KOCHI: Three days after Parvathy Thiruvothu resigned from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) in protest against general secretary Edavela Babu’s comments on a female actor in a TV interview, senior artists Revathy and Padmapriya came down heavily on the association’s leadership, including president Mohanlal, on Thursday. “No matter how adverse a scenario AMMA faces collectively as an organisation, the entire leadership will stay quiet,” the actors said.
In a strongly worded two-page statement, the actors said Babu’s interview in the media amounted to “alienating and ridiculing” the women members, who constitute 50 per cent of the Malayalam film industry. “Like in the past, the recent interviews by the general secretary have once again set a dangerous example. An example that some of the members in the AMMA leadership can use their position to disparage a criminal investigation that is subjudice.
An example that, as the only organization in the film industry with close to 50 per cent women members, there will be no measures taken to protect, support and encourage them. Instead, it appears that all efforts will be made to alienate and ridicule them and their issues in public,” it said. The actors also asked the AMMA leadership three questions and demanded answers.
“What’s AMMA leadership’s stance as individuals on Edavela Babu’s interview? What will be the action taken when some members of the leadership behave in a fashion that discredits and devalues AMMA and the film industry as a whole? and Has the leadership implemented the POSH Act in their workplace?”.
‘Parvathy’s move took us back to where we began’
Revathy and Padmapriya said the resignation tendered by their colleague Parvathy had taken them back to a journey that began in 2018 with the actor-assault survivor’s resignation. The letter was marked to everyone part of the AMMA leadership team, including Mohanlal, K B Ganeshkumar, Mukesh, Edavela Babu, Siddique, Jagadish, Aju Varghese, Asif Ali, Baburaj Jacob, Honey Rose, Indrans, Jayasurya, Rachana Narayanankutty, Shwetha Menon, Sudhir Karamana, Tiny Tom and Unni Shivapal.