Veteran actress Poonam Dhillon reacted to the ongoing controversy surrounding Ranveer Singh and the non-cooperation directive issued against him by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) in the Don 3 dispute.
The actress, who currently serves as the president of Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), expressed disappointment that neither Ranveer nor the producers approached the association while the matter was escalating.
Speaking to Variety India, Dhillon said that CINTAA could have helped mediate and resolve the issue if they had been informed earlier. She admitted that the association was left out of the conversation despite the matter involving one of its members.
“It’s a very strange situation to be in because it’s one of our members, but neither the artist nor the producer or the Federation informed us or took us into confidence. We could have tried to resolve the issue. That is what our association is there for - to resolve such issues or disputes or any kind of problems that arise between an actor and a producer.”
Poonam further stated that Ranveer, being a member of CINTAA, could have reached out to the association for support before the situation worsened.
“Ranveer, being a part of CINTAA, could have involved us and approached us so we could have tried to resolve the issue in a more amicable way. I would like every actor to honour their commitments in the best possible way. If there are any issues, they should handle them and, if needed, approach the association so we can resolve them together. Because the fact is that we don’t really know much. So I cannot say whether he is wrong or they are wrong. I simply don’t know.”
The controversy dates back to 2023 when Farhan Akhtar officially announced Ranveer Singh as the new lead of Don 3. However, reports later claimed that the actor exited the project after the success of his Dhurandhar franchise.
Last month, Farhan Akhtar reportedly approached FWICE and claimed that Ranveer’s sudden exit caused losses of nearly Rs 45 crore during the film’s pre-production stage. The organisation later issued a non-cooperation directive against the actor.
According to FWICE’s statement, “The complaint was filed by filmmaker Farhan Akhtar before IFTDA on 11 April 2026, following which the matter was officially referred to FWICE for further course of action and appropriate intervention. In accordance with the principles of fairness, transparency and natural justice, FWICE convened meetings to hear the matter from all concerned parties.”
The statement also mentioned that Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani informed FWICE that approximately Rs 45 crore had already been spent on the film’s pre-production.
Later, Ranveer Singh’s spokesperson responded to the controversy through an official statement.
“Ranveer Singh holds the highest regard for the film fraternity and for everyone associated with the Don franchise. Throughout the recent developments surrounding Don 3, he has consciously chosen to maintain silence, believing that professional discussions and personal equations are best handled with dignity, maturity and mutual respect.”
The spokesperson further clarified that the actor does not wish to comment on the issue beyond this statement.
