‘What sense does it even make?’: Sanjay Gupta questions FWICE ban on Ranveer Singh over Don 3 exit

Director Sanjay Gupta has reacted after FWICE announced it was boycotting him.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) banned actor Ranveer Singh over his abrupt exit from Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 on Monday (May 25). Farhan had approached the workers’ body after the actor’s abrupt exit from his film. Now filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has questioned the logic behind taking such a decision. (Also read: ₹45 crore loss, no response to notices: Film workers' body chief explains why they banned Ranveer Singh over Don 3 feud"> ₹45 crore loss, no response to notices: Film workers' body chief explains why they banned Ranveer Singh over Don 3 feud)

What Sanjay Gupta said

Sanjay Gupta has questioned the FWICE ban on Ranveer Singh.

Taking to X, the director said, “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???”

About the ban on Ranveer

FWICE President Ashoke Pandit held a press conference to explain the rationale behind the move. He said that FWICE acted after Farhan filed a complaint alleging Ranveer walked out of the film days before the shoot was to begin, and that Ranveer ignored their notices.

“As soon as the complaint reached us, we formally registered it. Subsequently, we issued three notices to Ranveer Singh: one every 10 days, inviting him to engage with us, and three reminders. However, we received absolutely no response. Since we received no response, we collectively decided to convene a press conference to apprise the industry of the decision our Federation has taken. The moment we announced the press conference, we received an email from Mr Singh stating that this matter did not fall within our jurisdiction and that we had no authority to interfere in it. We took note of his stance and decided to proceed accordingly,” Ashoke Pandit said.

Last month, Farhan approached the FWICE, claiming Ranveer's exit from the film had caused him monetary losses amounting to ₹45 crore. "The complaint was filed by filmmaker Farhan Akhtar before IFTDA on 11th 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. Farhan Akhtar, along with the producer of the film. During the proceedings, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani informed FWICE that they have already incurred approximately Rs. 45 crores towards the pre-production of the film. He expressed grave concern that the sudden withdrawal of such a leading actor from the project at an advanced stage could expose the producer to severe financial losses and adversely affect the overall execution of the film," FWICE's letter read.

Don 3 was announced by Farhan's Excel Entertainment in August 2023, with a teaser revealing Ranveer as the new Don, a role played first by Amitabh Bachchan and later by Shah Rukh Khan.