Kochi: The film industry organization AMMA, which was shaken by sexual harassment allegations, has finally witnessed a mass resignation. President Mohanlal and the 17-member executive committee have stepped down. Mohanlal concluded his statement by expressing hope that the new office bearers would be able to revitalize and strengthen the organization.
The mass resignation in AMMA was both unexpected and dramatic. It was President Mohanlal who first announced that he would no longer lead the organization, which had fallen into deep crisis. During an online executive meeting, several members tried to persuade Mohanlal to reconsider his decision, but he remained firm. Subsequently, other office bearers also expressed their intention to resign along with him. This led to the decision to dissolve the executive committee and hold new elections within two months. Until then, the current administration will continue as an ad-hoc committee. Member benefits, including insurance schemes, will not be disrupted.
AMMA’s press release concluded by thanking everyone for the criticisms and suggestions. The delayed response to the Hema Committee report had caused significant discord within the organization. Criticisms that began with Jagadish were echoed by several office bearers, including senior actors like Urvashi. Following sexual harassment allegations against General Secretary Siddique, similar accusations were also made against Joint Secretary Baburaj.
There was also internal conflict in the organization over finding a replacement for Siddique, who had resigned. Eventually, the strong stance taken by Prithviraj further empowered the opposing voices within the organization. All these factors combined led to the downfall of the executive committee led by Mohanlal. The organization had previously faced intense scrutiny over the actress assault case, and those who defended it then are now embroiled in sexual harassment allegations. The emergence of groups within AMMA questioning those who had controlled the 506-member organization from the front and behind has influenced recent decisions. As new elections approach, AMMA is expected to undergo significant changes in every sense.
