Media365
Revathy Asha Kelunni and Padmapriya Janakiraman have resigned from the primary membership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The actresses shared a joint statement on Monday, announcing that their decision was not made in haste. The statement further stated that they have been seeking change within the Malayalam film industry, but their requests were met with silence. Hence, they decided to step away from the association.
Revathy Asha Kelunni and Padmapriya Janakiraman resign from AMMA
Taking to their Instagram handle, Revathy and Padmapriya shared a joint statement, which began, “This may look like one more chapter in the ongoing AMMA saga. It is not. Our resignation is not in haste and not about a single incident.”
They explained what prompted their decision to resign, “For nearly a decade, the ask was simple. Safer workplaces. Dignity. Accountability. Equal treatment. The minimum every member deserves. And values we genuinely believed all of us could unite around.”
She further shared how their requests were treated, “The price of asking, for us, has been silence and distance. From colleagues, from friends, from spaces that once felt like home. Still, we stayed. For hope has a remarkable ability to survive disappointment.”
The statement mentions the aftermath of the Hema Committee Report, “The resignations after the Hema Committee Report were not an act of principle. They were an escape from accountability. Once the attention faded, the same old order returned.”
Criticising the functioning of the organisation, the statement reads, “Power keeps finding new ways to protect itself. The faces change. The methods change. But the structures enabling inequality remain untouched.”
“AMMA was meant to stand as a collective voice for all actors. But it has become increasingly shaped by patriarchy and power politics, weakening its founding ideals. Walking away for us now is not defeat. It is self-respect,” they added.
Despite this, they expressed optimism for the future of the Malayalam film industry, “We have unwavering faith that the Malayalam film industry can become what it should be, where women do not fight the same battles their seniors did. That belief never depended on a membership.”
They concluded the statement by writing, “We will continue our journey as film professionals. For better storytelling, for our fellow colleagues, and for a more equitable industry. And we hold in deep gratitude the public and the media who have championed us all along. Institutions endure not because people stay, but because they stay worthy of trust. We leave this chapter with clarity and hope.”
In the caption, Revathy wrote, “Today, we are resigning from our primary membership of A.M.M.A. Not in anger, not in haste. Between us we have given decades to this industry, and we care where it goes next. For years the ask was simple: safety, dignity, accountability and equal treatment. What we met instead was silence, and the slow realisation that this institution, as it stands, is not ready to change. Malayalam cinema will always be ours to love and to work for. That never depended on a membership.”
What is AMMA?
It was founded in 1994 and registered under the Travancore Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Act as the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). AMMA undertakes welfare initiatives like charitable housing projects, offers healthcare support, disaster relief, educational and financial aid and health initiatives to its members. One of its goals is also to empower women.
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