Actor Mohanlal will take charge as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA). The post became vacant when Innocent, veteran actor and Left-supported MP, resigned after a long reign of 18 years. 

Sources suggest that Mammootty, who was the General Secretary, had decided to withdraw his candidacy. On the last day of nominations on Friday, there was only one nomination for each of the main posts. Twelve candidates have filed nominations for the 11 posts of executive committee members. 

Idavela Babu was elected the new General Secretary and Jagadish was brought in as Treasurer.

The association that was formed as a professional platform for open and healthy discussion for its members and to promote better relations between them, had often run into controversies in the past.

The last of these had been at the time of the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective, that was founded following the attack on a woman actor in Kochi in February 2017. Actor Dileep who was accused in the case was at first welcomed by AMMA, with several members openly supporting him. It was alleged the WCC members were hardly heard in there. But finally, with pressure mounting up from everywhere, the association had to expel Dileep. 

Ganesh Kumar, then vice president of AMMA, had told Kochi Times at the time that while Dileep's primary membership maybe cancelled, he can only be suspended from the association.

The Association will meet formally on June 24, where the officers will take in charge.

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Actor Innocent to call it quits as AMMA President at end of term