AMMA on the defensive as more female actors demand action, male superstars remain silent

Actors Urvashi, Shweta Menon | Photo credit: Special Arrangement

A day after the leadership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) gave a muted response to the Hema committee report on issues within the industry, the organisation came under fire from its own female members who demanded more serious action. Questions were also raised in the public sphere over the continued silence of the veteran male superstars and the younger crop over the report that documented issues including sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry.

Actor Urvashi told the press on Saturday that the AMMA should take decisive action based on the findings in the report.

“The situation calls for a strong response from the AMMA. I listened to the lackluster responses at the press conference yesterday. Maybe Siddique can’t say anything more because this is the first response, but it will not suffice any longer. We must give great weight to the testimonies of these women before the commission. If their intention was to upset anyone, they could have called a press conference and made these allegations. This statement before a commission must be taken seriously. The government will have to put in place a mechanism to prevent this, but the first step must come from the AMMA,” Urvashi said.

She said strong measures are needed to enhance the credibility of the Malayalam industry as people from other industries are also discussing and asking about the findings in the report.

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

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

Actor Ansiba Hassan, a board member of AMMA, demanded that the names of the perpetrators named in the report be made public if there is evidence of their actions.

“These cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. When so many women have come forward and said that it is a reality that they are being banned from films, why would anyone deny it? Only those who have been through something like this would understand the pain. All these women have spoken openly about the bad experiences they have had, in the hope that no one else has to go through this again. It is a big mistake that the publication of the report has been delayed for five years, because justice delayed is justice denied,” she said.