Ever since the Federation of Western India Cine Employees' (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh after his sudden exit from Don 3, several celebrities have reacted to the matter.
Among them are Kangana Ranaut and Ram Gopal Varma who spoke in support of the actor. FWICE Chief Adviser Ashoke Pandit sharply reacted to their remarks. Here's what he said:
Ranveer Singh-Don 3 row: Ashoke Pandit reacts to Kangana Ranaut and Ram Gopal Varma's remarks
Instagram/Instagram/ashokepandit1
At the recent trailer launch of her upcoming film Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, Kangana Ranaut had come out in support of Ranveer Singh amid his Don 3-FWICE controversy. Kangana compared the ban to her own experiences in the industry, saying she herself faced boycotts in the past. She also said that success in the industry often comes a few enemies.
Ashoke Pandit reacted to her remarks, saying she did not completely understand the issue at hand before commenting. Speaking to HT City during a press conference organized by FWICE to address the controversy, Pandit said that many in the industry were commenting without knowing all the facts.
He said, "A lot of people in the industry have started abusing us. Yesterday, Kangana also said something. We are not understanding the whole issue, and people are just commenting. Kangana also said that even I have been banned by the industry. I said, 'You talk nonsense, that's why I banned you.' I don't care. There is a big issue of the industry here. You don't even know the issue. You are just saying things. We are not against Ranveer. We are talking about what has happened".
Pandit also reacted to filmmaker's Ram Gopal Varma's reaction to FWICE's ban on Ranveer Singh. At the FWICE press conference, a day after Singh issued a legal notice to the film workers' body over the non-cooperation directive, Pandit demanded an apology from Ram Gopal Varma. Pandit also revealed that Ram owes money to the technicians since more than nine years.
Pandit said, "FWICE is not a bully; it's a serious federation. Ram Gopal Varma used abusive language about us. We would like to tell the world today: RGV owes more than a crore to the technicians. The case has been going on since 2017. He (Ram Gopal Varma) wrote a letter to the federation and asked to give him time to make the payment. He said he would pay by March 2019. He has still not paid. We demand an apology from him for using abusive words against the federation."
This came after Ram Gopal Varma shared several posts on social media, questioning FWICE's decision and its authority in the matter.
Credit: XRGVzoomin
RGV wrote, "BAN 'FWICE' and not @RanveerOfficial. The so called 'BAN' or non co operation in the style of Gandhiji , will eventually become a BIG FAT JOKE on FWICE This isn't industry or worker protection, like they are claiming. It is just a pure performative muscle flexing, by an extremely outdated union system , desperately trying to hold on to their grip Whether it claims to speak for over 5 lakh or 50 lakh workers , the brutal truth is that most of those lakhs don't even know the internal facts of the two parties dispute."
Comparing the film workers' body to a "kangaroo court", the filmmaker further said that FWICE does not possess the authority to adjudicate such disputes.
About Ranveer Singh's Don 3 controversy
A few days ago, FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh after he walked away from Don 3. The decision came more than five months after Don 3 director Farhan Akhtar approached the federation with a complaint.
Farhan's primary concern seems to be financial, with sources claiming that Rs 45 crore has already been invested in the film. Akhtar reportedly demanded Singh to pay the said amount back, which escalated the matter.
The amount has reportedly gone through a complete audit and has been duly accounted for, with the producers open to any additional scrutiny if necessary. Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Ritesh Sidhwani and the relevant film bodies are said to be willing to come together to settle the issue amicably, get the film back on track and avoid further losses.
Social and lead images credits: Instagram/ashokepandit1, Instagram/kanganaranaut, X/RGVzoomin