Amid the ongoing Don 3 controversy and the non-cooperation directive issued by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), actor Ranveer Singh was spotted in Budapest enjoying some downtime ahead of a major football fixture. He also met Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice .
A photograph of the two stars, which has since gone viral on social media, shows them posing together. While the reason for Ranveer‘s presence in the Hungarian capital remains unconfirmed, reports suggest he is there to watch his favourite football club, Arsenal, compete in the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30 .
Ranveer shared the selfie with Rice on his Instagram Stories, captioning it “about last night” and setting it to the iconic song ‘Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan’, adding a warm and celebratory touch to the post .
A ‘Superstar Meets Superstar’ Moment
Fans were quick to celebrate the image online, dubbing it a meeting of champions from two different worlds . While Rice has been instrumental in Arsenal‘s Premier League-winning campaign, Ranveer is coming off the blockbuster success of ‘Dhurandhar’ and holds the distinction of being the only Indian actor associated with the ₹1000-crore Hindi net club .
Ranveer also took time to pose for selfies with Indian fans he met during his time in Budapest, with the fans later sharing their excitement on social media .
The Don 3 Controversy Back Home
Ranveer’s relaxed appearance in Budapest comes at a tense time professionally. The actor is currently at the centre of a dispute regarding his reported exit from Farhan Akhtar‘s much-anticipated film Don 3.
FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against the actor, following a complaint by producer Farhan Akhtar. The producers have claimed that Ranveer’s alleged last-minute withdrawal caused losses of nearly ₹45 crore during the film’s pre-production stage .
‘Not a Ban’: FWICE’s Clarification
While widely reported as a “ban”, FWICE chief advisor Ashoke Pandit clarified that the body does not have the authority to impose such a restriction.
“See, first of all, the entire conversation has become wrong. It’s not a ban. See, we are not a court; we can‘t ban people, yaar. So we have issued a non-cooperation,” Pandit told ETimes .
The non-cooperation directive essentially instructs members of the federation—who work across 30 crafts—to refrain from working with the actor until the matter is resolved . However, the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) has since extended its support to Ranveer, with Vice-President Padmini Kolhapure stating, “CINTAA is proud to have Ranveer Singh as our member. We stand by him” .
Ranveer’s official spokesperson issued a statement maintaining that the actor has “consciously chosen to maintain silence,” believing that professional matters should be handled with “dignity, maturity and mutual respect” .
