Bollywood Industry Body bans Ranveer Singh amid ‘Don 3’ dispute

MUMBAI: A dispute surrounding the upcoming Bollywood film Don 3 has escalated into a major industry controversy after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees imposed a non-cooperation directive against actor Ranveer Singh.

During a press conference, the federation said no production house should work with Singh until he resolves an alleged financial dispute involving filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and his company Excel Entertainment.

According to the federation, the dispute centers on claims that Singh withdrew from “Don 3” at the last moment despite reportedly signing a three-film agreement, causing estimated losses of 450 million Indian rupees ($5.4 million) in pre-production expenses.

Producers have demanded that Singh accept responsibility for the costs, while mediation efforts by the federation reportedly failed.

Singh has maintained that the matter should be resolved through an “appropriate legal forum.”

Federation officials said the film industry functions like a family and sudden exits from major projects can disrupt the entire production ecosystem. Chief adviser Ashoke Pandit warned that strict action would continue in similar cases.

Following the announcement, Singh’s representatives released a statement saying the actor respects the film industry and everyone associated with the “Don” franchise.

According to the statement, Singh deliberately remained silent throughout the controversy because he believes professional matters should be handled with dignity and mutual respect.

The federation, however, said multiple notices had been sent to the actor without sufficient cooperation, leading to the issuance of the non-cooperation directive.

The Don franchise previously featured Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, while Singh had been announced as the new lead for “Don 3” in 2023 before the dispute intensified.