Ram Gopal Varma has weighed in on the ongoing Don 3 controversy, voicing strong opinions about film industry bodies while openly extending support to Ranveer Singh.
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https://www.india.com/entertainment/ram-gopal-varma-calls-fwice-outdated-system-backs-ranveer-singh-in-don-3-dispute-8430688/
Ram Gopal Varma calls FWICE outdated system (PC: Twitter)
Ram Gopal Varma has added fuel to the ongoing Don 3 controversy after strongly backing Ranveer Singh and taking direct aim at the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). The filmmaker has criticised the organisation’s non-cooperation directive against the actor and said the entire approach reflects an outdated way of handling industry disputes. His remarks have quickly triggered debate across film circles, especially as the controversy involving Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar continues to grow.
What did Ram Gopal Varma say about FWICE?
RGV took to the social media platform X to share his reaction and did not hold back in questioning FWICE’s relevance and posted a long note. He described the organisation as an “extremely outdated union system” trying to maintain control in a changing industry landscape. According to him, such interventions are less about justice and more about displaying authority in a performative way. He also warned that the so-called ban on Ranveer Singh could eventually become a public embarrassment for FWICE, suggesting the move may backfire rather than achieve any meaningful outcome.
Why is he supporting Ranveer Singh?
Varma argued that the Don 3 dispute is essentially a private business disagreement between a producer and an actor. He said such matters should not be escalated into industry-wide restrictions or collective punishment. In his view, only the parties involved truly understand the details of what happened during the film’s development. External organisations stepping in, he suggested, only complicate matters further instead of resolving them.
What criticism did he make of industry intervention?
The filmmaker questioned the idea of large unions speaking for lakhs of workers in disputes where most people are not directly involved. He claimed that many such actions are driven by perception rather than complete understanding of facts. Calling FWICE outdated again in his broader argument, he said the system appears to be trying to assert relevance through high-profile cases instead of focusing on structured resolution mechanisms. He also stressed that civil disputes between production houses and artists should ideally be handled legally rather than through industry pressure tactics.
See Ram Gopal Varma’s viral tweet here
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…
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 29, 2026
What is the Don 3 dispute?
The controversy began after Ranveer Singh reportedly stepped away from Don 3, which was announced following Shah Rukh Khan’s earlier films Don and Don 2. The project was being developed under Farhan Akhtar and Excel Entertainment.
After his exit, the makers claimed financial losses of around Rs 45 crore, leading FWICE to issue a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh. This directive urges industry members not to work with him until the dispute is resolved. Ranveer’s side has maintained that the film was not creatively finalised and that key elements of the script were still in development at the time of his decision.
What happens next?
With industry bodies, filmmakers and now prominent voices like Ram Gopal Varma involved, the dispute has moved beyond a single production issue into a larger conversation about power, unions and modern filmmaking practices.
