AMMA dismisses reports of Mohanlal resigning as president, accuses newspaper of vendetta

The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) on Sunday issued a public statement dismissing reports that claimed superstar Mohanlal threatened to resign as the President the association. The public statement assured that “all was well” within the organization and asked people not to believe reports that say otherwise, reports The News Minute . Mathrubhumi, one of Kerala’s leading newspapers, reported an alleged divide in AMMA. According to the Mathrubhumi report, the divide occurred after Mohanlal’s press conference (10 July). Mathrubhumi claimed that two executive members of the association, at Mohanlal’s behest, moved the Kerala High Court requesting to assign the actress abduction and sexual assault case to a woman judge. Requesting to assign the case to a woman judge was seen as an effort to save the reputation of AMMA. The association was heavily criticised after it reinstated accused actor Dileep . The executive members of AMMA, including new President Mohanlal, came under fire following the move. Reinstatement of actor Dileep was termed as ‘anti-woman’ and lead to four women members, including the survivor, quitting the AMMA . Also read: Dileep’s return to AMMA highlights a problematic culture that protects perpetrators of abuse The Mathrubhumi report also stated that AMMA wrote a letter to the government requesting the appointment of a woman judge, as sought by the survivor earlier, but the decision did not go down well with the supporters of Dileep in the AMMA, the report alleged. Mohanlal was unhappy to know that a decision taken by him was being sabotaged and threatened to resign, claimed the newspaper. Mathrubhumi also claimed that AMMA General Secretary Edavela Babu pacified Mohanlal convincing him to withdraw his resignation threat. Mohanlal backed Honey Rose and Rachana Narayanankutty to move High Court with the petition requesting a woman judge. Now, according to a report in The News Minute , AMMA has officially denied the Mathrubhumi report entirely accusing it of vendetta against the Malayalam film industry. AMMA said that the newspaper was “taking out its frustration” because it has been boycotted by various associations in the Malayalam film industry.