- By Swati Singh
- Thu, 28 May 2026 07:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ranveer Singh has landed in controversy after FWICE issued a non-cooperation directive against him over his abrupt exit from Don 3. Reacting to the row, author Shobhaa De criticised the move and drew comparisons between the issue and the ongoing Delhi Gymkhana Club controversy.
What is Delhi Gymkhana Dispute?
The "Delhi Gymkhana Dispute" is a high-profile legal battle between the Indian government and the management of the elite 113-year-old Delhi Gymkhana Club over the government's sudden demand to reclaim its 27.3-acre, prime real estate in Lutyens' Delhi.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' Land and Development Office (L&DO) ordered the club to vacate the premises entirely, stating the strategically located land is urgently required for "strengthening and securing Defence infrastructure".
What did Shobhaa De say about Ranveer Sngh's Don 3 controversy?
She said, "I've been following the Ranveer Singh thing. I've been following the Delhi Gymkhana thing. There's not that much of a difference. I mean, I'm saying this, and don't laugh. Ranveer Singh is like the Delhi Gymkhana in many ways of Bollywood. What is the whole thing about? It's about power, it's about control, it's about banning, it's about taking away, it's about putting people in their place, it's about teaching lessons to people or institutions. Maybe there's a sense of overprivilege or taking advantage of a certain position, without going into the legalities of it."
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"What I'm saying is plainly this. Now, Ranveer Singh is sensible, clever, well-advised. He's holding his silence. He's keeping quiet, letting his fans and followers fight his battles for him. The Delhi Gymkhana, full of stuffed old shirts, sitting and sipping their gin and tonics, and keeping the rest of the world out, is a different story, she further added.
She further criticised FWICE's stance on Ranveer Singh's exit from Don franchise. She said, "In the process, they're making themselves extremely unpopular with the very lobby they think they are protecting - the technicians and all the others who are going to be out of jobs for no fault of theirs. If it's a question that had to be resolved between Excel, Farhan Akhtar and Ranveer Singh, they could have either hired lawyers or gone to court, but not involved whoever these people are."
She further stated, "What is happening is something very ugly, and it goes well beyond one lobby trying to fix another very powerful lobby. There should be no political ideology when it comes to entertainment and when it comes to the careers of not just one star, but an entire sub-industry of technicians and others who are really badly hit by the so-called ban or refusal to cooperate."
She captioned her post, "Ranveer Singh is the Delhi Gymkhana of Bollywood.....same same but different. Exclusivity instead of inclusivity? Stop behaving like Trump!!! Threats and intimidation???? Won't work. Never have. Regardless who the players are."