Poonam Dhillon praises Ranveer Singh for offering compensation in 'Don 3' row; backs his right to exit project: 'Kudos to him'

Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar's 'Don 3' dispute and the subsequent FWICE directive have become the topic of discussion within the film industry. Now, the president of the Cine & TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA), the body that stood by the actor when FWICE issued a non-cooperation order against him, has spoken out in the actor's defence. She also praised his professionalism and weighed in on the broader question of actors' creative rights.In an interview with Free Press Journal, Poonam Dhillon was asked whether Ranveer Singh was justified in offering compensation and an apology following his exit from the project. To which the CINTAA president replied, "Now, see, the details of that we don't know, but we know that I am sure he would be a fair person, and if he feels that he is, he is not the kind of person who will deliberately harm or hurt anybody, and he has an excellent relationship with Excel. Yeah, he's given two big hits with them. So, if there was any reason that he is not comfortable doing this film, could be for various reasons. And kudos to him that he offered compensation for losses incurred and paid back the signing amount. Many don't even do that."In the same conversation, when Poonam Dhillon was asked whether actors should actively participate in creative decisions or simply stick to performing their role, the CINTAA president was unequivocal in his support for actors having a voice. He said, "Hello, they are intelligent, thinking people, especially the lead actors. They have a say in a script because they are going to be the one who will be projected there. They will get the brick bats in the end if the film is not appreciated. So, you know they are today actively involved in a very positive way. I would say it should be in a positive way towards the betterment of a project."The dispute started after Ranveer Singh exited 'Don 3', reportedly citing creative differences, due to which the producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani had to bear the loss of Rs 40-45 crore. After both parties failed to come to a solution, the producers approached FWICE, and the federation issued a non-cooperation directive against him. Soon, it had withdrawn the same. Singh's team had sent the legal notice to FWICE, stating that the dispute doesn't come under its jurisdiction. Now, as per the reports, the Producers Guild of India has stated that it will be mediating the issue between the two parties.