Cinema VinesAfter a wave of resignations and a heated dispute among members, the Cine and TV Artists’ Association (CINTAA) held re‑elections on Saturday. The conflict had escalated to the point where police were called in on Friday, following accusations that officials were trying to smuggle out confidential documents. The intervention saw officers scold the members and remind them to maintain decorum, with one officer remarking, “I feel bad for talking like this. We don’t talk like this to even people from the slums,” and adding, “Care about your reputation at least, people are watching.”
In the vote, Upasana Singh captured the highest tally with 360 votes, narrowly ahead of Sahila Chaddha who received 357. The rest of the elected panel was filled by Vikas Verma (349), Deepak Parashar (348), Kunickaa Sadanand (312), Varsha Usgaonkar Sharma (306), Nagma Moraji (290), Nirmai Bali (266), Arjun (250), Asmaan Tahlim (237), Shehzad Khan (234), Manish Kumar Chaturvedi (219), Sapan Kumar Bhattacharya (197), Ramtumar Singh (184) and Ramakant Borude (176).
Following the results, Nagma Moraji posted on Instagram, thanking members for their trust and support: “Appreciate All the Members of #CINTAA for bestowing their trust in our Panel and making us #win #Thank you for all your Support Victory is all yours . #cintaa #elections 2026 artists association.” The celebrations were captured on video, showing the newly elected officials hugging, exchanging flowers and cheering each other on.
The feud that led to the re‑elections dates back to earlier leadership disputes involving Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure. In August, 11 members—including 8 of the 21 elected committee seats—resigned, citing a departure from collective decision‑making and constitutional governance. While some members claimed the previous panel had been dissolved, others disagreed. Dhillon and Kolhapure sought a court stay on the re‑elections, but the petition was denied.
Police presence at the CINTAA office was justified by both sides as a safeguard for member information. Despite the tension, the election proceeded, and the new panel will now steer the association through its upcoming projects and negotiations.
