The leadership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) resigned on Sunday after a stormy general body meeting in Kochi, bringing an abrupt end to an administration that had made history by electing women to its top posts for the first time.
AMMA president Shwetha Menon announced her resignation after hours of heated discussions over the organisation’s functioning, financial records and internal disputes, news agency PTI reported. The entire 17-member executive committee also resigned.
The crisis unfolded during the association’s annual general body meeting, where members questioned the adoption of the annual report and calculation of accounts. A section of members alleged that financial records lacked clarity, leading to a heated exchange between the leadership and participants.
The Executive Committee decided to resign after a section of the association submitted a motion of no confidence in the leadership. The leadership was accused of failing to manage the daily affairs of the organization and resolve ongoing conflicts within the body.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Menon said she has resigned not only from the post of president but also from the primary membership of AMMA.
It was alleged that the association was unable to submit accounts for a certain period due to unavailability of the treasurer. Menon stressed that the accounts dealt with by the current committee since September were sound, but many issues related to the previous committee remained unresolved.
It also claimed that attempts were being made to hand the organization back over to individuals against whom allegations had previously been raised. Menon also alleged that some members were being pressured to sign a motion of no confidence in the Executive Committee.
Members of the outgoing committee also echoed the controversy over financial records. Actor Lakshmipriya rejected allegations that the executive committee had resigned as it had failed to submit proper financial statements. She claimed that a complete report could not be submitted because the previous committee had not finalized certain calculations.
Dedicated board for AMMA operation
After the resignations, a special committee of nine members was formed to supervise the affairs of the organization.
The committee will be headed by actor and MLA Ramesh Pisharody as convener, and its members include actor and former minister KP Ganesh Kumar and actor Suresh Krishna. The committee was tasked with managing the association for the next four months and determining the timetable for holding new elections.
The resignations sparked contradictory reactions from members of the film fraternity.
Veteran actress Mallika Sukumaran admitted that the outgoing executive committee made mistakes, but said the organization needs leadership that understands the film industry and can address members’ concerns effectively.
Representative Jagadish said no personal attacks were made against Menon during the meeting, although members pointed out responsibilities which, in their view, were not adequately discharged by the President.
Actor Bhiman Rigo claimed that Menon’s working style had alienated many members, while actor Baburaj criticized the outgoing leadership and said the organization needed a president who would listen to all sections of the association.
On the other hand, actor Anup Chandran said that the problems were largely due to lack of experience and could have been resolved without dismantling the committee.
More resignations follow
The repercussions of the crisis continued on Monday.
Actors Mallika Sukumaran and Lakshmipriya resigned from AMMA’s primary membership in solidarity with Menon.
In a Facebook post, Sukumaran said she would step down from the association while standing for “truth and justice.” Lakshmipriya, who served as vice-chairman in the outgoing executive committee, said some members arrived at the general body meeting with a pre-determined agenda.
The resignations represent a major setback for the leadership team that was elected in August last year. Menon and Secretary General Kuku Parameswaran took charge amid hopes that a new women-led administration would bring about change in the organisation.
Reacting to the developments, Kerala Cultural Affairs and Film Minister B C Vishnunadh described the issue as an internal matter of the organization and said there was no need for government intervention.
(With inputs from PTI)
