Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure face CINTAA member complaints; 8 elected members resign

In a dramatic turn of events for the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA), eight of the association’s elected Executive Committee members have tendered their resignations, effective immediately. The resignations come amid a wave of complaints accusing the association’s president, Poonam Dhillon, and senior vice‑president, Padmini Kolhapure, of unilateral decision‑making and a disregard for collective governance.

General Secretary Upasana Singh named the resigning members as Hemant Pandey, Mukesh Rishi, Sahila Chadha, Hetal Parmar, Puneet Issar, Vindu Dara Singh, Vikas Verma and Deepak Parashar. In a joint letter, the eight officials cited a “loss of confidence” in the current functioning of CINTAA and demanded fresh elections. They argued that key decisions had been taken without proper consultation or approval from the Executive Committee, thereby eroding the principles of collective responsibility.

Central to the complaint is the claim that Dhillon has repeatedly issued official communications through her personal ID to government officials and industry bodies, bypassing the Executive Committee. The letter alleges that she represented CINTAA publicly and in dealings with government and quasi‑judicial entities without the knowledge or consent of the committee. Additionally, the resigning members accuse Dhillon and Kolhapure of bringing private lawyers into government meetings, presenting them as CINTAA counsel without the committee’s sanction.

Upasana Singh confirmed that a total of eleven members have resigned, including the eight elected officials. She highlighted concerns over the use of personal email accounts for official correspondence, noting that Dhillon had sent communications to external organisations from a personal address. Singh reiterated that official messages should travel through CINTAA’s sanctioned email system to maintain transparency and accountability.

While the resignations signal a significant rift within the association, the eight officials have also submitted formal complaints outlining their grievances. They have called for a re‑evaluation of the association’s governance structure and urged the appointment of new leadership to restore confidence among members.