Mollywood power struggle: Cuckoo defends new AMMA appointments, Ansiba disagrees

With AMMA’s leadership still caught in uncertainty, the association has moved ahead with fresh appointments to vacant posts. General secretary Cuckoo Parameswaran says the move was necessary to keep the organisation functioning, even as former joint secretary Ansiba and others have questioned the legality of the appointments and have already approached the registrar in this regard.

Speaking to Onmanorama, Cuckoo said the organisation needed people in the vacant positions as she had been juggling multiple responsibilities since July. “We need the association to run smoothly,” she said, adding that an official statement on the appointments would be issued in the coming days. 

The AMMA executive committee, which met on Wednesday, decided to appoint Sijoy Varghese and Asha Aravind as vice-presidents, filling the vacancies created by the resignations of Lakshmipriya and Jayan Cherthala. Actor Sarayu, who was previously a member of the Mohanlal-led committee, has been appointed joint secretary, while Neena Kurup is the new treasurer, filling the space made vacant by Unni Sivapal's exit.

Cuckoo also maintained that Shwetha Menon’s panel had not formally resigned from AMMA, arguing that the required formalities had not been completed. She said this was why the members could continue in the leadership. “If they had officially resigned, the situation would have been different,” she said.

Her comments come amid objections from former AMMA joint secretary Ansiba and other members, who have challenged the continuation of the Shwetha-led panel and the subsequent appointments. Speaking to Onmanorama, Ansiba said the appointments were unlawful, particularly as members of the previous committee had allegedly returned to office after announcing their resignations. She said she, along with Ponnamma Babu, Maala Parvathy and Usha Haseena, had submitted a complaint to the registrar.

According to Ansiba, the registrar informed her that members of the Shwetha-led committee had not appeared before the authority in connection with the complaint. A hearing has reportedly been scheduled for October 14. Cuckoo, however, said the registrar had not contacted the committee regarding the matter. “We have not received any communication from the registrar. If we are called, we are ready to present our explanation,” she said, adding that the committee’s immediate priority was however, to complete and submit the audited financial report before the next general body meeting. 

The leadership crisis in AMMA had earlier intensified after Shwetha Menon announced her resignation, along with that of her panel, during the general body meeting held in July. Lakshmipriya, who was vice-president, subsequently resigned from the post, and her resignation was accepted. Shwetha, however, continued in the post, while other members of the committee also returned. Actors Joy Mathew, Kailash and Jayan Cherthala later resigned from their positions. 

The leadership had already come under scrutiny after the association failed to present the audited financial report for the previous year at the general body meeting. The organisation was also facing internal disagreements over personal differences and complaints, including allegations of religious harassment.