Before Ranveer Singh, FWICE banned Diljit Dosanjh, Mika, Gauahar Khan. Here's why
Ranveer Singh isn't the first artist to face a FWICE boycott. The film body has initiated similar action against others lately, and reasons range from Pakistan to Covid-19. Read to know who was banned for what.
Actor Ranveer Singh has been the talking point for Bollywood watchers since Monday, when the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against him following a complaint from filmmaker Farhan Akhtar. According to Akhtar, Singh allegedly walked out of his upcoming film, Don 3, days before shooting was to begin, which led to losses.
Coming on the heels of Ranveer Singh's blockbuster box office show with the Dhurandhar films, the FWICE action naturally shocked fans. Media and social media alike also raised questions over the legality of the action. Many argued, irrespective of whether Singh had erred or not, the FWICE decision of an indefinite boycott clearly violates the actor's fundamental right to livelihood.
The involvement of a star of Ranveer Singh's stature has brought such a boycott into the limelight, but this is not the first time that FWICE has banned artists in the recent past.
Who did FWICE cancel lately and why?
FWICE calls for boycotts in Bollywood have happened three times in the recent past, and the reasons have ranged from the concerned artist collaborating with Pakistani nationals and performing in Pakistan to flouting pandemic norms. Read on to know the details.
Diljit Dosanjh in 2025
The most recent incident before Ranveer Singh was the one involving actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh. The FWICE decision to impose a non-cooperation directive against Dosanjh happened last year when, despite the federation's appeal to all Indian artists against working with Pakistani nationals, Dosanjh's comedy film Sardarji 3 cast Pak actor Hania Aamir as one of the female leads. Besides his starring role, Dosanjh is also credited as a co-producer of the film.
Sardarji 3 was not released in India, but it did good business in markets across the world. The film collected over Rs 70 crore and set a new overseas record for the Punjabi film industry.
FWICE, meanwhile, asked its five lakh-odd members in Mumbai not to be associated with any Diljit Dosanjh project. Notably, the federation also wrote to T-Series, requesting that Dosanjh be dropped from their co-production, Border 2. However, Dosanjh was allowed to continue shooting for the war drama after T-Series chairperson and managing director, Bhushan Kumar, personally intervened.
Although FWICE Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit said the non-cooperation directive against Dosanjh stands, the actor went ahead and completed Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga in between. The film is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2026.
Mika in 2019
Pop star and playback singer Mika Singh was boycotted by FWICE in 2019. The federation's decision came after Mika performed at a wedding in Karachi, Pakistan.
Incidentally, along with the FWICE action, Mika's decision to perform for a private gathering in Pakistan also drew a boycott call from the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA).
The bans were imposed after videos surfaced online showing the singer performing at the wedding event of a close relative of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Pervez Musharraf, on August 8, 2019.
Mika would eventually apologise, claiming the timing of his performance in Pakistan was "coincidental".
At a press conference, the singer said: "The timing was wrong that I went there because the decision on Article 370 has just been taken. I called the federation and told them that this was a mistake. I apologise for the mistake and I won't repeat it again. I got a visa, so I went (to Pakistan). If you get a visa, you will go, too," said the singer." (The Article 370 reference pertains to the constitutional provision that gave autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. Its abrogation by the Government of India happened on August 5, 2019.)
Mika also met the officials of FWICE to clear the air and the boycott call would eventually be reversed. In all, the FWICE ban on Mika lasted for a little over a week.
Gauahar Khan in 2021
FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against actor Gauahar Khan in May 2021 for her alleged violation of Covid-19 norms. She was given a two-month ban.
The FWICE notice followed a police case filed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stating a Bollywood actor had flouted Covid-19 guidelines.
Reportedly, Khan appeared on a film set for a shoot despite testing Covid-19 positive, and being medically "advised to be quarantined".
A joint statement issued by FWICE president BN Tiwari, general secretary Ashok Dubey and treasurer Gangeshwar Srivastav said: "The FWICE highly condemns the act of Ms Gauahar Khan for resuming shooting after being tested positive for Covid-19 infection even though she was advised to be quarantined."
“The FWICE has jointly decided to issue a non-cooperation directive against Ms Gauahar Khan for two months, and it is hereby advised to all the members of our affiliated craft to distance themselves from being associated with Ms Gauahar Khan for the next two months, until a fresh directive is issued by the FWICE regarding the permission to her for resuming work in the Media and Entertainment Industry (sic),” the statement issued by the federation added.
Chunky Panday faced FWICE ban, too
Actor Chunky Panday recently revealed that he, too, has faced a FWICE ban, way back in 1986. He recalled that the film industry had collectively gone on a strike against heavy taxation and surcharge on cinema tickets and equipment back then, but certain producers did not pay heed to the strike. Among them was Pahlaj Nihalani, who was producing the actor's debut film, Aag Hi Aag, at the time.
Although the multistarrer project had big names such as Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha in its cast, and all the stars continued to shoot through the strike, it was only Panday who faced the FWICE action.
The bigger stars, Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha, were busy with 30 to 40 films at the time, so "banning them was not really possible," Panday said, according to an Indian Express report. "I was a newcomer then. My film hadn’t even been released, so eventually, I got banned for about a week,” he said.
Ban on Pak artists stays
Incidentally, FWICE bans prevent all Pakistani artists from working in India. The federation took the decision in the wake of the Uri attacks of 2016 and the Pahalgam terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir last year. Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Saba Qamar and Mawra Hocane are among Pakistani actors whose Bollywood careers were cut short due to the ban.
Actor Ranveer Singh has been the talking point for Bollywood watchers since Monday, when the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against him following a complaint from filmmaker Farhan Akhtar. According to Akhtar, Singh allegedly walked out of his upcoming film, Don 3, days before shooting was to begin, which led to losses.
Coming on the heels of Ranveer Singh's blockbuster box office show with the Dhurandhar films, the FWICE action naturally shocked fans. Media and social media alike also raised questions over the legality of the action. Many argued, irrespective of whether Singh had erred or not, the FWICE decision of an indefinite boycott clearly violates the actor's fundamental right to livelihood.
The involvement of a star of Ranveer Singh's stature has brought such a boycott into the limelight, but this is not the first time that FWICE has banned artists in the recent past.
Who did FWICE cancel lately and why?
FWICE calls for boycotts in Bollywood have happened three times in the recent past, and the reasons have ranged from the concerned artist collaborating with Pakistani nationals and performing in Pakistan to flouting pandemic norms. Read on to know the details.
Diljit Dosanjh in 2025
The most recent incident before Ranveer Singh was the one involving actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh. The FWICE decision to impose a non-cooperation directive against Dosanjh happened last year when, despite the federation's appeal to all Indian artists against working with Pakistani nationals, Dosanjh's comedy film Sardarji 3 cast Pak actor Hania Aamir as one of the female leads. Besides his starring role, Dosanjh is also credited as a co-producer of the film.
Sardarji 3 was not released in India, but it did good business in markets across the world. The film collected over Rs 70 crore and set a new overseas record for the Punjabi film industry.
FWICE, meanwhile, asked its five lakh-odd members in Mumbai not to be associated with any Diljit Dosanjh project. Notably, the federation also wrote to T-Series, requesting that Dosanjh be dropped from their co-production, Border 2. However, Dosanjh was allowed to continue shooting for the war drama after T-Series chairperson and managing director, Bhushan Kumar, personally intervened.
Although FWICE Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit said the non-cooperation directive against Dosanjh stands, the actor went ahead and completed Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga in between. The film is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2026.
Mika in 2019
Pop star and playback singer Mika Singh was boycotted by FWICE in 2019. The federation's decision came after Mika performed at a wedding in Karachi, Pakistan.
Incidentally, along with the FWICE action, Mika's decision to perform for a private gathering in Pakistan also drew a boycott call from the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA).
The bans were imposed after videos surfaced online showing the singer performing at the wedding event of a close relative of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Pervez Musharraf, on August 8, 2019.
Mika would eventually apologise, claiming the timing of his performance in Pakistan was "coincidental".
At a press conference, the singer said: "The timing was wrong that I went there because the decision on Article 370 has just been taken. I called the federation and told them that this was a mistake. I apologise for the mistake and I won't repeat it again. I got a visa, so I went (to Pakistan). If you get a visa, you will go, too," said the singer." (The Article 370 reference pertains to the constitutional provision that gave autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. Its abrogation by the Government of India happened on August 5, 2019.)
Mika also met the officials of FWICE to clear the air and the boycott call would eventually be reversed. In all, the FWICE ban on Mika lasted for a little over a week.
Gauahar Khan in 2021
FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against actor Gauahar Khan in May 2021 for her alleged violation of Covid-19 norms. She was given a two-month ban.
The FWICE notice followed a police case filed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stating a Bollywood actor had flouted Covid-19 guidelines.
Reportedly, Khan appeared on a film set for a shoot despite testing Covid-19 positive, and being medically "advised to be quarantined".
A joint statement issued by FWICE president BN Tiwari, general secretary Ashok Dubey and treasurer Gangeshwar Srivastav said: "The FWICE highly condemns the act of Ms Gauahar Khan for resuming shooting after being tested positive for Covid-19 infection even though she was advised to be quarantined."
“The FWICE has jointly decided to issue a non-cooperation directive against Ms Gauahar Khan for two months, and it is hereby advised to all the members of our affiliated craft to distance themselves from being associated with Ms Gauahar Khan for the next two months, until a fresh directive is issued by the FWICE regarding the permission to her for resuming work in the Media and Entertainment Industry (sic),” the statement issued by the federation added.
Chunky Panday faced FWICE ban, too
Actor Chunky Panday recently revealed that he, too, has faced a FWICE ban, way back in 1986. He recalled that the film industry had collectively gone on a strike against heavy taxation and surcharge on cinema tickets and equipment back then, but certain producers did not pay heed to the strike. Among them was Pahlaj Nihalani, who was producing the actor's debut film, Aag Hi Aag, at the time.
Although the multistarrer project had big names such as Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha in its cast, and all the stars continued to shoot through the strike, it was only Panday who faced the FWICE action.
The bigger stars, Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha, were busy with 30 to 40 films at the time, so "banning them was not really possible," Panday said, according to an Indian Express report. "I was a newcomer then. My film hadn’t even been released, so eventually, I got banned for about a week,” he said.
Ban on Pak artists stays
Incidentally, FWICE bans prevent all Pakistani artists from working in India. The federation took the decision in the wake of the Uri attacks of 2016 and the Pahalgam terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir last year. Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Saba Qamar and Mawra Hocane are among Pakistani actors whose Bollywood careers were cut short due to the ban.
