Title: Indian Film Union Reverses Boycott Against Ranveer Singh Following Legal Challenge

A prominent Indian film workers’ union has rescinded its directive prohibiting members from collaborating with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh. This reversal follows the actor’s issuance of a legal notice to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which had previously imposed an informal ban on working with him. The BBC has not independently verified the contents of the legal notice.

The controversy originated last month when producers of Don 3 reported that Singh had abruptly withdrawn from the project merely weeks before production was scheduled to commence. In response, FWICE issued the boycott order on May 25, urging its members to suspend all work with the star until he clarified his stance.

Don 3, announced in 2023 and directed by Farhan Akhtar, was positioned as the latest installment in one of Bollywood’s most lucrative and long-running action series. The franchise originally debuted in 1978 with Amitabh Bachchan, was rebooted in 2011 starring Shah Rukh Khan, and had cast Singh to lead the subsequent chapter.

The dispute centers on allegations that Singh departed just prior to overseas shooting, a period during which producers had already invested approximately 450 million rupees ($4.7m; £3.4m) in pre-production costs.

However, the union’s position shifted significantly after Singh’s legal team responded. On Wednesday, FWICE president BN Tiwari publicly supported the actor, stating that the industry remained behind him and confirming that the federation’s legal counsel would address the notice received.

Ashoke Pandit, chief adviser to FWICE, explained that the decision to lift the ban was influenced by requests from various industry bodies. Speaking to NDTV, Pandit emphasized the union’s lack of power to impose permanent bans and expressed optimism for a resolution. "We celebrate his stardom... We don't have any authority to ban anyone. We are hopeful that there will be a positive reaction from Ranveer," he said. He also encouraged Singh to engage in discussions with the union to settle the matter.

Ranveer Singh has not made a public statement regarding the incident. His spokesperson previously noted that the actor holds the film industry and the Don franchise in the "highest regard" and had opted for silence on the issue.

The boycott action was an unusual move for FWICE, which has historically targeted Pakistani performers during times of political tension between India and Pakistan. For instance, in 2025, the union issued a similar directive against actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh following his appearance alongside Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in a Punjabi film.

This is not the first controversy to involve Singh, who is widely recognized for blockbuster hits such as Padmaavat and Gully Boy, as well as his recent starring role in the highly successful two-part spy thriller Dhurandhar. In 2025, he faced significant backlash for mimicking a ritual sequence from the popular Kannada film Kantara at a festival event, with critics condemning the act as disrespectful to the film’s cultural heritage. Singh subsequently issued an apology for the incident.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-04 06:28:42 UTC