Ashoke Pandit confirms Aamir tried to resolve 'Don 3' dispute
What's the story
The ongoing dispute between actor Ranveer Singh and the makers of Don 3 has shocked Bollywood. The matter escalated so seriously that the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against Singh. However, it was subsequently revoked. Now, FWICE chief adviser Ashoke Pandit has revealed that several industry insiders, including Aamir Khan, tried to mediate before the dispute reached this stage.
Dispute details
FWICE received complaints from 'Don 3' team
Pandit told Hindi Rush that the makers of Don 3 had approached FWICE with a complaint. They claimed to have already spent around ₹45 crore on pre-production and were ready to start shooting when Singh reportedly walked out of the film just weeks before production was scheduled to begin. Despite FWICE's attempts to contact Singh for his side of the story, they received no response for nearly one-and-a-half months.
Resolution attempts
'Aamir Khan tried to mediate'
Pandit further revealed that FWICE had studied the documents submitted by Singh's auditors. Just before announcing the non-cooperation directive, they received an email stating that two representatives from Singh's team would meet them. However, FWICE decided to issue the directive as they believed no one should be allowed to walk away from a committed project without facing consequences. Pandit added, "Many people from the industry, including Aamir Khan, had been trying to resolve the issue before it came to us."
Complaint
Why FWICE is taking matter seriously
Pandit explained, "That also didn't work. Today it's Ranveer Singh. Tomorrow it could be someone else. This is what Excel is going through. If it was someone else, they would have gone to hell. They would have sold their house." "You may have ten valid reasons for not doing a film. But if money has been spent because you committed to the project, then those losses should be reimbursed."
Dispute details
Everything we know about the controversy
The controversy started when reports emerged that Singh had walked out of Don 3, the latest installment in the hit franchise. He was announced as the new lead in 2023, taking over from Shah Rukh Khan, who starred in Don and Don 2. Reports of disagreements between Singh, director Farhan Akhtar, and producer Ritesh Sidhwani surfaced in late 2025. It was claimed that Singh left the project after Dhurandhar's success, disrupting the film's production schedule.
Dispute details
Non-cooperation directive revoked earlier this month
Earlier this year, Akhtar reportedly told FWICE that Singh's exit had caused losses of around ₹45 crore. The issue eventually reached industry bodies, and the non-cooperation directive was revoked on June 3 after intervention from the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association, the Producers Guild of India, and the Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA). The fate of Don 3 remains uncertain.