The ongoing controversy regarding Ranveer Singh and don 3 The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has taken another turn reacting to the comments of filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. While FWICE recently clarified that it has not called for a ban on Ranveer Singh, filmmaker and federation representative Ashok Pandit reacted strongly to Verma’s criticism of the organization and demanded an apology from the director.
FWICE’s Ashok Pandit claims Ram Gopal Verma owes over Rs 1.25 crore to technicians since 2019; asks them to apologize
Addressing the media, Pandit started by acknowledging Varma’s contribution to Indian cinema before expressing concern over his comments against the federation. “Today, I am going to talk about a man who is one of the brilliant filmmakers of this country. We respect him and some of us are also his admirers for his technicality. Ram Gopal Varma had used abusive language and was banned for that. Today, we can tell you that he owes more than Rs 1 crore, 25 lakh to the technicians and workers.”
Pandit said the federation was not trying to tarnish Verma’s reputation but wanted to remind him of the pending dues, which according to FWICE are unpaid. “We are not trying to malign his image or ruin his reputation or take revenge like that. But we are just reminding him because I am sure he does not remember. In 2017, he made a Telugu feature film named officer. When we met, talked and tried to bring technicians and workers to our office. We tried many things. After this, in 2019, Ram Gopal Varma wrote a letter to the Federation.
The FWICE representative then read out a letter purportedly written and signed by Verma in 2019 regarding payment of dues related to the film. officerStarring Nagarjuna. According to Pandit, the letter acknowledged the pending dues of the federation members, technicians and vendors and requested for additional time for payment. After reading the contents of the letter, Pandit addressed the filmmaker directly, claiming that the promised payment has still not been made.
“I want to say to Mr. Ramu with all respect, today is 2026 and this money has not come to us. 2019, 2026, the workers and technicians have not got a single penny back and they expect that we will be banned. We take strong objection to Mr. Ramu. He should apologize to the Federation for imposing the ban and using wrong words for all and abusing us, who work day and night to ensure that That more than four and a half lakh employees, technicians are working there for you and completing the film.
He urged Varma to consider the matter while continuing his filmmaking journey. “And I’m sure he will understand this and keep these things in mind after hearing this when he shoots again. We believe in respecting each other.”
This comment comes amidst heated discussions related to FWICE don 3 controversy, and recent social media exchanges over the federation’s role in industry matters. As the debate continues, Pandit’s statements have drawn renewed attention to the alleged unresolved payment dispute of 2019.
