Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has sent a legal notice to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) after the organisation issued a non-cooperation directive against him.

The dispute stems from the film Don 3. According to the filmmakers, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, Ranveer withdrew from the project shortly before production was due to begin. They told FWICE that they had already spent nearly ₹45 crore on preparations for the film.

The filmmakers also expressed concern that losing a lead actor at such a late stage could result in major financial losses and create an undesirable precedent within the industry.

Federation cites lack of response

FWICE claimed it contacted Ranveer three times to discuss the matter but did not receive a response.

According to the federation, the actor got in touch only after it warned that it would make the issue public. Following this, FWICE issued a "non-cooperation directive", asking workers across the industry, including spot boys and technicians, not to work on projects involving the actor.

The federation is seeking either compensation for the alleged losses or a face-to-face meeting with Ranveer.

CINTAA and industry figures react

The Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) has criticised the handling of the dispute.

CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon said the issue should have been discussed privately before becoming a public matter. She also said there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to such disputes because every case is different.

Industry veteran Vindu Dara Singh described the situation as "heartbreaking". He said the film industry functions like a family in which people want to continue working.

He also highlighted the impact on daily-wage workers, saying they are often the worst affected when large film projects come to a halt because they lose their source of income.

Legal questions over directive

The federation's authority to impose such a restriction has also come under scrutiny.

A court ruling from 2017 reportedly suggested that similar directives could violate competition laws.

Ranveer has largely remained silent on the controversy. According to his team, he respects the industry and prefers to address professional disputes with dignity rather than through public arguments.

The matter is now set to be decided in court.