Actors Rakesh Bedi and Deepak Qazir Kejriwal Speak Out on CINTAA Dispute

Internal Conflict

Actors Rakesh Bedi and Deepak Qazir Kejriwal have publicly addressed the ongoing dispute involving CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon, member Upasana Singh, and other dissenting members. Speaking to news agency ANI, Rakesh Bedi expressed sadness over the internal rift and highlighted the voluntary efforts actors put into the organisation. He noted that members gave their time as a form of social work, pointing to a 2024 musical tribute he helped organise for filmmaker Raj Kapoor's birth centenary under the leadership of Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure, and their team. Bedi also revealed that he spent money from his own pocket for that actor-benefit show. Despite the current disagreements, he expressed optimism that the situation would get resolved, the feud would not drag on forever, and CINTAA would continue to function while his personal bonds with other actors remained strong.

Union Interference

Meanwhile, former CINTAA office-bearer Deepak Qazir Kejriwal strongly criticised the involvement of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees in the matter. He argued that CINTAA is an independent organisation and FWICE had no right to interfere in its internal laws, alleging that FWICE had infiltrated and ruined multiple unions. Kejriwal stated that the underlying dispute actually stems back to 2016 and involves issues with the functioning of both CINTAA and the Cine Artists Welfare Trust. According to him, the friction arose from unfulfilled promises made during the 2024 CINTAA elections regarding an eight-hour work shift, travel conveyance, and timely payments for artists.

Legal Context

This public disagreement follows a larger executive board crisis where eleven members resigned last month after alleging that decisions were made without proper consultation, though Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure denied those claims. The election process faced a legal challenge before a court permitted the polls to go ahead on September 9, subject to the final outcome of ongoing legal proceedings, leading up to the CINTAA elections held on September 12.