A.M.M.A. leadership including Shwetha Menon resign amid sponsorship row and infighting
The entire administrative committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A.), led by president Shwetha Menon, resigned on Sunday, June 21 amid escalating internal disputes and public controversies that have rocked the organisation over the past several weeks.The resignations come less than a year after the committee assumed office following the A.M.M.A. elections held in August 2025. Shwetha Menon had then become the first woman president of the organisation, while actor and dubbing artist Kukku Parameswaran was elected general secretary, marking the first time women occupied the association's top two positions.Speaking to the media, Shwetha Menon said that she and the entire executive committee had resigned from their positions in A.M.M.A. She also announced that she had resigned from the organisation's membership.“The committee and I have resigned. I have also resigned from A.M.M.A. itself. As someone had said earlier, there are attempts to place the organisation in the hands of certain accused individuals. There was a clear agenda to remove us from our positions,” she said.Defending her committee's tenure, Shwetha Menon claimed that all financial transactions and accounts under the present administration were transparent and properly maintained. “All the finances after our committee took charge are accurate and accountable. However, there were several issues during the previous committee in which Baburaj was there,” she alleged.“I am no longer a member of A.M.M.A. I have resigned completely,” she added.In the previous committee led by Mohanlal, Baburaj held the post of joint secretary and Unni Mukundan served as treasurer. The committee later stepped down following the controversy surrounding the Hema Committee report.The crisis within the organisation intensified after actor and former joint secretary Ansiba Hassan stepped down, alleging harassment and communal targeting by certain members of the executive committee. Ansiba alleged that disagreements over the involvement of religious organisations as sponsors for A.M.M.A. events had triggered tensions within the committee. She also accused some office-bearers of isolating and targeting dissenting voices within the association.The controversy deepened after details of an agreement between A.M.M.A. and the Vennala Thykattu Sri Mahadeva Temple Trust surfaced in May. The agreement related to sponsorship for an A.M.M.A. reunion event held earlier this year. The issue sparked debates within the organisation over sponsorship policies and decision-making processes.Simultaneously, vice-president Lakshmipriya publicly raised concerns about the functioning of the organisation, alleging mismanagement and lack of transparency in certain decisions. Actor Mala Parvathy also alleged that important decisions were not being adequately communicated to members of the executive committee.Amid the growing public fallout, Shwetha Menon had defended the organisation's acceptance of sponsorships, arguing that A.M.M.A., as a charitable body, could not reject contributions based on the religious or political affiliations of donors and that the association's primary focus remained the welfare of actors.The committee that resigned on Saturday included general secretary Kukku Parameswaran, vice presidents Jayan R and Lakshmipriya, treasurer Unni Sivapal, and executive committee members Sarayu Mohan, Anjali Nair, Asha Aravind, Neena Kurup, Santhosh Keezhattur, Vinu Mohan, Kailash, Tini Tom, Joy Mathew, Rony David Raj and Sijoy Varghese.The resignations mark yet another leadership crisis for A.M.M.A., which had elected the present committee after the previous administration headed by actor Mohanlal stepped down in 2024 following controversies surrounding the release of the Hema Committee report and the debates it triggered within the Malayalam film industry.
THE entire administrative committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A.), led by president Shwetha Menon, resigned on Sunday, June 21 amid escalating internal disputes and public controversies that have rocked the organisation over the past several weeks.
The resignations come less than a year after the committee assumed office following the A.M.M.A. elections held in August 2025. Shwetha Menon had then become the first woman president of the organisation, while actor and dubbing artist Kukku Parameswaran was elected general secretary, marking the first time women occupied the association's top two positions.
Speaking to the media, Shwetha Menon said that she and the entire executive committee had resigned from their positions in A.M.M.A. She also announced that she had resigned from the organisation's membership.
“The committee and I have resigned. I have also resigned from A.M.M.A. itself. As someone had said earlier, there are attempts to place the organisation in the hands of certain accused individuals. There was a clear agenda to remove us from our positions,” she said.
Defending her committee's tenure, Shwetha Menon claimed that all financial transactions and accounts under the present administration were transparent and properly maintained. “All the finances after our committee took charge are accurate and accountable. However, there were several issues during the previous committee in which Baburaj was present,” she alleged.
“I am no longer a member of A.M.M.A. I have resigned completely,” she added.
In the previous committee led by Mohanlal, Baburaj held the post of joint secretary and Unni Mukundan served as treasurer. The committee later stepped down following the controversy surrounding the Hema Committee report.
The crisis within the organisation intensified after actor and former joint secretary Ansiba Hassan stepped down, alleging harassment and communal targeting by certain members of the executive committee.
Ansiba alleged that disagreements over the involvement of religious organisations as sponsors for A.M.M.A. events had triggered tensions within the committee. She also accused some office-bearers of isolating and targeting dissenting voices within the association.
The controversy deepened after details of an agreement between A.M.M.A. and the Vennala Thykattu Sri Mahadeva Temple Trust surfaced in May. The agreement related to sponsorship for an A.M.M.A. reunion event held earlier this year. The issue sparked debates within the organisation over sponsorship policies and decision-making processes.
Simultaneously, vice-president Lakshmipriya publicly raised concerns about the functioning of the organisation, alleging mismanagement and lack of transparency in certain decisions. Actor Mala Parvathy also alleged that important decisions were not being adequately communicated to members of the executive committee.
Amid the growing public fallout, Shwetha Menon had defended the organisation's acceptance of sponsorships, arguing that A.M.M.A., as a charitable body, could not reject contributions based on the religious or political affiliations of donors and that the association's primary focus remained the welfare of actors.
The committee that resigned on Saturday included general secretary Kukku Parameswaran, vice presidents Jayan R and Lakshmipriya, treasurer Unni Sivapal, and executive committee members Sarayu Mohan, Anjali Nair, Asha Aravind, Neena Kurup, Santhosh Keezhattur, Vinu Mohan, Kailash, Tini Tom, Joy Mathew, Rony David Raj and Sijoy Varghese.
The resignations mark yet another leadership crisis for A.M.M.A., which had elected the present committee after the previous administration headed by actor Mohanlal stepped down in 2024 following controversies surrounding the release of the Hema Committee report and the debates it triggered within the Malayalam film industry.
