CINTAA leadership and property disputes

The Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has entered a period of internal instability characterized by leadership disputes, labor concerns, and property conflicts.

Initially, the association faced criticism regarding its governance and industry standards. Advocate AS Peerzada, representing CINTAA leadership, condemned the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) for attempting to supersede the association’s elected committee, calling the intervention a “completely wrong approach.” Concurrently, member Kunickaa Sadanand raised issues regarding unfair labor practices, specifically noting that actors lack the extra compensation provided to technicians for extended shifts, describing the treatment as “stepmother-like.”

The situation escalated into a physical dispute over the association’s headquarters. CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon alleged that the Cine Artistes Welfare Trust (CAWT) locked out CINTAA staff and Executive Committee members from the CINTAA Tower. Dhillon contested CAWT’s claim of building ownership, noting that CINTAA members had previously contributed Rs 6 crore toward the tower’s construction to assist CAWT during a fund shortage.