CINTAA leadership and governance dispute

The Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) has been embroiled in an internal leadership dispute involving competing factions and legal interventions.

On October 20, veteran actresses Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon were elected to the CINTAA Executive Committee, with Kolhapure receiving the highest number of votes. Despite legal challenges and claims that a court order had stayed the proceedings, members proceeded with the vote, which was described by participants as having a high turnout.

However, a separate faction led by Upasana Singh and treasurer Nagma Morarji has claimed victory following court rulings in their favor. The Bombay High Court reportedly restrained the Kolhapure-Dhillon faction from acting on their election results and issued a contempt show-cause notice for alleged violations of court directions.

The conflict stems from disagreements in August that led to the resignation of 11 executive committee members. Upasana Singh has alleged “significant financial mismanagement” by the previous committee, specifically citing the unauthorized transfer of ₹73L in fixed deposits and a failure to allocate the constitutionally mandated 20 percent of funds toward artist welfare.