The ongoing internal dispute within the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) intensified after allegations surfaced that office-bearers Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure had attempted to secretly remove documents and other belongings from the association’s premises.
Responding to the allegations, Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure, CINTAA vice-president C.P. Thakur, Abhay Bhargava, Jaya Bhattacharya and actress Tina Ghai spoke about the controversy and the events surrounding the incident.
Poonam said she and her colleagues were “shocked, disappointed and saddened” by the way the internal dispute had unfolded, particularly as those involved had until recently worked together as a team.
“It’s hurtful and degrading to not just CINTAA but also the 9,000 actors associated,” Poonam said.
Members said they were informed about the presence of police at the CINTAA premises and understood that documents and other material were being shifted from one CINTAA office to another, including the association’s former office.
“Ye humne discuss kiya tha. Aur phir humne stuff load karna shuru kiya,” they said, indicating that the shifting of the material had been discussed before loading began.
Poonam also described an incident in which, according to her, a vehicle was stopped while the material was being moved.
“They stopped our car by bringing theirs in front of ours and created a chaos while trying to secure the documents and shift them,” she said.
The members recalled that a police officer at the spot made it clear that determining which side was right or wrong was outside the police’s jurisdiction.
Poonam said the officer was “very stern” and “very straightforward”, adding that she appreciated the clarity with which the officer handled the situation.
The members said the police had intervened because of a possible law-and-order situation and were not present to decide the merits of the dispute.
The incident comes amid a wider CINTAA controversy involving allegations and counter-allegations between different factions, including claims raised by Kunika Sadanand and Upasana Singh and responses from Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon.
Poonam and Padmini have maintained that their actions were connected with CINTAA’s functioning and objected to the manner in which the internal dispute has played out publicly.
The association’s internal functioning, leadership and election process have become the subject of competing allegations in recent weeks. The matter is also before the courts, with both sides continuing to present their respective versions.