Actresses Revathi, Padmapriya resign from Malayalam film body amid internal crisis
Actresses Revathi Asha Kelunni and Padmapriya Janakiraman resigned from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). His departure comes at a time when the Malayalam film body is facing internal turmoil.
Actresses Revathi Asha Kelunni and Padmapriya Janakiraman resigned from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) on Monday, saying their decision was neither sudden nor linked to any single incident. In a joint Instagram statement, both the actors said they are parting ways with the Malayalam film body after years of demanding a safe workplace, dignity, accountability and equal treatment.
His resignation comes when AMMA is facing an internal crisis. Revathi and Padmapriya said in their statement that the organization has moved away from its founding ideals and has been shaped by patriarchy and power politics. He said that he still believes that the Malayalam film industry can change.
❮❯
In the statement, the actors wrote, “This may seem like another chapter in the ongoing AMMA saga. It is not. Our resignation is not hasty and is not about any one incident.” He said their demands have remained the same for almost a decade: safe workplace, dignity, accountability and equal treatment. He described these as the minimum amount that every member is entitled to and said that he believed these were values that everyone in the organization could support.
She also said that the price of raising these concerns has been “silence and distance” from colleagues, friends and the places that once felt like home. Still, he said, they stayed because hope survived despair. Referring to the developments after the Hema Committee report, he wrote, “The resignations after the Hema Committee report were not an act of principle. They were an escape from accountability. Once the attention was diverted, the same old order returned.” He said the faces and methods changed, but the structures that perpetuated inequality remained untouched.
Revathi and Padmapriya said AMMA was intended to serve as a collective voice for all artists, but it has been increasingly shaped by patriarchy and power politics, undermining its founding ideals. He said that quitting now is not “defeat” but “self-respect”. She also wrote that she had an unwavering belief that the Malayalam film industry could become a place where women would not have to fight the same battles as before, and said that this belief had never been dependent on membership of the organization.
He said he will continue his work as a film professional for better storytelling, fellow colleagues, and a more equitable industry. He also thanked the public and media for standing with him. “Organizations survive not because people survive, but because they are trustworthy. We leave this chapter with clarity and hope,” the statement said. He concluded by saying, “See you in theaters.”
In the caption of the post, the actors said they were resigning their primary membership of AMMA, “Not in anger, not in haste,” they wrote. He said he has given decades to the industry and cares about where it goes next. He reiterated that his long-standing demands were for safety, respect, accountability and equal treatment, but said that instead he received silence and a sense that the institution, in its current form, was unwilling to change. He said that Malayalam cinema will always be his love and work and it has never been dependent on subscription.
Why did Revathi and Padmapriya resign?
These resignations come at a time when AMMA is under intense scrutiny. The 17-member executive committee of the organisation, headed by actor Shweta Menon, resigned following a no-confidence motion and heated discussion during the annual general body meeting in Kochi. Menon later criticized the previous committee and alleged financial irregularities in the organization’s earlier functioning. She said her committee had found inconsistencies in the accounts dating back to her tenure and said she was not prepared to remain a “play doll” or “puppet” within the organization.
Following the mass resignation, AMMA’s general body appointed an ad-hoc committee led by actor and Palakkad MLA Ramesh Pisharody to run the organization until new elections are held. Almost a year after the fallout related to the Justice Hema Committee report, the developments have once again brought the Malayalam film body into focus.
A few days later, Malayalam actor Mammootty also commented on the controversy. Asked about the crisis at AMMA, he replied with humour, “I was wondering why you haven’t asked yet.” He did not go into specifics and instead said, “Let things unfold, a decision will be reached; that’s fine.” When questioned further, he said, “We can see things as they come, right? After all, the next moment is not in our hands. All problems have to be solved and they will be. These are just small things, aren’t they?” He made the remarks after receiving the Padma Bhushan from President Draupadi Murmu during the second civil investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.