The dispute between Ranveer Singh and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) appears to be softening, with the federation confirming that it will respond to the legal notice sent by the actor’s team while continuing efforts to resolve the matter amicably.FWICE president BN Tiwari said the federation has decided to withdraw its non-cooperation directive against Ranveer and place its trust in industry bodies to help settle the issue through dialogue.
FWICE says it will respond through legal channels
Addressing the legal notice received from Ranveer’s representatives, Tiwari said the federation would handle the matter through proper legal procedures.“Everyone has a legal team. They have sent us a notice and our legal team will respond. We will continue to deal with the matter legally. But since we feel the issue is moving towards a solution, we have taken a step back and put our faith in the producer bodies and industry representatives,” he told Hindustan Times.The statement comes amid efforts by various industry stakeholders to de-escalate tensions surrounding the controversy linked to Ranveer and Don 3.
‘We never wanted to pull down a superstar’
Tiwari maintained that FWICE’s actions were never intended to harm the actor’s career.“Actually, we thought that once we issued the non-cooperation directive, they would come forward and talk to us. But I feel his team misguided him. Their letter said that we do not come under your jurisdiction. He is an artist and a member of CINTAA, and CINTAA is affiliated with the federation. So we had to take action,” he said.He added, “We never wanted to pull down a superstar. We never wanted to stop him from moving forward. He is a successful actor and we have to think about that too. We have no personal interest in this matter. We work for our workers and technicians.”
Producer bodies helped pave the way
According to Tiwari, discussions with industry organisations, including producer bodies, played a key role in the federation’s decision to withdraw the directive.“We had meetings with IMPPA and other producer bodies. They told us that this atmosphere was not right and that we should withdraw the non-cooperation directive so that proper discussions could take place. We accepted their suggestion and decided to remove it. We are one family and we want the matter to be resolved amicably,” he said.
‘I have good faith in Ranveer Singh’
While Tiwari revealed that he had met filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and members of his team, he said he never had the opportunity to directly interact with Ranveer.“If I had sat with Ranveer, perhaps there would have been no problem. He is busy, but I have no issue with him. I want his happiness, I want his success and I want the film industry to survive,” he said.Reflecting on his decades-long journey in the industry, Tiwari added that his only concern is the welfare of the film fraternity.“I have spent 50 years in this industry. I have worked with legends like Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Dara Singh, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. At this stage, I am not looking for anything for myself. I only want the industry to prosper. I have good faith in Ranveer Singh,” he said.
