs 300-crore film, Rs 45 crore in pre-production expenses is normal. The unit was supposed to leave for shooting within three weeks and suddenly there was a walkout.”

He further stated that FWICE followed its standard procedure before reaching any conclusion and attempted to hear both sides of the matter. “As a rule, whenever a complaint comes to us, we hear both sides. We wrote to the other side because we wanted to know their version as well. We sent one letter, then another and then a third reminder. We did not receive any response.”

Pandit said the only communication received later questioned whether the federation had authority over the matter.

Explaining the basis of FWICE's decision, Pandit claimed the federation reviewed extensive documentation related to the film's pre-production work.

“We saw WhatsApp chats between Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Styling had been completed, costumes had been finalised, tickets had been booked, hotels were arranged and the unit was scheduled to leave within three weeks. A producer doesn't spend that kind of money without commitments in place.”

Addressing reports that FWICE had banned Ranveer, Pandit clarified that no such decision had been taken. “The media got it wrong. We never used the word ‘ban’. Neither I nor anyone from the federation said that. We are not a court and we do not have the power to ban anybody.”

He explained, “What we said was that our workers and technicians would not work on projects featuring Ranveer Singh. Non-cooperation and a ban are two completely different things.”

Pandit also stressed that the federation's concern was not about any individual actor but about accountability within the industry. “Ranveer may have had ten genuine reasons for leaving the film. We are not questioning that. But if a producer has spent crores because of your commitment, then those losses should be reimbursed. No industry can function if someone gets money spent and then suddenly says they're no longer interested.”

“Today it's an actor. Tomorrow it could be a director, writer or cinematographer. If people begin leaving projects at the last moment, the entire system will suffer,” he added.

Concluding his remarks, Pandit said the federation has no personal grievance against Ranveer and is only focused on maintaining professional discipline.