Following Ranveer Singh’s exit from the high-profile project Don 3 helmed by Farhan Akhtar, production house Excel Entertainment reportedly demanded nearly ₹45 crore to recoup their pre-production losses. The messy fallout has quickly ballooned into a massive industry debate over legal contracts, creative freedom, and whether powerful film bodies actually have the right to penalize actors.
As the industry remains divided, veteran actor Suniel Shetty has jumped into the conversation with some strong words. Standing firmly in Ranveer’s corner, he openly questioned the culture of blacklisting, arguing that banning an artist is never the right solution.
Nobody can ban an actor, says Suniel Shetty
Suniel Shetty, during Welcome to the Jungle promotions, recently spoke out to Times Now, firmly declaring that no single person or organisation has the power to block an actor from doing their job. Pointing to the legal reality of these kinds of industry disputes, he noted that any attempt to enforce a ban would immediately collapse if it ever reached a courtroom. “Nobody can ban an actor, nobody can ban art. Nobody has the right to. The Supreme Court will throw out the matter in a second,” he emphasized.
This pushback follows a recent clash where the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) had issued a non-cooperation notice against Ranveer Singh. That specific standoff was eventually defused and the directive taken back after the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) stepped in to mediate the situation.
Suniel Shetty praises Ranveer Singh’s contribution
Suniel Shetty also spoke about Ranveer Singh’s contribution to the film industry and questioned why anyone would want to take action against an actor who has delivered major commercial successes. He also expressed confidence that both Farhan Akhtar and Ranveer Singh would be able to resolve the matter through discussion. He added, “Who are you to ban? Try and understand that this kid has given you ₹3,500 crore revenue to the industry… Why would you want to ban him? If you ban something that people want to watch, what exactly are you trying to achieve?”
How the Don 3 controversy unfolded
The controversy surrounding Don 3 has steadily grown over the past few months, with what began as reports of creative differences turning into a much bigger industry dispute. Speculation first emerged about disagreements between lead actor Ranveer Singh and director Farhan Akhtar. The situation escalated when reports claimed that Excel Entertainment was seeking nearly ₹45 crore from the actor, citing losses incurred during the film’s pre-production following his reported exit.
The matter took another turn when the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh. Hindustan Times,= then reported that the dispute intensified after FWICE issued its directive, with Ranveer Singh sending a legal notice to the organisation. The actor’s legal team challenged the move, maintaining that the industry body had no legal authority to impose such restrictions on an artist.
The standoff was eventually resolved after mediation by the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), following which FWICE withdrew its non-cooperation directive.