It is not every day you see a public rebuke from the Producers Guild of India, but this one has made the Ranveer-Don 3 tiff an issue for the whole trade. In backing its members’ side of the story and calling out these last-minute exits, the Guild has upped the ante for Farhan Akhtar’s film and anyone else in a similar position, with an eye on the crew and the budget.
What set it off
You have to go back to when Ranveer left Don 3 in the weeks leading up to the first day of shooting. Excel Entertainment, for one, was having none of it. They put forward that they were looking at some serious pre-production losses and wanted to be made whole.
Before long, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) got involved and put out a non-cooperation order for the actor. Ranveer’s camp didn’t let that stand, firing off a legal notice and turning what was a dispute into the talk of the town.
Then there is the number: a putative Rs 40-45 crore in damage to the project. When you are in the thick of a production, that is more than a figure on a ledger. It can scupper your schedule, your sets and the paycheques of a good many people who were already in the mix.
The Guild’s take: be accountable, don’t ban
In a statement that doesn’t put a name to any face, the Guild was plain about two matters. It has had formal word from member producers like Excel and Panorama Studios. And it sees a trend of last-minute walkouts that is bad for the ecosystem.
They say when a director or some other key talent bails at the eleventh hour, the producer is the one who pays for it. But it is not just the money; it is the brand of the film and the livelihood of the hundreds of hands on deck that get put in jeopardy.
Still, the Guild is no fan of strong-arm tactics. It wants to keep the business environment open and fair and has been putting the onus on talking it out. You could say they are standing up for the producer’s prerogative but have no appetite for a blanket ban on anyone.
To put the Guild’s position in a nutshell:
– We have the complaints from Excel and Panorama on file
– These kind of exits are on the rise, no matter the role
– The ripples of loss and hard feelings are felt by the crew
– We are for due process, not for bans
– Let’s settle this without being punitive
Why you should care
To the rest of us, a star bailing is just some casting news. To a producer, it is a write-off and a reworking of contracts. As the Guild would have it, when a film is derailed, it is not only the marquee talent that is affected; it is the many whose income and standing depend on the show going on as planned.
The fact that the Guild is speaking up now is no accident. After some behind-the-scenes mediation with big wigs came to nothing and FWICE made their move, the Guild has made it clear this is a matter of governance, not a private score to settle.
So for those of us with our eyes on Don 3, it is more than a change at the top. If a film’s credibility is in question, you can forget about any marketing steam. And if a crew is put out to pasture for a few weeks, it does a number on morale and future hiring. That kind of hangover lingers even after you’ve put a new face in the lead.
The reality for Don 3
Excel’s grievance over the timing of the exit is why the producers are being so firm. By the time you are in advanced pre-prod, the vendors are in place, the sets are a go and the diaries of your department heads are full. Unraveling all of that is expensive, which is where the talk of heavy losses comes in.
With FWICE’s directive and the legal notice from Ranveer’s end, things have been hot. But the Guild is leaving the door open for a way out – for some give and take on compensation and a fresh start on the calendar, provided both sides are willing to de-escalate.
Where to look next
Some of the moving parts to keep an eye on are:
– Whether there are any new talks with the Guild in the room
– How FWICE will hold on to its non-cooperation line
– Where Excel stands on its claim for damages
– Any new dates that might be put out there
In a way, the Guild has made a star-and-studio spat into a litmus test for how we do business. If everyone can be held to a higher standard of commitment, then maybe Don 3 will be the thing that puts some order in the house, rather than just another row for the papers.
