The President of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and Chief Advisor of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), Ashoke Pandit, has once again weighed in on the Don 3 controversy, while also speaking about Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s impact on Bollywood.
While acknowledging that contractual disputes can be resolved professionally, Pandit stressed that Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar deserves appreciation. He also pointed out that Excel Entertainment backed the actor even before his comeback with the film.
Speaking to Hindi Rush, Pandit said, “Excel signed Ranveer Singh when four of his films had not worked. They signed him before Dhurandhar became a success.”
He continued, “It is great that the film has worked and that he’s operating at another level now. But people should also remember those who stood by them when things weren’t going their way.
Talking about stardom in Bollywood, he further added, “We’ve seen Rajesh Khanna’s stardom. We’ve seen Shah Rukh Khan’s stardom. We’ve seen Salman Khan’s stardom. Stardom is a very relative thing.”
Pandit also emphasised the importance of commitment and trust within the film industry.
Despite Ranveer Singh’s fallout with Excel Entertainment over Don 3, Pandit did not hesitate to praise Dhurandhar and its director, Aditya Dhar.
According to him, Dhar has revived the industry and breathed new life into it. Pandit said the filmmaker has “injected oxygen” into the busines.
He further stated that celebrating the success of Dhurandhar and discussing Ranveer Singh’s exit from Don 3 are two separate issues that should not be conflated.
“We are celebrating Dhurandhar and we will continue to celebrate it. But that is a different issue altogether. Mixing the success of a film with a contractual dispute only creates confusion. A producer invests crores based on trust. Hundreds of technicians commit years of their lives to a project because they trust the commitments being made. Whether you are the biggest superstar or the smallest technician, commitments have to be honoured. We have no personal issues with anyone. Our only concern is ensuring that trust and professionalism continue to exist in the industry.”
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