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Is Kerala actors' association falling apart after Shweta Menon and key actors quit?
Trouble began after Amma's general body meet in Kochi, where there was disagreement over its accounts. Actors Siddique, Edavela Babu and Jagadish objected and said there were major lapses
- PUBLISHED: Tue 23 Jun 2026, 7:58 PM
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (Amma), which has faced several controversies in recent years, is facing fresh turmoil after actors Mallika Sukumaran and Lakshmipriya quit its primary membership. This happened a day after Shweta Menon, its first woman president, resigned along with the executive committee following a stormy general body meeting in Kochi.
The 17-member panel decided to quit after some in the association moved a no-confidence motion against the leadership for failing to run it properly.
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A furious Menon told the media after emerging from the meet that one had to be “a puppet to run the organisation.” She added that “there is an attempt to push the association into the hands of some accused individuals.” Menon said she had quit not just the president’s post, but also from Amma’s primary membership.
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Trouble began after the annual general body meet of Amma in Kochi, when there was disagreement over its accounts. Actors Siddique, Edavela Babu and Jagadish objected to the accounts and said there were major lapses.
Former president and superstar Mohanlal called for unity in the association after the resignation of the 17 members.
The executive body of Amma took charge last August, replacing the previous committee, headed by Mohanlal, which was forced out in August 2024 after allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against top members of the Malayalam film industry surfaced following the publication of the Hema committee report.
The committee, headed by justice K. Hema, was set up by the state government after the massive public outrage following the abduction and sexual assault of a leading Malayalam actress in February 2017.
The committee submitted a report in December 2019 to then chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, but it was only last August that it was made public.
Actor Jagadish, who is also an Amma member, told reporters that the Menon-led executive committee did not present the accounts in a transparent manner. “There was a major lapse on their part in this regard. The disputes between members have been dragged to the media, damaging the image of the association. Members sought permission to present a no-confidence motion against the leadership. Before the no-confidence motion was taken up, the executive committee decided to quit,” he said.
An ad-hoc committee of nine members has now been set up to manage Amma. It is headed by Ramesh Pisharody, actor, comedian and member of the legislative assembly (MLA) from Palakkad.
Jagadish said Pisharody was appointed convenor of the committee based on a consensus by the other members. “Mohanlal was not present at the time but I was given charge to select the ad hoc committee,” he said. “Pisharody was willing to take charge and there was no disagreement.”
P.C. Vishnunadh, the state’s minister for cultural affairs and cinema refused to comment on the developments and said it was an internal matter of Amma and did not need government intervention.
