The non-cooperation directive issued by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) against Ranveer Singh has sent shockwaves through the Indian film industry, raising urgent questions about the fate of several high-profile projects in the actor’s pipeline.
It was released on May 25 following a complaint filed by producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani regarding Singh’s sudden exit from the film “Don 3”, which allegedly caused huge financial losses. The direction now casts a long shadow over Singh’s upcoming slate, including the ambitious zombie thriller “Pralay” and Aditya Dhar’s ambitious historical epic “Chandragupta Maurya.”
What will happen to Ranveer Singh’s ‘Pralay’ amid the ‘Don 3’ controversy?
The most vulnerable film is Pralay, directed by
Jay Mehta
It is scheduled to go on floors in August. Nearly 500 technicians and crew members are expected to be involved in the film across departments, including motion, lighting, costumes, makeup, art direction and spot staff.With 34 vendor associations operating under the FWICE umbrella, the Non-Cooperation Directive has the potential to seriously disrupt a film’s production schedule. According to a Mid-Day report, a person close to the production opposed the effectiveness of the directive, arguing that it could hurt daily wage workers more than the actor himself.He said, “In the Indian film industry, where more than 70 per cent of daily wage earners are already unemployed due to not producing many films, shouldn’t FWICE let them work instead of taking chances with this directive?”The report further added, “For Pralay, in the worst case scenario, Ranveer can take the cast and crew and shoot the film anywhere in India.
While FWICE’s position applies to all of its members, it cannot legally prevent non-members from working. If Pralay is shot outside Mumbai, producers may bypass FWICE-affiliated workers by hiring local crew members who belong to other unions.
FWICE stands firm, describing guidance as “effective.”
However, FWICE Senior Advisor Ashok Pandit is confident that the directive carries real weight and remains open to an amicable solution. “The FWICE directive is effective because our federation has 34 vendor associations under it,” he said.
If they don’t have vendors, workers and technicians, who will they shoot with? People underestimate the power of the union. The situation can only be resolved if everyone sits together and resolves the matter amicably.
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Producers may come close Competition Commission of India
The report said that the producers of Singh’s upcoming projects are considering approaching the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against FWICE’s directions. There is a precedent that, in a 2017 case brought by filmmaker Vipul A Shah, the Competition Commission of India held that issuing non-cooperation directions, preventing producers from hiring non-members, stopping filming, and restricting the supply of services amounted to anti-competitive conduct under competition law.“If this situation escalates further, the producers may collectively approach the committee for intervention,” said a producer associated with one of Singh’s upcoming films, on condition of anonymity.
Other films on Ranveer Singh’s way
In addition to ‘Pralay’, Singh is also attached to the project ‘Chandragupta Maurya’, which will be directed by Aditya Dhar and backed by Jio Studios. He is also said to be in talks with YRF chief Aditya Chopra for an unannounced project. How the FWICE showdown unfolds in the coming days will be crucial in determining whether these films stay on track or face further delays.