AMMA in the defensive after more women actors demand action, male superstars continue silence

Actors Urvashi, Shweta Menon
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A day after the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) leadership made a guarded response to the Hema committee report on issues within the industry, the organisation found itself in the crosshairs with its own women members demanding more serious actions. Questions were also raised in the public sphere on the continued silence of the veteran male superstars as well as the younger crop on the report that documented issues including sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry.

Speaking to the press on Saturday, actor Urvashi said that the AMMA should act decisively on the findings in the report.

“The situation calls for a strong response from the AMMA. I listened to the wishy-washy responses in the press conference yesterday. Maybe, Siddique cannot say anything more because this is the first response, but it will suffice no longer. We need to accord a high value to the testimonials of these women before the committee. If their intention was to spite somebody, they could have called a press conference and made these claims. This deposition before a committee has to be treated in all seriousness. The government will have to bring in a mechanism to prevent these, but the first step has to come from AMMA,” she Urvashi.

She said that strong actions are required for the credibility of the Malayalam industry as people from the other industries are also discussing and enquiring about the findings in the report.

Actor Shweta Menon, former vice president of AMMA, appeared to contradict the AMMA leadership’s claim that there existed no power group or illegal bans in the industry. 

“I have also experienced illegal bans. At one point, I had signed nine films. But, one fine morning, all of these offers disappeared. I have always fought for myself and taken a strong stand. Many who have faced difficulties have not spoken about it in the open. If more women lend them support, they would have the courage to come out. It is an encouraging sign that more women are speaking out now,” she said.

Actor Ansiba Hassan, AMMA’s executive member, demanded that the name of the perpetrators mentioned in the report be made public, if there is proof for their actions.

“These cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. If so many women have come forward and said that being banned from films is the reality, why should anyone deny it. Only those who have experienced such things would understand the pain. All these women have opened up about the bad experiences that they have had with the hope that no one should go through this again. It is a huge mistake that the publishing of the report was delayed by five years, because justice delayed is justice denied,” she said.