Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) chief adviser Ashoke Pandit confirmed that Bollywood veteran Aamir Khan tried to privately mediate the ongoing contract dispute between Ranveer Singh and Excel Entertainment. The conflict ignited when Singh exited Don 3 just weeks before principal photography was scheduled to begin, reportedly saddling the production company with ₹45 crore in location scouting and pre-production losses, according to details from Bollywood Hungama.
Pandit noted that FWICE only stepped in after Singh’s team ignored federation reminders for a month and a half. The situation previously escalated on May 25 when the body issued a formal non-cooperation directive against the actor, effectively freezing his ability to work with unionized crew members. That directive was later withdrawn following intense consultations with senior industry members, including reported backdoor peacemaking efforts by Salman Khan.
The high-profile fallout has divided the Hindi film industry, sparking a debate over talent accountability versus union overreach. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma blasted the federation’s non-cooperation order as a major PR disaster on social media, arguing FWICE operates like a “kangaroo court” with no legal jurisdiction over private civil contracts. Actress Kangana Ranaut also publicly defended Singh, prompting a war of words with Pandit.
Pandit established a firm policy stance for the federation to justify the intervention. He argued the body never intended to permanently ban the actor, but rather sought to enforce strict financial accountability to protect producers from sudden walkouts. Pandit stated: “Today it’s Ranveer Singh. Tomorrow it could be someone else… If money has been spent because you committed to the project, then those losses should be reimbursed.”