AMMA faces internal breakdown, leadership under strain

Tensions within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) are escalating, with senior members raising concerns over internal functioning while multiple allegations and counter-allegations continue to surface within the organisation.

Actor Maala Parvathy has flagged what she described as a serious administrative breakdown within AMMA, pointing to a lack of communication and coordination within the executive structure.

“There is a clear administrative failure within AMMA. We are not being informed about anything. We only come to know that meetings are happening, but there is no proper communication to members. Earlier, when Edavela Babu was general secretary, everything was shared through emails and updates. That system is completely missing now," she told Onmanorama.

She also expressed concern over the seriousness of the allegations emerging from within the organisation, particularly those raised by former joint secretary and actor Ansiba Hassan. "Ansiba is someone I consider smart, bold and honest. So when she says she was called a jihadi, that is a very serious matter. This is no longer something that can be treated as just an internal issue of the organisation," she said.

At the same time, Maala Parvathy said she does not view the situation in absolute terms. “I don’t believe Ansiba would lie, and at the same time I don’t think Tiny is someone who would attack a woman. But there is clearly a lot of gossip and loose talk surrounding this entire issue," she added.

She further pointed to deeper concerns about leadership within AMMA. "Honestly, I feel disappointed because we all supported this committee. This is not personal, but it feels like some people may not have the ability to properly guide an organisation like AMMA," she said.

Her remarks come amid reports of internal factionalism within AMMA and an ongoing struggle for influence within the organisation.

AMMA’s former general secretary Edavela Babu said he had not been informed about any of the ongoing developments within the organisation. He added that there was no proper communication system in place and that many people were aware of this gap.

The controversy escalated after former AMMA joint secretary Ansiba Hassan, whose resignation was confirmed on May 12, levelled serious allegations against actor Tiny Tom. According to her, Tiny Tom had falsely accused her of being involved in religious conversions.

Following her allegations, actor and executive committee member Neena Kurup also raised concerns against Tiny Tom. She said she had submitted a complaint to the executive committee and that the matter would be taken up soon.

Responding to the allegations, AMMA vice president Lakshmipriya dismissed them as baseless. However, she also pointed to internal divisions within the organisation. In a press meet held on Sunday, she alleged that there was 'ganging up' within AMMA involving general secretary Cuckoo Parameswaran, and further claimed that president Shwetha Menon was not being properly informed or communicated with.

Lakshmipriya had earlier told Onmanorama that she filed a police complaint against Ansiba on January 22 at the Thrippunithura police station after repeated attempts to resolve the matter internally reportedly failed. She said the issue escalated within her family following a message sent by Ansiba. In response, Ansiba said she was subjected to harassment in connection with what she described as a 'false case', claiming she was questioned for nearly three hours.

AMMA vice president Jayan Cherthala said the organisation is currently trying to resolve the issue internally. "At this point, it is not appropriate to comment further as we are still trying to understand and resolve the matter. Once we have clarity and resolution, we will respond properly to everyone," he said.

Meanwhile, several members of AMMA have remained tight-lipped, offering no clarity on the ongoing developments. Even senior members of the organisation have echoed similar sentiments, saying the current leadership should be given time to address the situation.

Executive committee member Anjali Nair said Ansiba had not raised any complaint during official meetings. "Ideally, this matter should have stayed within AMMA. The executive committee is now dealing with it. I can confirm that Ansiba did not raise any harassment complaint in the meeting. If something happened outside that forum, I am not aware of it. She may have spoken to others privately. Now that it has become public, the truth must come out," she said.