Malayalam cinema: Shwetha Menon elected AMMA's first woman president

In a historic first for the Malayalam film industry, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has elected women to its two highest offices. The election, held in Kochi on Friday, August 15, saw actress Shwetha Menon becoming the association's first woman president, securing 159 votes against her rival Devan’s 132.

Kukku Parameswaran also made history by becoming the body's general secretary with 172 votes, defeating Raveendran who received 115.

Executive body has more women than ever

These results mark a significant shift for AMMA, signalling a more inclusive approach to leadership and governance. The new executive line-up also includes Ansiba Hassan as the joint secretary, who got elected unopposed after other contenders withdrew, and Lakshmi Priya and Jayan Cherthala as vice-presidents.

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Unni Sivapal was elected treasurer, defeating Anoop Chandran. The executive committee now features more women than ever before, including Sarayu Mohan, Anjali Nair, Asha Aravind, and Neena Kurup, alongside other members from the industry.

Intense scrutiny and controversy marked the election. The previous executive body, led by Mohanlal, resigned following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which documented serious allegations of systemic harassment, misogyny, and abuse in the Malayalam film industry. Calls for reform and greater accountability grew louder, creating a charged atmosphere ahead of the polls.

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Tension was high on the election day as legal disputes involving the leading candidates loomed large.

While Shwetha Menon faced an FIR alleging that she had transmitted obscene content, though proceedings were stayed by the Kerala High Court, Kukku Parameswaran was criticised for holding a memory card containing sensitive testimonies from women in the industry, which she had submitted to the police and the state women’s commission.

Low voter turnout

The voter turnout was also low. Out of more than 500 eligible members, only 298 appeared, reflecting a turnout of around 58 per cent compared to 70 per cent in previous elections. Leading actors such as Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan, Manju Warrier, Prithviraj, Nivin Pauly and Indrajith skipped voting, though it is not clear why they did so.

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Several prominent actors, including Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Salim Kumar, Indrans, and Mallika Sukumaran, were among those who cast their ballots.

After the results were announced, Shwetha Menon described the moment as a collective win for women, declaring, “We women won in an election. I am so happy.” She pledged to reach out to former women members who had left the association in protest, assuring them that they were welcome to return and that AMMA would be a unified family once again.