AMMA denies ousting Shammy Thilakan

AMMA
Actor Mohanlal and other office-bearers of AMMA.

The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) on Sunday dismissed media reports that actor Shammy Thilakan was expelled from the organisation.

The association came out with a clarification following media reports that it decided to expel Shammy Thilakan, who has been at loggerheads with the outfit for some time now, at a meeting on Sunday.

AMMA had initiated disciplinary proceedings action against the actor on charges of violating its code of conduct after he tried to record a meeting of the association in December, 2021.

"Shammy Thilakan is still a part of the organisation. We will take any action only after hearing his side also," actor Sidhique, treasurer, AMMA, said.

"AMMA general body can't expel a member. Only the executive committee has such powers. We will entrust the executive committee with the task of taking a decision after hearing Shammy Thilakan's explanation," Sidhique said at a press meet called by AMMA office-bearers in Kochi.

Sidhique, however, said the majority of AMMA office-bearers' were of the view that action should be taken against Shammy Thilakan as he has been speaking ill of the association for some time through social media and other platforms.

The rift between Shammy Thilakan and the AMMA escalated after the former tried to record on his mobile camera a meeting of the association last year.

Though an explanation was sought from him, he did not bother to respond.

Shammy Thilakan, the son of veteran actor Thilakan, has questioned the all-powerful actors' association publicly on several occasions.

In the latest such incident, he had slammed the association for allegedly shielding actor-producer Vijay Babu, who is accused of sexual abuse by a young actor who came out with a #MeToo allegation recently. Shammy Thilakan made his stand on the issue clear by sharing a Facebook post written by actor Hareesh Peradi.

Hareesh Peradi later resigned from the association in protest against what he termed its misogynist attitude.

Incidentally, Vijay Babu, who has been granted anticipatory bail in the case by the Kerala High Court, attended AMMA's general body on Sunday.

Vijay Babu, who was an executive committee member of the association, had earlier informed its office-bearers that he would stay away from the outfit until proven innocent.

Earlier, Shammy Thilakan had also questioned the credibility of the actors who represented AMMA at a meeting convened by the state government to discuss the proposals made by Justice Hema Commission, which studied in detail the issues faced by women in Malayalam film industry.

AMMA sent general secretary Edavela Babu, vice president Maniyan Pillai Raju and treasurer Sidhique to the meeting.

No woman was part of the AMMA delegation.

He was also peeved at Edavela Babu for mentioning his name in a press release issued by him detailing the action taken against Vijay Babu, after he was accused of sexual abuse. Babu had included the status of the disciplinary action procedures against Shammy Thilakan also in the press note, irking the latter.

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