The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh has sent shockwaves through the Hindi film industry, raising urgent questions about the fate of several high-profile projects in the actor’s pipeline. Issued on May 25 following a complaint by producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani over Singh’s abrupt exit from ‘Don 3’, which allegedly caused significant financial losses. The directive now casts a long shadow over Singh’s upcoming slate, including the ambitious zombie thriller ‘Pralay’ and Aditya Dhar‘s ambitious historical epic on ‘Chandragupta Maurya’.
What will happen to Ranveer Singh’s ‘Pralay’ amid the ‘Don 3’ dispute?
The most immediate film at risk is ‘Pralay’, directed by Jai Mehta and slated to go on floors in August. The movie is expected to involve nearly 500 technicians and crew members across departments, including action, lighting, costumes, make-up, art direction, and spot staff.With 34 vendor associations operating under the FWICE umbrella, the non-cooperation directive has the potential to seriously disrupt the film’s production schedule. According to the Mid-Day report, a person close to the production pushed back on the directive’s effectiveness, arguing that it could hurt daily wage workers more than the actor himself.He said, “In the Hindi film industry, where over 70 per cent of the daily wage earners are already out of work because not many films are being made, shouldn’t the FWICE allow them to work instead of taking opportunities away with this directive?”The report further added, “As for ‘Pralay’, in the worst-case scenario, Ranveer can take the cast and crew and shoot the movie anywhere in India. While the FWICE’s stand applies to all of its members, it cannot legally stop non-members from working. If ‘Pralay’ is shot outside Mumbai, the makers may bypass the FWICE-affiliated workers by hiring local crew members belonging to other unions.”
FWICE stands firm, calling the directive ‘effective’
FWICE chief advisor Ashoke Pandit, however, is confident the directive carries real weight and remains open to an amicable resolution. He said, “The FWICE directive is effective because our federation has 34 vendor associations under it. If they don’t have vendors, workers, and technicians, who will they shoot with? People underestimate the strength of the federation. The situation can only be resolved if everybody sits together and sorts it out amicably.“
Producers may approach the Competition Commission of India
The report stated that producers of Singh’s upcoming projects are considering approaching the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against the FWICE directive. A precedent exists, in a 2017 case filed by filmmaker Vipul A Shah, the CCI held that issuing non-cooperation directives, preventing producers from hiring non-members, stalling shoots, and restricting the supply of services amounted to anti-competitive conduct under the Competition Act.A producer associated with one of Singh’s upcoming films said, on condition of anonymity, “If this situation escalates further, producers may collectively approach the commission for intervention.”
Other films in Ranveer Singh’s pipeline
Beyond ‘Pralay’, Singh is also attached to the ‘Chandragupta Maurya’ project, to be directed by Aditya Dhar and backed by Jio Studios. He is additionally said to be in talks with YRF chief Aditya Chopra for an unannounced project. How the FWICE standoff unfolds in the coming days will be critical in determining whether these films stay on track, or face further delays.