Mumbai, Oct 2: The ongoing tussle within the Cine and Television Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has brought to the fore allegations of internal spats and discord.

Actress and former office-bearer Upasana Singh speaking about the treatment allegedly meted out to veteran actors Mukesh Rishi, Deepak Parashar and Vikas Verma during meetings of the association.

In an interaction with media, Upasana spoke about what she described as repeated instances of senior members being humiliated during CINTAA meetings.

Upasana alleged that the atmosphere became uncomfortable for senior members, including actor Mukesh Rishi.

Recalling one CINTAA meeting, she said Rishi had arrived late because of Mumbai traffic and was allegedly told that he would not be allowed to vote or raise his hand because he was half an hour late.

She claimed that the incident and constant humiliations eventually led an otherwise introverted and soft-spoken Mukesh Rishi, to lash out and express his anger by shouting publicly during the AGM.

“He had to scream in the AGM on the mic that, ‘So much misbehaviour with me, how can you people do it?’” Upasana recalled.

Upasana also spoke at length about veteran actor Deepak Parashar, who, according to her, was allegedly treated disrespectfully despite his age and seniority, where at times he was left in tears.

Recalling an incident surrounding a CINTAA press conference for Hema Malini’s event, she said Parashar, who was then the association’s treasurer and was around 74 years old, allegedly went to knock on the door but was not allowed in.

“Deepak Parashar ji was our treasurer and he is 74 years old and he has done so many films, kept knocking at the door but they did not open it for him. So he came and told me ‘let’s not go there, it is extremely insulting’,” she said.

Upasana added that she tried to convince him to stay because the event involved veteran actor Hema Malini, who was associated with the proceedings.

She also highlighted Parashar’s efforts for his fellow CINTAA members, saying he has been waking up early and cooking food for the executive committee during meetings.

“For two and a half years, during EC meetings or any meetings, he used to get up at 5 o’clock and cook food for us and feed us,” she said.

“Deepak ji is senior to them, he is elder to him, at every level. If he is a senior, then we should respect his regard, we should not talk to him like that, no matter what the differences are,” she said.

She also alleged that Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure would maintain a distance from other members because of their status as stars, saying: “Poonam ji and Padmini ji would never even enter the same lift as others, claiming that they were stars.”

Recalling actor Vikas Verma’s experience, she said his lack of English fluency had allegedly been used to belittle him despite his long career and work within the industry.

“Vikas Verma, the man who is always available for everybody and helps each one in need, was humiliated just because he did not know English and they did not consider him of their class and stature,” Upasana said.

She went on to praise Vikas Verma’s contribution to the fraternity, pointing out that he had worked across different languages and had also been involved in charitable work. According to her, he would help colleagues in need and even assist members struggling with substance-abuse issues through his NGO.

“He has been insulted so many times there. That boy has come out crying and he is the youngest among us,” she said.

These allegations come amid a larger dispute over CINTAA’s administration and leadership.

In August, eight executive committee members resigned, including Mukesh Rishi, Vikas Verma and Deepak Parashar. The resignations followed allegations concerning decision-making and the functioning of the association.

Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure have previously rejected allegations levelled against them and have publicly responded to criticism surrounding the CINTAA dispute.

Mumbai, Oct 1: The ongoing dispute within the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) has taken another turn, with actor and General Secretary Upasana Singh alleging that she was asked to explain herself after speaking in support of actor Ranveer Singh during the controversy surrounding Don 3.

In an exclusive conversation with media, Upasana questioned the move and maintained that, as a CINTAA representative, it was her responsibility to stand by a member who was facing an industry-related dispute.

Speaking to media, Upasana questioned why her support for Ranveer became an issue for Poonam Dhillon and alleged that she was subsequently asked to give an explanation.

“I spoke in favour of Ranveer Singh. So how did I lose my focus? I am a member of the General Council of the Federation. We are three members, Vikas Verma, Sahila Chadha and Upasana Singh. We are members of the Federation and we attend every meeting and press conference of the Federation.

“They did not tell the media that Upasana Singh is a member of the General Council. The entire media knew that Upasana Singh is a member of the General Council and I did not say anything wrong.

She added, “Ranveer Singh is a member of CINTAA. As General Secretary of CINTAA, it was my duty to stand by any member of CINTAA who is in trouble, whether it is Ranveer Singh, or any other member.

She added, ““Whatever I said was published in all the media. It became so viral, and the industry lauded me for supporting Ranveer. I told them that he was a ‘Dhurandhar’ who helped the industry get back on track and revive it, but they did not like it. Poonam asked me for a complete explanation of how I went there. ‘How can you do this?’, I was asked and was given a show-cause notice.”

Upasana further alleged that questions were also raised over the functioning of the association and the manner in which certain decisions were being taken. Referring to the internal CINTAA dispute, she questioned the authority of office-bearers to take decisions without consulting the wider membership.

“Our Senior Joint Secretary, Mr Hemant Pandey, is a very good actor. He did not say, ‘Yes, madam,’ and gave in to their working process. ’ One day, suddenly a meeting was called and Mr. Paintal was declared as the new Joint Secretary.”

Upasana added, “How can you do this? You have to call the AGM and ask the members. They are not listening to anything. They broke the FDs of our members and put them in a current account. This is such a big crime.”

Talking about the Ranveer Singh controversy, it dates back to June, when the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) withdrew its non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh.

The directive had followed a dispute over his exit from Don 3, with producer-director Farhan Akhtar and Excel Entertainment reportedly claiming that the actor’s departure had caused substantial losses. Ranveer later issued a legal notice, while many industry bodies, including CINTAA, became involved in the matter.

The Ranveer episode had earlier created a separate disagreement between CINTAA and FWICE. Poonam Dhillon had questioned Upasana’s presence at the FWICE press conference, saying CINTAA had not been informed that she would attend and that she would have needed authorisation if she were representing the association.

Upasana though maintained that her intervention was part of her responsibility towards a fellow CINTAA member and has questioned why speaking in his support should have resulted in her having to explain herself, and moreover facing a show-cause notice.

Mumbai, Sep 30: Actor Arjun Rampal has opened up about his experience of working with veteran Malayalam superstar Mohanlal in the upcoming film ‘Operation Ganga.’

He called it an honor and described the experience as inspirational. Taking to Instagram, the ‘Om Shanti Om’ actor shared pictures with Mohanlal and expressed his admiration for the actor’s talent. Arjun wrote, “Such an honour to have the privilege to share screen space with you Sir. It has been inspirational. The supremely talented and gifted @mohanlal. Thank you,” he wrote.

He also added hashtags related to ‘Operation Ganga’, Georgia and Tbilisi, indicating that the project has been shot in the region.

‘Operation Ganga’ brings Arjun and Mohanlal together on screen for the first time.

On a related note, helmed by Vishnu Mohan, the film was officially announced earlier this month. The title refers to India’s evacuation operation undertaken to bring back its citizens, including a large number of students, who were left stranded in Ukraine after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. The film also stars Bhagyashri Borse and Adil Hussain in key roles.

Mohanlal had announced the project on Instagram by sharing its poster. “Operation Ganga,” the Malayalam star wrote in the caption. The film is backed by Gokulam Gopalan under the banner of Sree Gokulam Movies.

Mohanlal was last seen in ‘Drishyam 3’, the third instalment of the popular ‘Drishyam’ franchise, directed by Jeethu Joseph. He also starred in ‘Thudakkam’.

Meanwhile, Arjun Rampal recently announced the completion of his upcoming project, Imtiaz Ali’s ‘O Saathi Re’, which also features Aditi Rao Hydari and Avinash Tiwary. To mark the wrap, the actor spent some time with Imtiaz and Aditi.

Arjun shared pictures from their get-together on Instagram, expressing his excitement about the project and saying he would miss the team. “Wrapped something very special, with some very talented special people. Will miss you guys. Was lovely to be directed finally by my college friend @imtiazaliofficial #OsathiRe #Netflix,” he wrote.

Arjun Rampal was last seen in Ranveer Singh starrer action thriller ‘Dhurandhar 2.’