AMMA turmoil: Five-member panel to hear all grievances

Kochi: Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) will constitute a special five-member committee to address the complaints raised by members, including the one by actor Ansiba Hassan against fellow actor and committee member Tini Tom. This decision was taken during Wednesday’s executive meeting ahead of the general body meeting on June 21.

“The committee will have AMMA members and independent, external experts. Affected parties will be informed about the panel members and the date of hearing,” said AMMA president Shwetha Menon, adding that the new panel will ensure an unbiased and comprehensive hearing for all parties.

A controversy arose in AMMA recently after complaints were lodged by actors Hassan, Tom, Neena Kurup and Lakshmipriya alleging systemic issues and unfair treatment within the outfit. A front office staff member Athulya had lodged a complaint alleging workplace harassment and intimidation. “All complaints will be addressed. The committee’s proceedings will not be one-sided as has been speculated in the media,” said Menon, adding that the official composition of the panel would be communicated to the complainants via email.

She added that AMMA general secretary Cuckoo Parameswaran was responsible for the leak of sensitive audio recordings derived from AMMA headquarters’ CCTV footage. Parameswaran admitted that the confidential audio files were leaked from her custody, she said.

Menon said that show-cause notices would be issued to members who violated protocols by speaking to the media without authorization. She expressed disappointment over the lack of direct communication from aggrieved members, noting that only Tom appeared before the executive committee with his grievance. “Everyone knows who is leaking classified information to the media. We urge the media not to publish one-sided narratives,” she said.