In a major development for the Hindi film industry, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) announced on Wednesday that it has officially withdrawn the non-cooperation directive issued against actor Ranveer Singh. The decision follows a highly publicized dispute surrounding the actor’s departure from director Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming project, Don 3.
The resolution of this standoff occurred rapidly on Wednesday. Following an official statement released by the Producers Guild of India (PGI) earlier that same day, which urged all involved parties to settle their differences, Ranveer Singh’s legal team issued a formal notice to the FWICE.
Hours after the legal notice was served, the federation confirmed it was retracting the non-cooperation directive with immediate effect.
BN Tiwari, the president of FWICE, addressed the media regarding the organization’s change in stance. According to Tiwari, the decision to retract the directive was made following requests from the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPAA), the Producers Guild of India (PGI), and the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA).
“We have been told that we should all sit together with the producers’ body and take an appropriate decision where neither the producers and directors nor the actor face any issues,” Tiwari explained. He further noted that the decision does not signify a victory for either side, adding that the federation’s legal department would continue to respond to the actor’s legal notice.
The controversy began to unfold when Farhan Akhtar approached the FWICE regarding the Don 3 dispute in April 2026. The production saga has been fraught with complications:
- Initial Announcement: It was first announced in 2023 that Ranveer Singh would headline Don 3.
- The Conflict: Reports of a dispute between the actor and Excel Entertainment‘s Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani surfaced in December 2025, following the success of Singh’s film Dhurandhar with director Aditya Dhar.
- Monetary Claims: Last month, Farhan Akhtar reportedly approached the FWICE, alleging that Singh’s sudden exit from the project had caused him monetary losses totalling approximately ₹45 crore.
In response to these grievances, the FWICE had issued a non-cooperation directive against the actor just last week, which would have restricted his ability to work on various film sets.
The withdrawal of the directive is being viewed by trade observers as a positive step toward maintaining professional harmony within the industry. By involving bodies like the PGI and CINTAA, the stakeholders appear to be moving toward a collaborative resolution process rather than relying on unilateral directives that can disrupt film productions.
As the legal and administrative discussions continue, the industry remains hopeful that the issues surrounding Don 3 will be settled without further escalation, ensuring that the focus remains on cinematic output rather than behind-the-scenes conflict.
