A legal dispute has arisen within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) as an Ernakulam court has halted the functioning of the newly formed ad hoc committee. The court has directed the Executive Committee led by former President Shwetha Menon to remain in office until further notice. This development follows Menon’s petition, challenging the nine-member ad hoc committee appointed by the association’s Annual General Body on June 21.
The court’s intervention represents a significant judicial milestone in the ongoing power struggle within the prominent actors’ body. The conflict originated from the resignation of Menon and her Executive Committee during the June 21 Annual General Body meeting, which led to the approval of an ad hoc committee to oversee AMMA until fresh elections are conducted. Menon, citing the association’s by-laws, asserted that the outgoing Executive Committee retains administrative authority until a new committee is elected.
Menon accused certain members of misleading the association and attempting to seize control by forming the ad hoc committee without legal grounds. She highlighted that the resolution seeking her committee’s resignation, passed during the June 21 meeting, lacked the necessary two-thirds majority as per AMMA’s regulations, rendering it legally invalid. The current situation has drawn parallels to the transition following the resignation of Mohanlal’s executive committee last year, with contrasting views on the caretaker role of the outgoing committee.
The Ernakulam court’s decision to halt the ad hoc committee’s operations sets the stage for a prolonged legal and organizational battle for control of AMMA. The future course of action will likely involve continued legal proceedings or the conduct of fresh elections to resolve the leadership dispute.
