Poonam Dhillon welcomes withdrawal of FWICE's non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh: 'His father thanked me for our support'

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has withdrawn its non-cooperation directive against actor Ranveer Singh, bringing an end to the controversy that emerged following a dispute involving the actor and the makers of Don 3, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment.

Reacting to the development, Cine & TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) president Poonam Dhillon said she was pleased with the decision and maintained that the directive should never have been issued in the first place.

'He has the right to select his work'

Speaking to Variety India, Poonam said, "As an actor and as the President of CINTAA, I'm happy that they've revoked the directive because he definitely didn't deserve it. We opposed it from the beginning because FWICE had absolutely no credibility to take such action against an actor of his caliber."

She further emphasized that actors have the freedom to make career choices and that such matters should be handled between the concerned parties.

"As an actor, he has the right to select his work and it is between him and the producer how they handle the matter. He's responsible and committed to his work, and we have seen his body of work," she said.

Highlighting Ranveer's professional association with Excel Entertainment, Poonam added, "As far as I know, he has an excellent relationship with Excel Entertainment, with whom he has made films like Gully Boy and Dil Dhadakne Do. Farhan Akhtar is also an actor. So our support is for him as well. We wouldn't want any of our actors to face such issues. Problems can always be resolved. We support Ranveer as he is a member of CINTAA."

Clarifies CINTAA's absence from FWICE press conference

Poonam also addressed the presence of actor Rupali Ganguly at FWICE's recent press conference, clarifying that she was not representing CINTAA.

"I think she went in her individual capacity — as an actor and friend of Mr BN Tiwari (FWICE president). CINTAA did not receive an official invitation for this press conference. We were also not informed about the previous press conference in which they announced they were issuing a non-cooperation notice," she stated.

'There's no animosity from Ranveer's side'

Revealing that she had personally spoken to Ranveer's family during the controversy, Poonam said she had been in touch with the actor's father and was assured that efforts were already underway to resolve the matter.

"I spoke to Ranveer's father at length and we have been corresponding on WhatsApp. He has thanked me for our support. We spoke to them to understand the situation. He told me they had been interacting with Excel Entertainment and how close and fond he is of Farhan and the Excel team. There's no animosity from his side."

She added that when she offered CINTAA's assistance, the family felt intervention was not necessary.

"I asked him whether CINTAA could be of help. But he said, 'We didn't involve you because we didn't want to trouble you and we're already in the process of sorting it out.' Technically, he didn't need our intervention. I'm glad the matter has been resolved in a positive manner."

'The complication created by FWICE was unnecessary'

Poonam also questioned FWICE's handling of the issue, saying established mechanisms already exist within the industry to resolve disputes.

"The complication created by FWICE was unnecessary. There are systems in place. People sit across the table and talk to each other. And of course, there's the law of the land. If they had approached the right people, like CINTAA, we could have had better communication. However, FWICE didn't approach us."

With the non-cooperation directive now withdrawn, the episode appears to have ended on an amicable note, with both Ranveer Singh's camp and Excel Entertainment reportedly resolving the matter through dialogue.