Internal Unrest Rocks CINTAA: Eight Executive Members Resign, Alleging Misconduct
Mumbai, India – A significant internal rift has emerged within the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA), as eight executive committee members have tendered their resignations, citing a profound loss of confidence in the organization’s current leadership. The dissenting members have also called for immediate new elections, escalating the already tense situation.
At the heart of the controversy are allegations of unilateral decision-making and disregard for constitutional procedures, primarily directed at CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon and Senior Vice-President Padmini Kolhapure. Dhillon, in turn, has vehemently refuted these claims, labeling them as "deeply offensive" and "vulgar."
The dispute was thrust into public view with a joint resignation letter submitted by the eight executive committee members: Hemant Pandey, Mukesh Rishi, Sahila Chadha, Hetal Parmar, Puneet Issar, Vindu Dara Singh, Vikas Verma, and Deepak Parashar. Their letter alleged that the association’s operations had become increasingly centralized around Dhillon, Kolhapure, and a select few, bypassing collective decision-making and established protocols.
“The president, Poonam Dhillon, has repeatedly taken unilateral decisions, issued official communications through her ID to government officials and unilaterally decided communications to industry bodies, through the official CINTAA ID, and represented the association in public and with other government, quasi-judicial and industry bodies without the knowledge, consultation, and/ or approval of the Executive Committee, thereby nullifying the principle of collective responsibility,” a portion of their resignation letter reportedly stated. These members claim that crucial decisions were consistently made without the knowledge or approval of the full executive committee.
CINTAA General Secretary Upasana Singh confirmed the resignations to ANI, noting that a total of 11 members had resigned, including the eight executive committee members. Singh further stated, “They have also submitted their complaints, stating that Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon are misusing their positions.” Despite the flurry of resignations, the association’s legal counsel has clarified that the executive committee remains intact and has not been dissolved.
Poonam Dhillon has fired back, expressing her dismay and indignation at the accusations. Speaking to ANI, she attributed the allegations to a perceived power struggle, stating, “What happened was that things were not going their way. They were trying to exercise control over the CINTAA members through the CAWT (Cine Artistes’ Welfare Trust), and when that did not happen, they started making strange and serious allegations against us.”
Dhillon did not mince words when describing the nature of the allegations. “You wouldn’t believe how vulgar the allegations were. They were so offensive that, if we wanted to, we could have considered taking action for defamation against each and every person involved. Such allegations, hurtful statements, and offensive language were circulated widely,” she asserted.
The veteran actress also revealed the emotional toll the conflict has taken, admitting she had considered resigning from the executive committee multiple times. She lamented the "inappropriate and hurtful statements" made by what she termed "paid mouthpieces" within CINTAA. “My self-respect and integrity are very important. Whatever we have earned over the years, we have not earned it in one or two years. We have built our reputation and self-respect over decades, through our conduct, our dignity, our presence, and the way we have treated and interacted with people,” Dhillon emphasized.
In a separate interview with Hindustan Times, Dhillon elaborated on the positive intentions behind her and Kolhapure’s actions. She stated, "Padmini and I are working hard to bring goodwill to CINTAA by using our resources and contacts; it is not for personal gain. No one else was taking initiatives to do anything for members of the organisation, so I’m shocked by their allegations.” She further explained that the disgruntled members were attempting to protect the CAWT (Cine Artistes’ Welfare Trust), a body formed by senior actors like the late Dilip Kumar and Amrish Puri. Dhillon highlighted CAWT’s alleged failure to provide medical facilities for members and defended recent fundraising efforts. “We recently raised funds through an event and gifted sarees to artistes like Kavita Krishnamurthy and Madhushree and a kurta to Nitin Mukesh, who performed without charging us. The members who resigned are accusing us of buying sarees, did we buy those sarees for ourselves? We acknowledge that these artistes performed for us at no cost, through these gifts. Padmini and I had called them personally and they performed at our behest,” she clarified, adding that these gifts were a token of appreciation for their pro bono performances, which helped raise ₹1 crore for the association.
Dhillon concluded by questioning the credibility of the accusations, given her and her colleagues’ long-standing careers in the industry. “We have been in this industry for 42 years… some for 45 years, others have been a part of it for 48 years. Do you really think that after all these years, we would be capable of such betrayal? Over the last year or year and a half, there were many times when I felt like quitting the CINTAA executive committee and walking away. It’s because these people made our lives so difficult. There was opposition to every single thing… opposition to every single initiative,” she stated, underscoring the challenges faced by the current leadership.
The unfolding events cast a shadow over CINTAA’s future, as the industry watches closely to see how this significant internal discord will be resolved.
