Archive · 12 Sep 2026
CINTAA Leaders Defend Governance Amid Election and Finance Dispute
CINTAA is an association that represents thousands of actors.
Its leaders are arguing with another group about how the association should be run.
The disagreement includes who should conduct the next election.
A High Court allowed the election process to continue, but the court still has to decide whether the Federation has the authority to run it.
The current leaders say elected winners may have to wait before taking office.
They also deny claims that money was misused.
They say CINTAA’s money was kept in bank accounts with several approval requirements.
The leaders say vacant committee seats were filled according to the association’s rules.
Both sides have been urged to stop making personal attacks and focus on actors’ welfare.
Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure defended CINTAA’s management amid a public dispute with a dissenting faction.
A High Court order allowed the upcoming election process to continue, while leaving the Federation’s authority to conduct it unresolved.
Dhillon said any elected winners could not take office until a pending jurisdiction dispute is decided; the next hearing is scheduled for October 26, 2026.
The leadership rejected allegations of financial misuse and said CINTAA’s funds were handled through banking controls and multiple authorisations.
The faction said committee inductions, member assistance and spending decisions followed CINTAA’s Constitution or were intended to protect members’ welfare.
- Who
- CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon, Senior Vice President Padmini Kolhapure and other Executive Committee members are disputing claims made by a faction led by General Secretary Upasana Singh, actress Kunickaa Sadanand and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees.
- What
- The dispute concerns CINTAA’s election process, committee appointments, finances, welfare spending and the authority of the Federation to conduct the association’s elections.
- When
- The High Court order was described as having been issued on the day of the interview; the next court hearing is scheduled for October 26, 2026.
- Where
- The dispute concerns CINTAA in Mumbai, with related discussions and legal proceedings involving the association’s offices and the court.
- Why
- The Dhillon-led group says it is defending CINTAA’s constitutional procedures, financial resources and independence from the Federation.
Poonam Dhillon-led leadership
Dissenting faction and Federation
Election authority
Poonam Dhillon-led leadership
The leadership argues that the Federation lacks jurisdiction to enter CINTAA and conduct or announce its elections, and says winners should not take office until the court decides the matter.
Dissenting faction and Federation
The opposing side, led by Upasana Singh and supported by Kunickaa Sadanand and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, is associated with the election process challenged by the leadership; the article does not provide its detailed response on jurisdiction.
Election administration
Poonam Dhillon-led leadership
The leadership describes the process as haphazard and one-sided, citing uncertainty over nomination and voter lists and disputed dates on election documents.
Dissenting faction and Federation
The election process is proceeding after the High Court declined to stop it midway, with the article noting that a Supreme Court ruling concerning already initiated elections was considered.
Finances and governance
Poonam Dhillon-led leadership
Dhillon and her colleagues deny financial misuse, defend the use of banking controls and constitutional committee inductions, and oppose spending members’ money on building interiors without proper approval.
Dissenting faction and Federation
The dissenting side has raised allegations and questions about financial management, committee inductions, show-cause notices and the handling of association affairs; the article presents the leadership’s responses but not a full rebuttal.
- Association
- Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA)
- Membership
- Nearly 9,000 actors
- Election status
- The High Court allowed the election process to continue, while a jurisdiction dispute remains pending.
- Next hearing
- October 26, 2026
- Reported CINTAA funds
- Approximately ₹18 crore
- Reported 2025 collection
- Approximately ₹1.74 crore
- Proposed building spending
- Approximately ₹1.75 crore for interiors and ₹25 lakh for inauguration
- Annual membership fee
- ₹1,200