FWICE’s Double Standards Exposed
The body remained silent during more serious accusations like MeToo but wasted no time to ban Ranveer over a civil dispute with Farhan
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ (FWICE) so-called non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh appears deeply ironic in light of its own past record. The controversy has reignited questions about the consistency of FWICE’s decisions and whether the federation applies the same standards to all members of the film industry. Critics argue that the organisation’s current stance against Ranveer Singh stands in stark contrast to positions it has taken in previous high-profile cases.
In 2022, filmmaker Sajid Khan’s participation in a new season of Bigg Boss triggered widespread outrage. Sajid had been embroiled in the #MeToo controversy in 2018 after nine women from the film industry accused him of sexual harassment. Several women who had levelled allegations against him publicly expressed their displeasure over his return to the spotlight.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) also wrote to Union Minister Anurag Thakur, demanding that the filmmaker be removed from the reality show. However, responding to the DCW’s letter, FWICE issued a statement pointing out that the ban on Sajid Khan had been lifted in 2019. The federation argued that he had every right to earn a livelihood!
Four years later, however, the same organisation has moved against Ranveer Singh over a dispute that ideally should be resolved between the actor and the aggrieved party, Farhan Akhtar.
Who is FWICE to ban any actor?
“Today, after Dhurandhar, Ranveer is bigger than any actor in India. He just has to snap his fingers and 25 producers will line up at his doorstep, willing to pay whatever he asks. Given his stature, it is ridiculous for any association to think it can stop him. Ranveer is unstoppable,” says Ram Gopal Varma. Further criticising the non-cooperation order, Varma adds, “FWICE is neither a court of law nor a government-authorised regulatory body. At best, it is a kangaroo court, which, by definition, pretends to deliver justice while disregarding established legal principles, due process and impartiality. Such verdicts are often decided in advance by a group pursuing a specific agenda. Some actors, perhaps threatened by Ranveer’s phenomenal success, may be driving this narrative.”
Varma continues, “Stars like Ranveer Singh sell tickets, not FWICE. It is stars like Ranveer who create employment for the lakhs of workers represented by FWICE, not the federation itself. The industry exists because stars like Ranveer exist, and so does FWICE. My unsolicited advice is simple: let’s not poke our noses into a civil dispute between two parties.”
Veteran actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, one of the industry’s most outspoken voices, is also opposed to bans of any kind. “I wouldn’t like to comment on this particular matter,” says Sinha. “But looking at the larger picture, bans, boycotts and gag orders are fundamentally anti-democratic. Every individual has the right to live the way he or she chooses. And come on, Farhan Akhtar and Ranveer Singh are both important members of our film industry. They are more than capable of sorting out their differences themselves.”
CINTAA & Padmini Kolhapure back Ranveer
Amid this ongoing dispute, veteran actress Padmini Kolhapure, Vice-President of the Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), has extended support to Ranveer, effectively distancing the actors’ body from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ (FWICE) decision to issue a non-cooperation directive against him.
Says Padmini Kolhapure, “CINTAA is proud to have Ranveer Singh as our member. We stand by him and support him whenever he needs us. We are here for him and with him. If he ever needs us, he can count on CINTAA.”
