Cinema VinesIn a dramatic turn of events for the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA), eight elected members of its Executive Committee announced their resignation from their posts and from the committee itself, effective immediately. The resignations were prompted by a perceived loss of confidence in the association’s current operations and a call for fresh elections. The departing members alleged that decision‑making had become increasingly concentrated around CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon and Senior Vice President Padmini Kolhapure, along with a handful of other committee members.
Poonam Dhillon, speaking to reporters, defended the leadership’s actions, stating that she and Padmini were “working hard to bring goodwill to CINTAA by using our resources and contacts; it is not for personal gain.” She expressed shock at the accusations, noting that the resigning members had been attempting to safeguard the Cine Artistes’ Welfare Trust (CAWT), a charity founded by senior actors such as the late Dilip Kumar, Amrish Puri and Amjad Khan. Dhillon highlighted that the trust had not delivered on its promise to provide medical facilities for members, and that no money had been raised for CAWT by the current committee in recent decades. She added that the association had recently organized a fundraising event, gifting sarees to singers Kavita Krishnamurthy and Madhushree and a kurta to Nitin Mukesh, who performed for CINTAA at no charge.
Dhillon questioned the logic of the resigning members’ claims, asking, “We raised 1 crore through these performances, so how is it a problem if we spend 1 lakh on gifts for them?” She also accused the departing members of having been promised high positions and other benefits if a new committee were elected. She cited Puneet Issar, who she said had attended only two meetings in two years, yet was called upon to vote the committee out when the resignations were announced. Dhillon maintained that the committee still held the majority and remained in place.
Addressing allegations from General Secretary Upasana Singh, who called the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) convened by Dhillon and her team illegal, Dhillon clarified that the resignations were received by the General Secretary but not yet accepted by the Executive Committee. She explained that an EGM was held with a member who had withdrawn her resignation, and seven new members were inducted on top of the elected list. Only after this process were the resignations formally accepted, according to Dhillon, a procedure that had been vetted by the association’s legal team.
Dhillon also highlighted the personal financial burden she and Padmini have shouldered to keep CINTAA operational, noting their involvement in regular inspections of television sets and in educating members about labour codes. She hinted at additional initiatives planned to improve the association’s functioning, though specifics were not disclosed in the interview.
