Sahila Chhadda Critiques Senior Actors' Attitude in Bollywood
Sahila Chhadda's Bold Claims
File image of Bollywood actress Poonam Dhillon(Photo: X)
Mumbai, Oct 3: Actress Sahila Chhadda has recently voiced her concerns regarding what she perceives as the arrogant behavior of veteran actors Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure within the film industry.
In a discussion with a news outlet, Sahila accused the actresses of looking down on their peers, refusing to share lifts with fellow actors, and mocking others' English proficiency.
Reflecting on her experiences, Sahila stated, “They have engaged in numerous disrespectful actions, belittling others. If an actor they deem less famous approaches, they outright refuse to share the lift, saying, ‘No, I won’t go in the lift with them.’ What gives them that right? All actors are equal; there are no small or big actors, only good or bad ones.”
She further questioned the rationale behind such attitudes, emphasizing that no one in the industry should be treated differently based on their fame. “I’m baffled by their self-perception. I’ve encountered much bigger stars who don’t exhibit this level of entitlement,” she remarked.
Sahila recounted an incident involving Poonam Dhillon, where a distressed actress sought her help while on set. According to Sahila, Poonam pretended to be her own manager to avoid assisting, stating, ‘I’m her manager. You need to speak to Poonam Dhillon in the office.’”
Actor Vikas Verma added, “Poonam ji has taken on a leadership role but is unwilling to engage with the members she is supposed to serve.”
Sahila elaborated on the ongoing issues within CINTAA, explaining her long-standing involvement with the association since the 1980s and her role on the executive committee for over two decades.
She noted that while members initially united for the welfare of actors, the focus shifted to internal conflicts. “It’s unfortunate that we came together to support actors, yet we ended up sidetracked by disputes. Meetings became more about fighting than resolving issues. Poonam and Padmini ji often insulted members, especially when legitimate questions were raised,” she explained.
“The topics discussed in meetings were often irrelevant to the actors’ interests. Despite lengthy discussions, no real solutions emerged,” Sahila continued. “Ultimately, we decided to resign and dissolve the committee. We could have removed them, but we chose to resign with dignity instead.”
“During our last legal meeting, attended by the majority, we made the decision to resign. However, they refused to acknowledge the committee's dissolution and insisted on retaining their positions,” she added.
“We followed the proper procedures. On August 5, we made our decision, and by August 7, we had resigned. Our constitution states that if over half the members resign, the committee is automatically dissolved. Yet, they refused to accept this and continued to hold meetings, even calling an EGM under CINTAA, which we believe was illegal,” Sahila stated.
“They also misused CINTAA resources, including letterheads and social media accounts. It’s perplexing why they won’t accept the decision. If the roles were reversed, we would have gracefully acknowledged the majority decision and called for new elections,” she concluded.
For context, the CINTAA dispute has been escalating for weeks, with Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure on one side and Upasana Singh and other members on the other. Tensions rose after 11 members, including eight elected officials, resigned amid claims of biased decision-making.
The conflict further intensified over CINTAA documents, with allegations that Poonam and Padmini attempted to remove important records from the office, prompting a police complaint. Poonam defended the action, stating the documents contained sensitive information about CINTAA members and were being moved for safekeeping.