FWICE's Double Standards Exposed: Chunky Panday Banned While Shatrughan Sinha Spared

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has once again come into the spotlight after issuing a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh over his reported exit from Don 3. The move has reignited discussions around the organization's past disciplinary actions within the film industry. Amid the controversy, actor Chunky Panday recalled that he too had once faced a similar “ban” by FWICE during the 1980s, although senior actors like Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha were reportedly spared under comparable circumstances.

FWICE Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit clarified that the body’s action against Ranveer Singh is technically not a legal ban, as the organization does not possess statutory authority to prohibit employment. However, the directive effectively asks its more than four lakh members not to work with the actor until he personally appears before the federation and addresses concerns surrounding his abrupt departure from the film project directed by Farhan Akhtar. The issue has reportedly remained unresolved since Singh’s exit from the project in December last year.

The latest controversy has also revived memories of a major film industry strike in 1986, when producers, actors, and workers protested against increased taxes and surcharges on cinema tickets and film equipment. During that period, FWICE reportedly took strict action against artists who continued filming despite the industry-wide shutdown. Chunky Panday stated that he was among those targeted by the organization, while Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha, who were working on the film Aag Hi Aag, allegedly did not face similar consequences. The differing treatment has become part of a long-standing debate over consistency in the federation’s disciplinary decisions.

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Over the past decade, FWICE has issued non-cooperation directives against several public figures, including Diljit Dosanjh and Mika Singh, often linked to political or industry-related disputes. While the organization maintains that such measures are intended to protect the interests of film workers and uphold industry discipline, critics have frequently questioned the fairness and effectiveness of these actions. The current standoff involving Ranveer Singh has once again drawn attention to the federation’s influence within Bollywood and the broader entertainment industry.

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