Mumbai actor and CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon says CAWT staff and members block elected CINTAA members and office staff from entering CINTAA Tower amid a widening dispute between the Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) and the Cine Artistes Welfare Trust (CAWT). Speaking to ANI, Dhillon says she was “quite shocked” after CINTAA received an email stating that CAWT is the actual owner of the building and that CINTAA staff would not be allowed in.
Dhillon alleges CINTAA contributed ₹6 crore toward the tower’s construction when CAWT faced funding shortages, with conditions that a common office would operate for both bodies and that welfare activities for CINTAA members would be carried out. She questions CAWT’s authority over CINTAA employees, saying they work for CINTAA, not CAWT. Other CINTAA members also tell ANI that notices about who can enter the premises were inconsistent and that no court order establishes restrictions.
Both reports also place the dispute within broader internal CINTAA tensions, including resignations from the executive committee and legal challenges over election procedures. One outlet notes that courts allow elections to proceed on a scheduled basis while legal proceedings continue. Overall, outlets describe competing claims of ownership and control, with CAWT’s position not detailed in the provided accounts.
