The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issuing a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh after Farhan Akhtar approached the federation following the actor’s exit from his film Don 3 has sparked a debate online, with many calling it favouritism while others have termed it fair. But this isn’t the first time FWICE has issued such a directive against a star.
Chunky refuses to address Don 3 row
Recently, in a conversation with ETimes, actor Chunky Panday admitted that he too was once “banned” by the federation early in his career. He revealed that while he faced action, bigger stars like Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha were spared because they were major superstars of that era and were working in multiple films at the time. However, Chunky refused to comment on the current Don 3 row, saying he is not “fully aware” of the details.
When Chunky got banned by FWICE
Chunky recalled how he landed in trouble with the federation. He said, “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.”
He added, “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.”
What is Don 3 row?
Producer Farhan Akhtar approached FWICE after his long-standing feud with Ranveer Singh following the actor’s abrupt exit from his film Don 3. On Monday, FWICE held a press conference and stated that it had issued a non-cooperation directive against the actor, directing all its members not to work with him in the future.
This was followed by Ranveer’s spokesperson issuing a statement. It 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.”
