24 August,2026 03:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon. Pic via IMDb
Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) recently grabbed headlines after 11 of its members submitted a joint resignation. General Secretary of the body, Upasana Singh, confirmed the news, sharing that the members accused CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon and Senior Vice President Padmini Kolhapure of "dictatorship" and misusing their power amid prolonged tensions over the functioning of the association. Now, Poonam and Padmini have responded to the allegations at a recent press conference.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Poonam Dhillon, who was recently hospitalised, addressed the allegations of causing financial irregularities, saying, "Upasana Singh's allegations are completely baseless and false. Every penny raised is fully accounted for and reaches its rightful beneficiary. Not a single rupee is used for personal gain. We have zero tolerance for anything illegal or unconstitutional. Our work stands on transparency, accountability and facts and the records speak for themselves"
Padmini Kolhapure also said Upasana's allegations were untrue. She said, "The allegations made by Upasana Singh are entirely untrue and without basis. The funds we raise are handled with utmost responsibility and are directed to the people and causes they are meant for. They are never diverted for our personal use. We have always maintained a strict stand against anything unlawful or unconstitutional. Our only priority is to ensure that the purpose behind every contribution is honoured with complete integrity."
For the unversed, 11 members of the 21-member Executive Committee resigned from CINTAA earlier this month and called for fresh elections. These resignations were reportedly submitted to Upasana, who accepted them in her capacity as General Secretary.
The members who resigned included Hemant Pandey, Mukesh Rishi, Sahila Chadha, Heta Parmar, Puneet Issar, Vindu Dara Singh, Vikas Verma and Deepak Parashar, among others.
The members reportedly claimed that decision-making had increasingly become concentrated in the hands of CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon and Senior VP Padmini Kolhapure, along with some other members of the Executive Committee. They also alleged that Dhillon had taken several key decisions independently without the knowledge of other members, which included communicating with government officials through her personal ID and making decisions on communications with industry bodies through the association's official ID.
