History and controversies of AMMA, the Kerala actors’ body that was led by superstar Mohanlal

Following the publication of the report, allegations of sexual assault surfaced against AMMA general secretary Siddique and joint general secretary Baburaj. Police in Thiruvananthapuram filed a case of rape and criminal intimidation against Siddique on Wednesday.

On Monday, police in Ernakulam had filed a case of assault with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty against veteran director Ranjith. Faced with allegations, Ranjith had resigned as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy the day before.

What did the Hema Committee report find?

Following massive public outrage against the abduction and sexual assault of a leading Malayalam actress in February 2017, the Kerala government that July set up a three-member committee led by Justice K Hema to inquire into the situation of women in the Malayalam film industry.

The committee held extensive interactions with several women in the industry on a wide range of issues, and submitted a 295-page report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in December 2019. But it took until August 19 this year for the report to be released, after redactions to protect the identities of women who had confided in the committee.

The report notes the widespread culture of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry, the presence of the ‘casting couch’, and widespread verbal abuse. The committee also found unequal pay and an absence of basic facilities for women, and a pervasive fear of retribution for attempts to seek redress legally or through other avenues.

The report says the industry is ruled by an all-male “mafia” comprising actors and producers, and “No man nor woman dare to utter any word which may offend anyone belonging to the power group, because such a person will be wiped off the industry by the powerful lobby.”

And what is AMMA, which was led by Mohanlal?

The association was formed in 1994 under the Travancore Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Act, and comprises 498 members, more than 200 of whom are women.

AMMA looks after the well-being of its members — all of whom are current or former actors in the Malayalam film industry — through initiatives such as the Kaineettam welfare scheme, which offers financial assistance, and educational and healthcare support to ailing and senior members.

The AMMA website also lists the association’s support for the marginalised, assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic, charitable housing projects, and initiatives for women’s empowerment.

Mohanlal was elected AMMA president for a three-year term for the third time at a meeting held in Kochi on June 19.

Over the years, the association has been accused of overreach and of violating its own stated bylaws.

In 2008, AMMA, in an effort led by the influential actor Dileep, reportedly engineered a split in the Malayalam Cine Technicians Associations (MACTA), following a complaint by director Thulasidas. In the process, filmmaker Vinayan, who was MACTA general secretary at the time, was sidelined from opportunities, an allegation that he recounted to the Hema Committee.

AMMA and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) were subsequently fined by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in 2017.

In March 2010, veteran actor Thilakan was banned from the organisation for life after he criticised its functioning, especially the control that “superstars” had over the organisation. He also alleged that he had been unceremoniously removed from a film, and had been blacklisted from working in films and television serials.

What position did AMMA take after the 2017 sexual assault case?

The association initially stood with the actress who was abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi. But once it emerged that Dileep was allegedly involved, the association all but changed its position.

The victim had previously complained to AMMA about Dileep’s role in effecting a shadow ban on acting opportunities. The assault was alleged to have been ordered by Dileep as retribution for the role the actress allegedly played in the breakdown of his first marriage with actress Manju Warrier.

Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017. AMMA expelled him a day later. He was released in October, and AMMA reinstated him in June 2018. However, he eventually resigned from the membership, saying he would wait for his innocence to be proved.

AMMA was put under scrutiny by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) an independent group of 18 leading actresses and technicians who came together in May 2017 to rally support for the survivor. After AMMA decided to reinstate Dileep, four WCC members resigned their membership of the association. For five years, the WCC kept up the pressure on the Kerala government to release the report, angering powerful figures in the industry.

The Hema Committee has written: “WCC members…were all banned from cinema because they openly stated undesirable things that happen in cinema. They are practically kept away by those who are offended by what members of the collective stated openly against the atrocities in cinema and from AMMA.”

How did AMMA react to the contents of the Hema Commission report?

At a press conference on August 23, Siddique rejected the idea of a power group in the industry, and claimed that in all his years as an actor, he had never seen such a thing.

AMMA executive committee member and actress Jomol declared that she had never experienced sexual harassment. “No one has knocked on my door or asked to compromise if I want to do a film,” she said. She also rejected the accusation that WCC members had been denied acting opportunities.

Mohanlal has previously been dismissive of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by women. At a press conference in 2018, he had dismissed the #MeToo movement as a “fad” and “fashion”, and had subsequently said in an interview to Gulf News: “We (men) can also come out with a #MeToo, gender-wise… Only when you experience something like that, you can make a comment on it. Just giving a comment on it isn’t the right thing. I don’t know much about it (#MeToo).”