AMMA crisis: Executive panel revamp widens internal rift

The rival factions in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) seem to be in no mood to relent as the rift within the actors’ body has widened following the recent decision by the executive committee to fill the vacant posts of vice-presidents, treasurer and joint secretary.

Actors Asha Aravind and Sijoy Varghese were elected as vice-presidents by the committee in a revamp held last week after the actors’ body plunged into organisational turmoil following the general body meeting held here on June 21, 2026. Actors Neena Kurup and Sarayu Mohan were elected as treasurer and joint secretary, respectively.

The 17-member panel, led by its first woman president Shweta Menon, had announced its resignation at the general body meeting after a section of the association moved a no-confidence motion against the leadership, accusing it of failing to present the audited financial accounts of the organisation and resolve the disputes within the outfit. She later retracted her decision, and the panel continued to hold their positions after the Ernakulam Munsiff Court stayed the decision taken at the general body meeting to form an ad hoc panel.

Actor Ansiba Hassan, who had stepped down from the post in February 2026 after accusing actor Tini Tom and a section of the members of subjecting her to character assassination and making alleged communal remarks targeting her, questioned the legality of the new appointments, stating that such decisions were being made by a panel that had announced its decision to step down at the general body meeting. “The general body, which is the highest decision-making unit in the association, had also approved their decision,” she said.

She said the actions of the panel even after announcing its resignation would be brought to the notice of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies.

She, along with actors Maala Parvathi, Usha Haseena and Ponnamma Babu, had submitted a letter to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies seeking the seizure of the books of accounts and financial documents that continue to be in the possession of the panel led by Shweta Menon.

They had urged the authorities to “exercise the powers vested under Section 19 of the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955, and such other enabling provisions of law as may be applicable, to safeguard the interests of the association and its members”.

However, the current panel has clarified that the appointments made to the vacant positions in the executive committee were carried out in tune with the by-laws of the association. The appointments to the key office-bearer posts were made as part of a process initiated to ensure the smooth function.

“We have received a notice to appear for a hearing on October 14, 2026 in connection with the complaint pending before the Registrar of Co-operative Societies,” said panel members.