When top actor Ranveer Singh walked away from “Don 3” in December 2025, he triggered what has become one of Bollywood’s most closely watched industry disputes in years . The conflict has drawn in around 25 of the film business’s most senior figures, produced a Big Four audit, wound through the Producers Guild of India, and landed, ultimately, with a non-cooperation directive from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) .
Now, for the first time, people with direct knowledge of the private mediation proceedings are giving a detailed account of what was said in those rooms. At stake: nearly ₹45 crore in damages, the future of a franchise, and the very rules governing how actors and producers do business in Bollywood .
The Announcement That Started It All
The “Don” franchise has been a crown jewel in Bollywood’s blockbuster history. Created by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, the 1978 original starred Amitabh Bachchan in dual roles – a ruthless mafia don and his lookalike Vijay . In 2006, Farhan Akhtar rebooted the franchise with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead for “Don: The Chase Begins Again.” The film was a smash hit, followed by the 2011 sequel “Don 2,” which was showcased at the Berlin Film Festival and featured Hrithik Roshan in a special appearance .
Excel Entertainment announced “Don 3” with Ranveer Singh with a slick first look released on August 9, 2023 . Singh shared the footage on his own social media, and the announcement was met with immense fanfare. Yet the formal term sheet recording the principal terms of his engagement was not signed until August 7, 2024 – more than a year after he had been publicly presented as the new Don .
The Timeline of a Collapse
The sequence of events leading to Singh’s exit frames everything that followed. On March 25, 2025, Excel sent Singh’s manager the latest draft of the script. On August 25, 2025, the production shared a schedule covering action training, costume trials, and a principal photography window from January 9 to the end of July 2026 .
Singh completed a round of action training between November 3 and 12, 2025, with Excel covering the costs. However, action rehearsal dates on November 17, 18, 23, and 24 were subsequently canceled by Singh’s side . He attended a costume trial on November 27.
On December 2 – the day “Dhurandhar” opened in cinemas – his team notified the production he would be unavailable for rehearsals on December 11 and 12. The spy thriller, starring Singh in the lead role, would go on to become the fifth highest-grossing Indian film of all time .
On December 15 and 16, Singh participated in script readings with Akhtar and the key cast. Multiple sources say a behind-the-scenes video exists of him expressing strong enthusiasm for the project . A look test scheduled for December 17 was cancelled at the last minute. On December 20, Singh communicated to the producers by phone that he was exiting the film. By that date, “Dhurandhar” had crossed ₹500 crore at the domestic box office .
The Mediation: 25 Industry Figures, 90 Minutes
The mediation process that followed was unlike anything Bollywood has seen in years. Sources familiar with the proceedings described a multi-layered effort to salvage the project and, failing that, reach an amicable settlement.
Earlier sessions, which Singh did not attend, brought together around 25 senior industry figures. The first meeting included Salman Khan, one of India’s biggest stars . Subsequent gatherings featured Hrithik Roshan, filmmaker-producer Karan Johar, and actor Alia Bhatt . All sessions were convened after Excel filed a formal complaint with the Producers Guild of India, the film industry’s primary trade body for producers .
A later joint session, at which both Singh and Excel’s representatives were present, was attended by a smaller group including Aamir Khan, actor Anil Kapoor, filmmakers Rohit Shetty, Rajkumar Hirani and Ashutosh Gowariker, producer Sidharth Roy Kapur, and Viacom18 studio head Ajit Andhare . The sessions were deliberately kept outside the guild’s formal process so that all parties could speak without committing to official positions .
Ranveer’s 90-Minute Account
Singh attended the joint session. He came, sources say, with several pages of handwritten notes and spoke for roughly 90 minutes . His account centered on four grievances :
- Script quality – The script had never reached a standard he was comfortable with
- Creative unavailability – Farhan Akhtar had been unavailable for sustained collaboration over the preceding years, citing cancelled meetings and the director’s commitments to concert touring and an acting project
- Fee renegotiation – His fee had been renegotiated downward during the process
- Budget reduction – The film’s budget had been cut significantly from an originally discussed figure of around ₹300–350 crore to approximately ₹150 crore – a scale he felt was inadequate for the franchise
According to people present at the meeting, Singh also said he had not received any signing advance .
The allegation that Excel explored replacing Singh with Hrithik Roshan before returning to him after “Dhurandhar’s” performance has been a persistent point of contention. Roshan subsequently issued a public statement saying he had never been approached for the role at any stage .
The ₹45 Crore Question
On the financial question, a Big Four accounting firm – described by sources as having no existing relationship with either party – was engaged to audit Excel’s pre-production expenditure . That audit returned a figure of approximately ₹45 crore ($4.7 million), covering four overseas recce trips, writing costs including changes requested by or agreed with Singh, adjustments to cast and crew, and contractual obligations to more than 200 workers whose arrangements had been locked ahead of the January shoot .
“All the pre-production expenses are accounted for and audited. They include hotel bookings, location bookings, and overseas travel bookings for over 200 workers. Everything is on paper. Nothing is hearsay,” Ashoke Pandit, FWICE Chief Advisor, told reporters .
Excel’s damages claim is also tied to a three-film contract Singh had reportedly signed with the production house . The term sheet for “Don 3” was signed on August 7, 2024, though the long-form agreement was still being negotiated thereafter .
The Settlement That Wasn’t
Following the mediation meetings, Singh put forward a settlement proposal: ₹10 crore in immediate compensation and a 25% discount on his fee for any future Excel project . Sources say the producers rejected the offer, their position being that a discount on a future collaboration they no longer wished to pursue held no value .
“Farhan and Ritesh were very clear that they did not want to work with Ranveer Singh after what they had gone through over the last two years. They felt that the delays, uncertainty, and the eventual fallout had caused them serious financial and professional damage,” a source told India Today .
Communication then effectively ceased. Sources say Singh traveled to the U.S. after discussions broke down, and that Excel’s subsequent attempts to reach his team went unanswered . The story of his exit leaked before the two sides could agree on a joint statement. The complaint was then escalated from the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) to FWICE .
The FWICE Non-Cooperation Directive
On May 25, FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive after Singh’s team did not respond to three separate notices sent every 10 days . FWICE president BN Tiwari stated, “We’ve decided to send a message to the industry that a superstar is not bigger than the law” .
However, FWICE Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit has repeatedly clarified that the action is not a legal ban – the federation, as a trade body rather than a judicial authority, cannot enforce such a restriction . “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, yaar. So we have issued a non-cooperation. Non-cooperation means all our members who belong to 30 crafts will not work with him until this issue is sorted out” .
The directive instructs FWICE’s approximately 5,000 sitting members and 32 affiliated craft unions not to collaborate with Singh on any project in any capacity until the dispute is resolved. Pandit confirmed that this includes advertising shoots, as “all the technicians, workers, and vanity van suppliers are the same” .
The Legal Question: Does FWICE Have This Authority?
The directive has raised sharp legal questions. In 2017, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) issued a cease-and-desist order against FWICE and affiliated producer associations, finding that certain provisions of an MoU were anti-competitive under Section 3 of the Competition Act, 2002 .
A clause that mandated that a producer could engage only with FWICE members was struck down . This means that while FWICE can advise its members, it cannot force them to comply, nor can it penalize those who choose to work with Singh.
Veteran producer T.P. Aggarwal has publicly contended that neither FWICE nor the Producers Guild has the authority to issue a non-cooperation directive against any individual, citing the 2017 CCI ruling .
Yet FWICE maintains its directive carries significant practical weight. “The FWICE directive is effective because our federation has 34 vendor associations under it. If they don’t have vendors, workers, and technicians, who will they shoot with? People underestimate the strength of the federation,” Pandit said .
The Industry Divides
Bollywood has not been unanimous in its response to the directive. Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta publicly criticized FWICE, questioning the logic behind the decision. “When an A List Hero shoots there are more than 300 workers working on sets. Ban him and you are not stopping him but depriving the workers of their livelihood. What sense does it even make???” Gupta posted on X .
His point highlighted a central tension in the standoff. While the directive aims to send a message about professional accountability, its immediate impact may fall most heavily on daily wage workers. In the Hindi film industry, where over 70 percent of daily wage earners are already grappling with a production slowdown, some question whether the directive serves the workers it claims to protect .
Others, including some producer bodies, have reportedly been urged by FWICE to stand in solidarity. “We request all producer bodies to support us because any actor can leave a project by flatly saying that he doesn’t like the story,” Tiwari said .
Ranveer’s Response
Late on the night of May 25, after FWICE’s directive, Singh’s official spokesperson issued a statement .
“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,” the statement read .
The Future of Singh’s Projects
The non-cooperation directive has cast uncertainty over several of Singh’s upcoming projects. Among the first affected is “Pralay,” filmmaker Jai Mehta’s ambitious zombie thriller scheduled to begin shooting in August. The film is expected to employ nearly 500 workers .
A source close to the project questioned whether the move would truly hurt the star or simply worsen the struggles of daily wage workers. “In the Hindi film industry, where over 70 percent of the daily wage earners are already out of work because not many films are being made, shouldn’t the FWICE allow them to work instead of taking opportunities away with this directive?” the source said .
Producers are reportedly exploring legal options, including approaching the Competition Commission of India against the federation’s directive . As one producer noted anonymously, “If this situation escalates further, producers may collectively approach the commission for intervention” .
Farhan Akhtar’s Philosophical Take
Farhan Akhtar has kept his public comments on the dispute limited. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he reflected philosophically on the experience. “A lot has happened over the last couple of years. You learn to expect the unexpected. Nothing can be taken for granted till you actually have it on film” .
The Road Ahead
This dispute represents a test case for Bollywood’s informal governance structures. FWICE has made its position clear – Singh must appear for a personal hearing before the matter can be resolved . Pandit has hinted at the possibility of negotiations regarding the ₹45 crore compensation, saying, “If you say it’s not 45 (crore), we say 30 (crore) or whatever” .
But a deeper question remains unanswered: what are the rules of engagement between actors and producers in an industry where multi-crore projects hang on informal agreements, handshake deals, and publicly announced stardom? The answer will determine not just the fate of “Don 3” or Ranveer Singh’s upcoming slate, but the very terms on which Bollywood does business for years to come.
