The Ranveer Singh Ban is About More Than One Star

At the start of 2026, Ranveer Singh’s stars appeared perfectly aligned. On December 5, Dhurandhar released and, within days, turned into a juggernaut. Then, on March 19, amid frenzied anticipation, Dhurandhar 2 came out. Collectively, both movies earned over $300 million worldwide, a major feat for any franchise. The films also catapulted Singh to a new stratosphere of stardom. But months later, on May 25, it seemed like the rapid rise had come to a screeching halt, as news started spreading that the actor was facing an industry-wide ban.

The decision came from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), a Mumbai-based union representing over 500,000 workers in Indian film and television — a group that most have likely never heard of until only a few days ago. The notice was reportedly the result of a feud between Singh and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar. In 2023, Akhtar had announced Don 3, the third part of his reboot of the 1978 cult film co-written by his father, Javed Akhtar. The teaser with Singh was out, but then there was a lull. And now this.

Since then, much has been written about the ban. And even more has followed. Singh’s team sent a legal notice to FWICE and, on June 3, the union withdrew the ban. “No one has won or lost in this matter. Our legal department will respond to his legal notice,” FWICE president BN Tiwari said. And while the unusual nature of this very public dispute befits discussion, the discourse also feels like a definitive judgement on what has been whispered for months: the demise of Bollywood stardom. Stars, by definition, are usually unreachable. How, exactly, can they be extinguished? The Ranveer Singh saga, then, offers an unsettling answer.