Indian Film Union Rethinks Boycott of Ranveer Singh After Legal Notice

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) announced yesterday that it would no longer discourage its members from working with Bollywood star Ranveer Singh. The decision comes after the actor sent a legal notice to the union following an earlier informal ban.

The boycott originated after Santosh and Farhan Akhtar’s producers for the film Don 3 accused Singh of quitting the project just weeks before the beginning of overseas filming. About 450 million rupees ($4.7m) had already been spent on pre‑production, intensifying production frustrations.

In a statement to reporters, FWICE president BN Tiwari said the industry had united behind Singh and that the federation’s legal team would address the notice received from the actor. Chief adviser Ashoke Pandit urged that Singh meet with the union to resolve the conflict and highlighted that no authority has the power to impose a ban on an individual.

Although Singh has not publicly commented, his spokesperson earlier this week confirmed that he holds the film industry and the Don franchise in "the highest regard" and chose to remain silent.

Ranveer Singh, known for box‑office successes such as Padmaavat and Dhurandhar, has faced previous controversies – most notably a 2025 apology for mimicking a ritual scene from the Kannada film Kantara. The recent dispute is the third major public conflict involving the star.

The decision marks a rare instance of a star being directed by a union to resolve a dispute, following earlier FWICE directives against Pakistani talent during diplomatic tensions and a 2025 ban on singer‑actor Diljit Dosanjh for a Punjabi film co‑star.

For more on the incident, read the full BBC report at BBC News India.