‘Ranveer Singh could have approached us’: CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon reacts to Don 3 dispute and FWICE's ‘ban’

CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon expressed disappointment for not being involved in Don 3 dispute after FWICE issued non-cooperation directive against Ranveer.

On Monday, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh, effectively calling for a shadow ban on the actor in Bollywood over the ongoing Don 3 dispute. Now, Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) president Poonam Dhillon has expressed disappointment over neither party involving the association in the matter.

Poonam Dhillon reacts to FWICE's 'ban' on Ranveer Singh.

Poonam Dhillon on FWICE's ‘ban’ on Ranveer Singh over Don 3 dispute

In a conversation with Variety India, Poonam said that CINTAA, as an association, would have preferred to be approached by either or both parties if there was an issue. However, since the association was not informed, she admitted she was at a loss for words regarding the situation. She also refused to comment further without having complete information about the dispute.

She added, “It’s a very strange situation to be in because it’s one of our members, but neither the artist nor the producer or the Federation informed us or took us into confidence. We could have tried to resolve the issue. That is what our association is there for — to resolve such issues or disputes or any kind of problems that arise between an actor and a producer.”

Poonam further expressed disappointment over Ranveer not involving CINTAA and said, “Ranveer, being a part of CINTAA, could have involved us and approached us so we could have tried to resolve the issue in a more amicable way. I would like every actor to honour their commitments in the best possible way. If there are any issues, they should handle them and, if needed, approach the association so we can resolve them together. Because the fact is that we don’t really know much. So I cannot say whether he is wrong or they are wrong. I simply don’t know.”

All about the feud and the ‘ban’ on Ranveer Singh

In 2023, Farhan Akhtar announced that Ranveer Singh would headline Don 3. However, in December 2025, reports surfaced of a dispute between Ranveer, Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment after the actor allegedly walked out of the film following the success of Dhurandhar with filmmaker Aditya Dhar.

Last month, Farhan reportedly approached FWICE, claiming that Ranveer’s exit from the film caused monetary losses of nearly ₹45 crore. FWICE’s letter stated, “The complaint was filed by filmmaker Farhan Akhtar before IFTDA on 11 April 2026, following which the matter was officially referred to FWICE for further course of action and appropriate intervention. In accordance with the principles of fairness, transparency and natural justice, FWICE convened meetings to hear the matter from all concerned parties.”

The letter further mentioned that Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani informed FWICE that nearly ₹45 crore had already been spent on the film’s pre-production. They also reportedly expressed concern that the sudden withdrawal of a leading actor at such an advanced stage could result in severe financial losses and affect the execution of the project.

Later on Monday, Ranveer’s official spokesperson addressed the controversy and the non-cooperation directive. In a statement, the spokesperson said, “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.”

The spokesperson further added that Ranveer does not wish to comment on the matter any further.