Amid ongoing disputes within the Malayalam Movie Artists Association (AMMA), veteran actor and Padma Bhushan awardee Mammootty expressed hope that the crisis within the organization will soon come to an end.
On Wednesday, Mammootty stated, “Absolutely, everything will be fine in AMMA. It has to be resolved.” His remarks come at a time when accusations and counter-accusations have intensified within the association.
The recent controversy began following the resignation of former AMMA president Shweta Menon. Defending her decision, Menon stated that she was not willing to work as a puppet for anyone.
In a sharp statement shared on social media, she alleged that attempts to tarnish her character began even before she took office and continued throughout her tenure.
Notably, the entire executive committee led by Shweta Menon resigned on Sunday. Subsequently, a nine-member ad-hoc committee was formed under the leadership of Congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala to oversee the organization’s operations and conduct elections for a new executive body within the next four months.
Menon claimed she was prevented from investigating questionable decisions made by former office bearers. She also called for a comprehensive forensic audit of the financial activities from the last two terms.
She emphasized that a scientific and impartial examination of the accounts is essential to restore trust in the organization’s functioning. Menon clarified that she has no affiliations with any political ideology or organization, nor is she connected with the Sangh Parivar or leftist movements.
Meanwhile, former AMMA treasurer Unni Shivapal has also raised serious allegations regarding the organization’s financial management. He claimed that approximately 1.5 million rupees were spent on a family event without the executive committee’s approval.
Shivapal stated that he opposed this expenditure, which likely led to disciplinary him. He alleged that several accounts were prepared while excluding him from financial decisions.
He further claimed that disagreements among the top leadership had escalated to the point where heated debates frequently occurred even within the limited WhatsApp group of the president, secretary, and treasurer.
The demand for a forensic audit and the open accusations from senior members have revealed deep divisions within Kerala’s most influential film organization. While Mammootty remains hopeful that the situation will normalize, current conditions indicate that the AMMA crisis is far from resolution.