Mumbai, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Amid the ongoing dispute within the Cine and Television Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), actress and former office-bearer Upasana Singh has alleged that veteran actors Mukesh Rishi, Deepak Parashar and Vikas Verma were repeatedly humiliated during association meetings.
Speaking to IANS, Upasana described what she said were instances of disrespectful treatment of senior members, claiming that the episodes left some of them angry and emotional.
Recalling an incident involving Mukesh Rishi, Upasana said the actor once arrived around 30 minutes late for a CINTAA meeting due to Mumbai traffic and was allegedly told that he would not be allowed to vote or raise his hand.
She said the repeated experiences eventually prompted the otherwise soft-spoken actor to publicly express his anger during an Annual General Meeting.
“He had to scream in the AGM on the mic that, ‘So much misbehaviour with me, how can you people do it?’” Upasana recalled.
She also alleged that Deepak Parashar, who was then serving as CINTAA treasurer, was treated disrespectfully despite his age and seniority. Recalling a press conference linked to veteran actress Hema Malini’s event, Upasana claimed that Parashar, then around 74, was left outside after allegedly being denied entry despite knocking on the door.
Upasana said Parashar had told her the experience was “extremely insulting”. She also highlighted his efforts for fellow association members, saying he would wake up early and cook food for executive committee meetings.
“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,” she said.
Upasana further alleged that actors Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure kept their distance from other members because of their status as stars. She also claimed Vikas Verma was belittled over his limited English proficiency despite his long career and work for colleagues in need.
According to Upasana, Verma had also been involved in charitable work through his NGO and helped association members dealing with substance-abuse issues. She alleged that he had been “insulted so many times” and had left meetings in tears.
The allegations come amid a wider dispute over CINTAA’s functioning. Eight executive committee members resigned in August, including Mukesh Rishi, Vikas Verma and Deepak Parashar, amid disagreements over the association’s administration and decision-making.
Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure have previously rejected allegations against them and responded publicly to criticism surrounding the dispute.
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