FWICE Accuses Ram Gopal Varma of Unpaid Dues Following Ranveer Singh Dispute

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has publicly raised the issue of alleged long-pending unpaid dues owed by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma to union members. This move comes as a direct retaliation to Varma's recent social media criticism of the union's authority regarding actor Ranveer Singh's exit from the film Don 3.

The dispute escalated after FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh. The union's action followed a complaint over Singh's exit from the film Don 3, which occurred just weeks before the movie was scheduled to go on floors. The non-cooperation directive faced immediate backlash from several prominent members of the film industry.

Among those criticizing the decision was filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who posted a lengthy message on the social media platform X. Varma questioned FWICE's authority and called for a ban on the union itself rather than Ranveer Singh. In his post, Varma described the union's non-cooperation directive as a 'big fat joke' and 'pure performative muscle flexing.' He further characterized FWICE as an 'extremely outdated union system' desperately trying to hold onto its grip rather than protecting workers.

In response to Varma's public criticism, Ashoke Pandit of FWICE retaliated by raising the issue of alleged long-pending dues that Varma owes to Federation members. The counter-claim has exposed an ongoing financial dispute, further intensifying the conflict between the filmmaker and the cine workers' union.

The public war of words highlights the growing tension between the cine union and industry professionals over regulatory authority and financial accountability. While Varma argued that the union's actions do not represent genuine industry or worker protection, FWICE's leadership has shifted the focus back to the outstanding payments allegedly owed to its members.