Ashoke Pandit BREAKS SILENCE over non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh in 'Don 3' row; Chunky Panday reveals being 'banned'

Ranveer Singh's 'Don 3' issue has been the talk of the town for a long time now. On May 25, 2026, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) held a press conference to issue a non-cooperation directive against the actor after both parties failed to reach a solution. The dispute started after Ranveer left the project at the last moment, and producer Farhan Akhtar stated that his production house had spent Rs 45 crore on the pre-production phase of the film. Now, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit of FWICE has explained what the directive means for the actor and what he needs to do to lift it.

In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Ashoke Pandit was asked about the "ban" on Ranveer Singh. The filmmaker quickly clarified, "See, first of all, the entire conversation has become wrong. It's not a ban. See, we are not court; we can't ban people. So we have issued a non-cooperation. Non-cooperation means all our members who belong to 30 crafts, you know, they will not work with him. It's my choice whether I want to work with him or not."

He added, "So we, as a trade union, have issued this thing to our members that as far as wherever he is there, you will not work till the time. This issue is not sorted out. Because we very strongly feel that this is a very wrong trend which will start."

Explaining the side of the makers, Ashoke Pandit shared, "Producers will be doomed in the last moment if directors leave and if actors leave and, you know, for that matter, if anybody leaves. This will be a big loss, and then ultimately everybody is not Excel Entertainment that they can afford to lose crores. They will commit suicide."

Ashoke Pandit says he hopes the matter will be resolved soon

The Chief Advisor of FWICE said, "So we tried to, you know, bring in a little bit of, you know, this thing that at least we can sit together and sort this out, and hopefully it will. I'm sure... we are still hopeful that it will happen. But the point is, for that, we have to meet, you know."

Ashoke Pandit reveals Ranveer Singh's response to their invitations.

Ashoke Pandit shared that they wanted both parties to sit and solve the matter. He said that they had sent invitations to Ranveer Singh thrice for the same. He stated, "So we very strongly tried our best. We sent him invitations thrice. There was no response, and then finally he sent mail when he came to know that we are having a press conference, saying that this doesn't come under a jurisdiction."

The filmmaker added, "So with that said, fine, if you feel so strongly. Toh theek hai. Koi baat nahi. (Alright then. No problem) Doesn't matter. So that that is a basic thing, we will wait. We'll sit with the producer body. Will sit with different associations, and we'll see how things happen."

What does Ranveer Singh have to do to get this lifted?

Elaborating on the same, Ashoke Pandit said, "See, there has to be a closure. The producers, him, and the body should sit together and come to a solution to this in a sense. If you say it's not 45 (crore), we say 30 (crore) or whatever. The discussion has to happen, and then you have to come to a final thing, and both the parties have to come to closure on this because ultimately we have to work. You can't keep on fighting like you know... Like some family dispute."

Ashoke Pandit says it's not just about actors

Ashoke Pandit went on to say, "Ultimately in industry, everybody is a mature person here, and in a creative industry, we cannot afford to live like this. Having said that, tomorrow, if this continues, then what if a big director leaves a project at the last moment; the producer is already invested so much of money and all, you know. So this is a wrong trend. You can't upfront leave a proposal unless there is a tragedy or something very emergency. That's a different issue, but you are part of a project, and this is for everyone, and it is not only for an actor. It's also with the producer. You can't sack people at the last moment, you know. So this trend of leaving the project or sacking somebody at the last moment is not encouragable for the industry. That is a thing."

Ashoke Pandit clarifies they have not used the word 'ban' anywhere

The filmmaker concluded, saying, "Unfortunately, people have become so sad; in the entire press conference, we have never used this (ban) word. It is not used in the press release also. I don't know why people stoop so low. Har cheez ko glamorise karne ki jarurat nahi hoti hai. Dramatic karne ki jarurat nahi hoti hai. It's a very serious matter. It's a matter of the industry's survival. But you can't help it."

Now, on the other hand, ETimes also got in touch with Chunky Panday and asked him to comment on the matter. He was also questioned if he ever got banned during his career. He revealed, "I am not fully aware of the details of this matter, so I may not be the right person to comment on it. But yes, even I was once banned."

Elaborating on the same, he added, "During the shooting of ‘Aag Hi Aag’ in 1987, the film industry had gone on strike, and no one was supposed to continue shooting. However, Pahlaj Nihalani was shooting in Bangalore with the entire team, and later we continued filming in Ooty as well. That is why strict action was taken against me and everyone associated with the film. At that time, all shootings had been stopped. Dharmendra ji and Shatrughan Sinha ji were also part of the film, but they were such big stars doing 30-40 films that banning them was not really possible. I was a newcomer then; my film hadn’t even been released, so eventually I got banned for about a week."

Sharing why he was banned, Chunky Panday said, "The reason was simple, I was shooting with Pahlaj Nihalani while the entire industry was on strike. Since they couldn’t take action against the bigger stars, they took action against me instead. Later, I apologised, and the ban was lifted within a week. But these things happen. Ours is a very small and fragile industry, and I have experienced it myself."

More about Ranveer Singh's 'Don 3' dispute

Amidst this, fans of Ranveer Singh have called out FWICE's directive, saying that Bollywood is targeting the actor after the massive success of the 'Dhurandhar' franchise.

Meanwhile, Singh's spokesperson has issued a statement that read, "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.

While several narratives and speculations have surfaced over time, Ranveer has never considered it necessary to respond publicly or contribute to conjecture. His focus remains firmly on his work and the commitments ahead.



He continues to hold deep respect and goodwill for all those involved and sincerely wishes the franchise continued success. Choosing restraint and grace in moments like these has always been a conscious decision on his part, and he will continue to maintain the same stance."