Actress Sahila Chhadda has publicly accused senior Bollywood actors Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure of displaying what she described as entitled and dismissive behaviour toward fellow members of the Cine & TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA), as a long-running internal dispute within the body continues to escalate in Mumbai. Her remarks, made in a recent interview, have reignited attention on a governance crisis that has gripped the actor's union for several weeks.

Allegations of Entitlement on Set and in Meetings

Chhadda alleged that the senior actresses look down upon other members and reportedly refuse to share lifts with fellow actors. Recounting her experience, she said: 'You know, they have been doing so many wrong things, insulting people. If an actor comes, then don't go in the lift together. "No, I won't go in the lift. I won't do this and that with them." Hey, what are you? All actors are the same. There are no small or big actors. There are only good actors or bad actors.'

She also alleged that members were mocked for their English-speaking skills during internal meetings. Chhadda said she had encountered far bigger stars in her career and had never witnessed this degree of perceived entitlement. 'I don't know what they are thinking about themselves in their head. Have seen so many bigger stars but never seen this kind of entitlement and attitude,' she added.

The Alleged Phone-Call Incident Involving Poonam Dhillon

Chhadda cited a specific incident she claimed illustrated this behaviour. According to her account, an actress in distress tried to contact Poonam Dhillon for help, but Dhillon allegedly disguised her voice and posed as her own manager to avoid engaging. 'An actress called because she was in trouble and wanted some help. But Poonamji changed her voice and spoke to her, pretending to be her own manager, probably just to avoid helping out, saying that "I am her manager. You talk to Poonam Dhillon in the office,"' Chhadda alleged.

Actor Vikas Verma echoed the sentiment, saying: 'Poonam ji has become the president and she came here to serve the members but she is not even ready to talk to them.' These allegations have not been independently verified, and Poonam Dhillon has not publicly responded to these specific claims at the time of publication.

The CINTAA Governance Crisis: What Happened

Chhadda, a CINTAA member since the 1980s who has served on its executive committee for over 20 years, explained that a faction of members had come together with the intent of addressing actor welfare issues. She said internal meetings — some lasting up to nine hours — repeatedly failed to resolve genuine concerns, with discussions devolving into what she described as unproductive disputes.

Citing a constitutional provision, she said that on 5 August, the majority of members present at a legally convened meeting voted to resign from the committee. Formal resignations were submitted on 7 August, with all proceedings recorded in the meeting minutes. Chhadda stated: 'Our constitution clearly states that if 50% or more than 50% of the members resign, the committee is automatically dissolved. As soon as we resign, the committee is dissolved and fresh elections have to be called.'

Trade Union Weighs In; Dispute Deepens

Despite the resignations, Chhadda alleged that Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure refused to accept the dissolution and continued to convene meetings and call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in the name of CINTAA, which the resigning faction considers legally invalid. She said the trade union issued a letter confirming the committee's dissolution and stating that further meetings held in its name would be deemed improper.

Chhadda further alleged misuse of CINTAA's official letterhead, email ID, bulk messaging system, and social media accounts by those contesting the dissolution — charges that remain disputed. Notably, the conflict also reportedly escalated over the handling of CINTAA documents: actor Upasana Singh alleged that Poonam and Padmini attempted to remove documents from the association's office via a tempo and filed a police complaint. Poonam Dhillon, however, defended the move, stating the documents contained records and KYC details of thousands of CINTAA members and were being taken for safekeeping.

What Comes Next for CINTAA

The standoff has now drawn in the trade union and reportedly involves competing claims over the legitimacy of the association's current leadership. With 11 members — including eight elected executive committee members — having resigned, the path to fresh elections remains contested. The outcome will likely determine who speaks for one of Bollywood's most prominent actor bodies going forward, and whether its internal processes can withstand this level of factional pressure.