Indian film union drops boycott call against Bollywood star Ranveer Singh

A major Indian film workers' union has withdrawn its appeal asking members not to work with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh after his alleged abrupt exit from an upcoming film.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued the informal ban last month after the producers of Don 3 complained that Singh had quit the film just weeks before filming was set to begin.

The boycott withdrawal comes after Singh reportedly sent a legal notice to the federation. The BBC has not seen the notice.

Announced in 2023, Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 was billed as the next chapter in one of Bollywood's most successful and enduring action franchises.

The franchise was launched by superstar Amitabh Bachchan in 1978 and rebooted by Akhtar with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. Singh had been chosen to carry it into its next chapter.

On Wednesday, FWICE president BN Tiwari backed Singh, saying the industry stood behind him and that the federation's legal team would respond to the notice.

FWICE chief adviser Ashoke Pandit said the decision followed requests from several industry organisations and urged Singh to meet the union to resolve the dispute.

"We celebrate his stardom... We don't have any authority to ban anyone. We are hopeful that there will be a positive reaction from Ranveer," he told NDTV news channel.