CINTAA Plunges into Crisis: Upasana Singh Alleges ‘Dictatorship’ by Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure
Mumbai, India – The Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) is in the throes of a deep internal crisis, with explosive allegations of "dictatorship" and undemocratic practices now surfacing from within its ranks. General Secretary Upasana Singh and former treasurer Deepak Parashar have publicly accused CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon and Senior Vice President Padmini Kolhapure of running the esteemed actors’ body with an iron fist, leading to a wave of resignations from the executive committee.
The controversy gained significant traction following the departure of several prominent committee members, including Vindu Dara Singh and Mukesh Rishi, who cited a profound "loss of confidence" in the current leadership. While Poonam Dhillon has vehemently denied all accusations, Upasana Singh’s recent statements have cast a shadow over CINTAA’s governance.
Speaking on Vickey Lalwani’s widely followed podcast, Upasana Singh detailed the escalating tensions. "Eleven people have resigned from our committee now," she revealed. "Poonam ji, Padmini ji, and their group send show-cause notices to those people who don’t say ‘yes, madam’ to them. Sending show-cause notices is their favourite thing to do." This alarming statement comes after reports indicated that eight CINTAA members, including Hemant Pandey, Sahila Chadha, Hetal Parmar, Puneet Issar, Vindu Dara Singh, Vikas Verma, and Deepak Parashar, had already vacated their positions.
Allegations of Silencing and Control
Singh further elaborated on the alleged suppression of dissent within CINTAA. She claimed that during both annual general meetings, actor members were systematically denied the opportunity to speak during the crucial "zero hour." In a particularly damning anecdote, Singh stated that a member named Neeta Jha was issued a show-cause notice simply for requesting a microphone to voice her concerns.
Recalling a heated incident involving Deepak Parashar, Singh painted a vivid picture of the stifling environment. "Once, Deepak ji was trying to make his point. I have never seen him raise his voice. And he was shouting really badly. He was saying, ‘Let me speak. Please listen to me.’ Then Poonam ji said, ‘Deepak ji, sit down!’" Singh recounted intervening, telling Poonam Dhillon to allow Parashar to speak. "I said, ‘Ask the one who is speaking so badly with Deepak ji to be quiet.’ He eventually walked out of the room shouting."
When questioned about the apparent breakdown in the 50-year-long friendship between Poonam Dhillon and Deepak Parashar, Singh offered a cynical observation: "When you join CINTAA and get a position, that chair becomes more important."
Media Control and Favouritism Accusations
The allegations extend beyond internal meetings, with Upasana Singh also accusing Padmini Kolhapure of controlling CINTAA’s in-house media relations. Singh claimed Kolhapure wields significant influence over whose photographs appear on the association’s official website. As an example, she cited an incident where Deepak Parashar was allegedly "cropped from a photo that was clicked at Hema Malini ji’s show. That photo which had Poonam ji and Padmini ji went on the website."
Deepak Parashar, for his part, corroborated some of these claims, stating that Poonam Dhillon would often "misbehave and shout" at him. This alleged mistreatment ultimately led to his resignation from CINTAA, a decision he had reportedly contemplated twice before and finalized for the third time, alongside ten other members.
The escalating crisis casts a long shadow over CINTAA’s future. With fresh elections for the association scheduled to take place on September 12, all eyes will be on how these serious allegations of undemocratic practices and power struggles will impact the upcoming leadership changes and the very fabric of the Cine and TV Artistes Association.
