‘Society now seeing AMMA members for who they are,’ says Parvathy, calls it ‘hierarchical and authoritarian space’

The recent downfall of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) had been building for some time and can be traced back to when the organisation chose to reinstate Dileep, who was accused of masterminding the 2017 abduction and sexual assault of a leading female actor in Kochi, even while the legal proceedings were still underway. This decision prompted the survivor, along with actors Rima Kallingal, Remya Nambeesan and Geetu Mohandas, to leave AMMA. However, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Manju Warrier and Padmapriya chose to remain members. Unsurprisingly, AMMA’s leadership did not attempt to reconcile with those who left and instead criticised the members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), demanding that those who resigned apologise before considering a return. In 2020, Parvathy also resigned from AMMA, citing the shocking and vile remarks made by AMMA’s then-general secretary Edavela Babu about the survivor. Interestingly, these stars who once left the association never made any attempt to return, underscoring their deep discontent with AMMA’s functioning.

Recently, Parvathy opened up about her decision to quit AMMA and discussed what the organisation’s functioning was like. She also criticised the superstar Mohanlal-led executive committee’s recent decision to step down, following several allegations of sexual misconduct against male industry members, including those from AMMA, calling it a “cowardly” attempt to avoid accountability. “It’s their behaviour. I was part of AMMA before and I have seen how they function. There’s a reason why I happily resigned from the association. There’s no one they can fool with this behaviour,” Parvathy said during a chat with journalist Barkha Dutt on her YouTube channel Mojo Story.

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“Forget actually articulating something in support; the fact that their first choice of action is to cover into the darkness and then start maligning the women who are coming forward… Society is now seeing AMMA members for who they are. This kind of disruption is a good thing. Since AMMA has a massive membership, I think it will benefit them to have better leadership. And for that, I am with the AMMA members who deserve this for all the membership fees they paid,” she stated.

“It’s a very fear-induced atmosphere in AMMA. You cannot speak up for your rights, although there’s supposed to be an ‘executive committee’ that’s representing you. It was a very hierarchical and authoritarian space,” added Parvathy, a key figure in the movement for equality in Malayalam cinema and a founding member of the WCC.