Indian film union drops boycott call against Bollywood star Ranveer Singh

The producers of Don 3 had earlier complained that Singh's alleged exit from the film had caused major financial losses. Ranveer Singh: FWICE drops boycott call against Dhurandhar actor for Don 3 exit Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Ranveer Singh allegedly quit the film Don 3 weeks before a planned overseas shoot Ranveer Singh attends the trailer launch of film 'Dhurandhar' on November 18, 2025 in Mumbai, India Indian film union drops boycott call against Bollywood star Ranveer Singh A major Indian film workers' union has withdrawn its appeal asking members not to work with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh after his alleged abrupt exit from an upcoming film. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued the informal ban last month after the producers of Don 3 complained that Singh had quit the film just weeks before filming was set to begin. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) last month after the producers of Don 3 complained that Singh had quit the film just weeks before filming was set to begin. The boycott withdrawal comes after Singh reportedly sent a legal notice to the federation. The BBC has not seen the notice. Announced in 2023, Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 was billed as the next chapter in one of Bollywood's most successful and enduring action franchises. The franchise was launched by superstar Amitabh Bachchan in 1978 and rebooted by Akhtar with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. Singh had been chosen to carry it into its next chapter. On Wednesday, FWICE president BN Tiwari backed Singh, saying the industry stood behind him and that the federation's legal team would respond to the notice. FWICE chief adviser Ashoke Pandit said the decision followed requests from several industry organisations and urged Singh to meet the union to resolve the dispute. "We celebrate his stardom... We don't have any authority to ban anyone. We are hopeful that there will be a positive reaction from Ranveer," he told NDTV news channel. Singh has not commented publicly, though his spokesperson earlier said he held the film industry and the Don franchise in the "highest regard" and had chosen to stay silent. Singh is one of India's biggest film stars, known for hits including Padmaavat and Gully Boy, and his flamboyant, larger-than-life personality. Most recently, he starred in Dhurandhar, a two-part spy thriller which was one of the country's biggest box-office successes in recent years. Most recently, he starred in Dhurandhar, a two-part spy thriller which was one of the country's The dispute began after Akhtar complained that Singh had quit Don 3 just weeks before overseas shooting was due to begin, after producers had already spent about 450 million rupees ($4.7m; £3.4m) on pre-production. Following the complaint, the union on 25 May asked its members not to work with Singh until he explained his position. Such action against major stars is rare, though FWICE has previously urged Indian artists not to work with Pakistani performers during periods of tension between the two countries. In 2025, it issued a similar directive against actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh over his appearance alongside Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in a Punjabi film. It is also not the first controversy involving Singh. In 2025, he apologised after facing backlash for mimicking a ritual sequence from the hit Kannada film Kantara at a film festival event, with critics accusing him of disrespecting its cultural significance. He later issued an apology. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook. Hillary Dawa Sherpa has been found crawling to safety on the ice six days after he went missing. Upon their return from Taiwan last month, the lawmakers were told that China had banned them for a year. After years of watching China create land to back its expansive claims, others are doing the same. Delcy Rodríguez's India visit highlights Venezuela's growing role in Delhi's oil diversification. High fuel prices are strengthening the case for EV adoption in the world's third largest auto market. Nastassja Kinski, who appeared in the film when she was 13, said the film-maker "didn't protect me". Many victims were South Asians who had travelled to India for treatment or to accompany relatives. AI can help directors "move faster without sacrificing quality or craft" in pre-production, he says.