The Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), a venerable pillar of the Indian entertainment industry, has issued a definitive rebuttal regarding the status of its leadership, categorically denying widespread rumors that its Executive Committee (EC) has been dissolved. In an official statement addressing the industry and its members, the organization described such claims as “incorrect, misconceived, and unsupported” by its foundational governing documents. Led by veteran actress and President Poonam Dhillon, the association asserts that its administrative framework remains intact and that the body is operating with full legal and constitutional authority despite the swirling controversy.
Central to CINTAA’s defense is the strict interpretation of its Constitution, which outlines specific, narrow parameters for the dissolution of its governing board. According to the association, an Executive Committee can only be legally dissolved if more than 50 percent of its elected members submit their resignations simultaneously. CINTAA maintains that this threshold has not been met, meaning the current committee remains valid, operational, and fully functional. Furthermore, the organization clarified that any recent vacancies within the committee have been addressed through established constitutional protocols, specifically by inducting eligible candidates who were next in line based on previous voting records.
The association’s legal counsel, Adv. Suvigya Vidyarthi, reinforced this position by dismissing the external narratives as lacking any judicial sanctity. Vidyarthi took particular aim at the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which has recently attempted to intervene in the matter. CINTAA contends that the FWICE is seeking to exert authority that is neither recognized nor permitted under CINTAA’s autonomous framework. By allegedly acting on behalf of a faction of disgruntled individuals, the Federation’s interference is viewed by the association as a violation of the internal governance structure of an independent trade union, and CINTAA has vowed to challenge any attempts to override its constitutional autonomy.
Internal strife, however, remains the catalyst for this public standoff. The controversy stems from reports that eight elected members of the Executive Committee recently tendered their resignations. In a collective letter detailing their grievances, these departing members accused the association’s leadership of fostering a climate where power has become overly concentrated. Specifically, they alleged that decision-making has been monopolized by President Poonam Dhillon, Senior Vice President Padmini Kolhapure, and a select group of close allies, effectively sidelining other voices within the committee. These allegations form the core of the friction currently challenging the organization’s unity.
Despite the intensity of these accusations, CINTAA remains defiant, dismissing the turmoil as the work of a few individuals with “oblique motives” aimed at creating confusion. In a strongly worded public notice, the association urged all members and industry stakeholders to disregard the noise, emphasizing that its sixty-eight-year mandate to protect the rights of vulnerable artistes and ensure their professional welfare remains the organization’s primary focus. The EC asserts that internal disagreements or the departure of individual members cannot—and will not—undermine the structural legitimacy of the union or its historical commitment to its members.
As the situation continues to unfold, CINTAA has signaled its intent to take all necessary legal and administrative steps to defend its integrity and protect its operational autonomy. By reinforcing its commitment to its constitutional framework, the organization is attempting to stabilize its leadership while simultaneously continuing its day-to-day functions. With the association’s doors remaining open to its members and its leadership maintaining that the EC is fully empowered to carry out its duties, CINTAA is positioning itself to weather this period of internal dissent without surrendering its institutional mandate or its long-standing role as the primary representative body for Indian performers.
