FWICE drops Rs1.25 crore claim after Ram Gopal Varma calls for ban on federation: 'Hum aise hi hawa mein....'

The public disagreement between filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has intensified after the federation responded strongly to his recent criticism and alleged that he has not cleared pending payments exceeding ?1 crore owed to technicians and workers.

The latest exchange comes days after Varma criticised FWICE for issuing a non cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh amid the actor's dispute linked to Don 3. The filmmaker had questioned the federation's authority and described its actions as outdated.

On Wednesday, FWICE announced that it had withdrawn the directive against Ranveer Singh after receiving a legal notice from the actor. During a press conference, FWICE chief advisor Ashoke Pandit addressed Varma's comments and accused him of disrespecting the organisation.

“Ek director hain jinka naam hai, Ram Gopal Varma. Toh Ram Gopal Varma ji ne ek bahut bada tweet kiya tha aur humari dhajiyan udane ki koshish ki thi. Unhone abusive language use ki thi, ke yeh hote kaun hain, inko ban kardena chaiyeh,” Ashoke said.

He further alleged that Varma owes more than ?1.25 crore to technicians and workers. According to Ashoke, the matter is linked to the filmmaker's Telugu film Officer and has remained unresolved for several years. “Lekin, we would like to tell the world today that Ram Gopal Varma owes over ?1 crore 25 lakh to the technicians and the workers. Aur hum aise hi hawa mein kissi ko accuse nahi kar rahe hain,” he stated.

Ashoke also claimed that Varma had written to the federation in 2019, acknowledging responsibility for the payments and seeking more time to settle the dues. He said the amount remains unpaid and demanded an apology from the filmmaker for his remarks against FWICE.

The controversy began after Varma publicly supported Ranveer Singh and criticised the federation's intervention in the actor's dispute. In a lengthy social media post, he argued that FWICE was overstepping its role and described the organisation as a “kangaroo court”.

As the dispute escalates, neither Varma nor his representatives have responded publicly to the latest allegations made by the federation regarding the alleged outstanding payments.