A heated confrontation at the CINTAA office, allegations over association documents and a court-backed election have pushed the long-running power struggle in the film and television industry into an explosive new phase.
By Ulta Palta Khabar Entertainment Desk | September 12, 2026
The long-running power struggle inside the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has now spilled out of boardrooms and courtrooms and into a chaotic confrontation at the organisation’s Mumbai office. Videos circulating online show veteran actors including Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure, Upasana Singh, Kunickaa Sadanand and Priti Sapru caught up in a heated argument, with police eventually stepping in to control the situation.
What makes the episode particularly explosive is the timing. The confrontation took place just before the September 12 CINTAA elections, a poll that has itself become the centre of a bitter dispute over the association’s leadership and governance.
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At the heart of the latest controversy are allegations surrounding CINTAA documents. Upasana Singh has alleged that Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure attempted to remove official papers and belongings from the association’s premises. A police complaint has also reportedly been filed over the incident.
Poonam and Padmini, meanwhile, have been on the opposite side of the wider CINTAA dispute and have challenged the process that led to the fresh elections.
The result is a messy confrontation involving some of the most recognisable names in Hindi television and cinema—and an association that represents thousands of artistes.
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Viral CINTAA video shows tempers boiling over
The videos from the CINTAA office quickly became the latest flashpoint in the controversy.
In one clip, members can be seen confronting Padmini Kolhapure over allegations concerning association papers. Questions are raised about whether documents were being taken away, while Padmini reportedly asks the opposing side to show the letter declaring the existing committee dissolved.
The argument soon becomes increasingly heated.
Police officers present at the scene attempted to calm the actors and repeatedly told them that they were not taking sides in the internal CINTAA dispute.
But the argument continued.
In another video, Poonam Dhillon is seen questioning why her vehicle was being searched. Kunickaa Sadanand, who appears to have been recording the proceedings, is also drawn into the confrontation.
The situation became so tense that a police officer visibly lost patience and reprimanded the actors for their behaviour.
The officer reportedly reminded the group that they were public figures and urged them to consider their reputation while arguing in front of cameras and people.
It was an unusually unglamorous sight involving names normally associated with television sets, award functions and red carpets.
This time, there was no script—and apparently no one willing to lower the volume.
What is the fight actually about?
The latest confrontation cannot be understood without looking at the larger CINTAA crisis.
The association has been dealing with an internal leadership battle for weeks. The dispute intensified after 11 members of the executive committee resigned, including eight elected representatives.
The dissenting members raised allegations about the functioning of the association and claimed that important decisions were being taken without adequate consultation or collective decision-making.
The allegations were directed at the leadership headed by Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure.
The two have rejected the accusations.
Poonam and Padmini have maintained that the allegations against them are unfair, while Padmini has previously accused Upasana of creating a major misunderstanding within the association.
What began as an internal disagreement therefore turned into a question of legitimacy.
Who actually has the authority to run CINTAA?
Was the existing committee still legally and constitutionally valid?
And should fresh elections be conducted?
Those questions eventually pulled the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) into the controversy.
Why the September 12 election is so important
After the mass resignations, FWICE announced fresh elections for CINTAA.
The move was strongly contested by the Poonam Dhillon-Padmini Kolhapure faction, which approached the court seeking a stay on the proposed election.
But the court did not stop the election from proceeding.
The September 12 poll was therefore allowed to go ahead, although the legal dispute itself has not disappeared. The election outcome remains subject to the result of the ongoing legal proceedings, with the matter scheduled for further hearing in October.
That means the election is not necessarily the final chapter.
It could instead become the beginning of another round of legal and administrative battles.
And that makes the document controversy particularly sensitive.
Why the alleged CINTAA documents have become such a big deal
Upasana Singh has alleged that CINTAA documents were being removed from the office shortly before the election.
According to her account, she was alerted after another actor noticed people allegedly moving documents and other belongings from the premises. She said she immediately reached the office and called the police.
Upasana has also claimed that concerns had already been raised about possible irregularities in certain documents and that a member had sought a forensic examination.
Those are allegations—not established facts.
But they are serious because association records can potentially become crucial in determining how decisions were made, who authorised them and whether the organisation followed its own rules.
That is why the dispute over papers has suddenly become much bigger than a simple argument over files.
If the documents are ultimately found to contain information relevant to the leadership dispute, they could become important evidence in the ongoing legal battle.
If the allegations are not substantiated, however, the episode could have serious reputational consequences for those who made them.
Either way, the controversy has raised uncomfortable questions about transparency.
Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure face a new image challenge
For Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure, the latest videos could be particularly damaging from a public-relations perspective.
Both actresses have enjoyed decades-long careers and have built reputations far removed from the kind of public confrontation now circulating online.
Being seen arguing inside an association office while police attempt to restore order creates an entirely different image.
However, the controversy should not automatically be interpreted as proof of wrongdoing.
The videos show a confrontation, but they do not independently establish who was right or wrong regarding the documents.
That distinction will become increasingly important as the dispute moves through legal and organisational channels.
For Poonam and Padmini, the immediate challenge will be to defend their position without allowing the controversy to become a permanent stain on their professional reputations.
Upasana Singh and Kunickaa Sadanand are also taking a major risk
The same applies to the opposing camp.
Upasana Singh has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the previous leadership and has publicly pushed for a new electoral process.
Kunickaa Sadanand has also been outspoken about the alleged handling of CINTAA documents.
Their aggressive stance may win support from members who believe the organisation requires greater transparency and collective decision-making.
But there is another side.
If the allegations surrounding the documents are not ultimately proven, the public nature of the accusations could create a different problem for them.
In other words, everyone involved has something to lose.
And that is precisely why this fight has become so intense.
CINTAA election could decide much more than a committee
The September 12 election is now effectively a referendum on the direction of CINTAA.
The association represents artistes who rely on it for collective representation, professional support and workplace-related concerns.
A prolonged leadership crisis risks damaging confidence in the organisation at precisely the moment when unity is most important.
The election could therefore provide a chance to reset the association.
But simply changing office-bearers may not be enough.
The next leadership will have to deal with the distrust created by the current dispute, address questions about governance and potentially rebuild communication between factions that have become openly hostile.
That will be considerably harder than winning an election.
Could the document controversy trigger a bigger legal battle?
Absolutely.
If the police complaint leads to a formal investigation, questions surrounding the movement or handling of CINTAA records could become part of the broader legal dispute.
The October court proceedings could also take on greater significance depending on what happens during the election and whether new evidence emerges.
The biggest danger for CINTAA is that the association becomes trapped in an endless cycle of elections, allegations, counter-allegations and court cases.
For an organisation created to protect artistes, that would be an unfortunate irony.
Bollywood’s latest power struggle has become very public
The CINTAA controversy has now crossed the line from an internal industry dispute into full-blown entertainment news.
Veteran actors are fighting publicly. Police are being called to association premises. Videos are going viral. Court proceedings are determining the future of the election. And allegations over official documents have added a potentially serious legal dimension.
Yet the biggest question remains unanswered:
Who will actually take control of CINTAA after the election—and can the organisation put this ugly chapter behind it?
For now, the cameras have captured the chaos.
The next few weeks will determine whether CINTAA can turn that chaos into accountability and a fresh beginning—or whether Friday’s confrontation was merely the opening scene of an even bigger industry battle.
One thing is certain: the CINTAA war is no longer happening behind closed doors.
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