The dispute between actor Ranveer Singh and filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar refuses to die down. With the FWICE earlier issuing a non-cooperative directive against Ranveer for walking out of Farhan’s Don 3 at the last minute (rumored to be withdrawing it now), the controversy reached new heights.
And now, the Producers Guild of India (PGI) has offered their take on it. In a statement issued on Wednesday, they didn’t directly refer to the Don 3 episode, but mentioned the production house involved. They even referenced Panorama Studios, who dealt with actor Akshaye Khanna’s exit from Drishyam 3 earlier.
“There have been growing instances of talent, directors, and technicians, reneging on their commitments to producers, often at the eleventh hour. We, the Producers Guild of India, have also received formal complaints from our members, Excel Entertainment Private Limited and Panorama Studios International Limited regarding these issues coming up just days before the commencement of principal photography. No member of the industry should indulge in such behavior that has, in these cases, led to substantial financial loss to our member producers as well as to other verticals in the industry. Such actions by any industry member have serious and far-reaching consequences and undermine the spirit of trust, professionalism, and mutual respect on which the film industry is built,” reads their statement.
Stressing on how the exit of actors takes a toll on the project, the statement further said, “These instances have caused significant reputational damage, adverse impact on credibility and brand value of the films concerned and jeopardised the livelihoods of hundreds of technicians and crew members who depend on these projects. We would also like to state in no uncertain terms that the Guild always stands for a free and fair business environment without encouraging any encumbrances or disruptions to the process of content production. Any position to the contrary is not ethical and harms. the collaborative spirit of our film making community.”
PGI further called for a resolution, “We urge all parties to resolve their disputes amicably and we will strive to protect the fraternity’s interests.”