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.

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.

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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Recently, filmmaker Sanjeev Megoti alleged that actress Varalaxmi Sarathkumar had not fulfilled her commitments despite receiving a substantial remuneration for Police Complaint, an upcoming karmic crime thriller. According to him, she had dubbed only for the first half of the film, refused to complete the remaining portions, and did not participate in promotional activities. He claimed that her remuneration was ₹75 lakh and, along with daily production expenses of ₹50,000, the film had incurred losses close to ₹1 crore due to the delay.

‘A fully cooperative actress’

Later, Varalaxmi approached the Telugu Film Producers Council (TFPC) and shared her version of the issue, urging the body to intervene. The matter has now been resolved, with Megoti publicly apologising to the actress and revising his earlier stand. “The story of Police Complaint was written with her in mind. She fully cooperated with us throughout the production journey. Even when she had injured her hand, she participated in the shoot to ensure that we did not suffer any financial loss. Although my comments were not abusive, they were still completely wrong. I sincerely apologise for making those remarks,” Megoti said.

He further added, “It came to my notice that my comments hurt her. Several colleagues called me and questioned why I made those statements. I request the audience to put this controversy behind and watch our film in theatres next week.”

Issue stands closed

Responding to Megoti’s apology, Varalaxmi wrote, “Apology accepted. Justice and truth will always win.” Varalaxmi recently made her directorial debut with Saraswathi. She wrote, co-produced, and starred in the film as Lakshmi, a mother who fights against the system in her desperate search for her missing daughter. The film also features an ensemble cast including Prakash Raj, Priyamani, and Radikaa Sarathkumar, with music composed by Thaman S.

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