Shwetha Menon, first woman president of AMMA: ‘I don’t think Hema committee criticised AMMA; no one should be penalised unless proven guilty’

What has been your journey as an actor in Malayalam cinema – from supporting roles to lead actor to the president of AMMA?

My journey has been very simple and honest. It was never a complicated journey. I never had any difficulty as such. A smooth journey, with a lot of breaks in between, is what I would call it.

What made you contest the AMMA elections?

I just felt that with my kind of experience in the field, I wanted to go ahead. A lot of people, including senior artistes, had spoken to me before I fielded myself as a candidate. Many of them said that I should come forward, mainly because I was there as Vice President a year ago. I contemplated whether I should go ahead or not. It was not that one fine day I woke up and decided to be the president (of AMMA). It was a very thought-out process.

I was the last one to file nominations, just seven minutes before the closing time for nominations – at 3.53 pm. I will never forget that time.

There was opposition from some sections within AMMA to your candidature…

I don’t think anybody opposed my candidature before I put in my nomination, frankly speaking. Until I gave my nomination, there was no opposition. But after that (filing nomination), many things happened, about which I had no clue. It was very difficult because (the opposition) was quite shocking for me. I didn’t know what was happening. This election opened up many of the chambers in my mind, my thought process. One could see many people’s true colours.

I was not taking it as a challenge, though. I was focusing on what was going to happen if I won and what I should do if I lost. Focus was nothing else but AMMA. I knew that if I won, I would have to give my everything, all my energy into it. I was focusing on that. So, I decided not to mind the small hurdles and focused on the bigger picture.

What will be your focus as president?

Right now, my main focus is on the two major things which we (AMMA) have been doing for years. One is the pension, which is called Kainettam. The second is the insurance for artistes and medicines for the ailing. These have to continue. It is very difficult to get insurance if you are over 65. That’s the most difficult part of the whole thing. Other organisations do not do this kind of work.

Why is AMMA important for so many artistes?

AMMA for me is an emotion. Through AMMA, we are able to do something good in our own fraternity, in our own family. It’s a big thing.

I am also part of Bollywood’s CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association). When I came to AMMA from Bollywood, I realised how good this organisation was – an organisation doing so much for its members. An organisation which gives a pension to the elderly and to those who do not have work. I don’t see this happening anywhere. I don’t see health insurance being focused on anywhere else.

AMMA has got its first woman president. Will it bring in gender justice?

I see cinema as a character, a story. I don’t see cinema as belonging to a man or a woman. Gender equality is something which comes very organically to me because I was brought up like that. I have imbibed the lesson that no matter what you do, men and women have to be on the same plane.

My only focus (as AMMA president) would be to communicate. If there is a problem, please come forward. If there is a solution, please come forward. Voice out.

Are you saying that gender equality is about looking at men and women equally?

No, for me, gender equality has to come from within. It has to be organic. Respecting each other and listening to each other is also gender equality.

What message do you want to give the general public which has seen so many controversies surrounding AMMA, especially surrounding sexual harassment?

My point of view is that until and unless someone is proven guilty, they should not be penalised.

So, what will your message to the general public be?

Please stop calling AMMA, A.M.M.A. Even we have not registered the organisation with full stops in between. It is plainly AMMA (a word meaning mother). Don’t put dots.

But why is that so important?

It is very important because AMMA is an emotion. Don’t dilute the emotion by putting dots. To those within AMMA, I am saying as the president of AMMA – please come forward and voice your concerns. I am just a phone call away. I am a people person.

The Hema committee has criticised AMMA thoroughly. Do you plan to bring in any changes based on the committee’s recommendations?

I don’t think the Hema committee criticised AMMA. The Hema committee said that we should change our outlook about many things women are facing. I totally agree with that. The working atmosphere has to change, and we should all come together to make this change. Everybody collectively can come forward and change the system. I believe in that.

Then what is your take on Women in Cinema Collective (WCC)?

Let us not make it into a war between WCC and AMMA. At the end of the day, they are also part of us. We are all part of the same film fraternity. I don’t think they are wrong and we are right. Or that we are wrong and they are right. There should be a middle path for everything.

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