A new circular released by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) asks its members to not talk to the media about issues at work. According to a report from Asianet News, the circular comes ahead of a discussion to take place on August 7.
AMMA gave a ‘gentle reminder’ to its members to approach the organisation first with sufficient proof if any member had issues with another. The circular said that going to the media or taking to social media will bring disrepute to the member, AMMA and the Malayalam film industry too. When Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) members took exception to AMMA’s decision to reinstate Dileep, many had taken to social media and had spoken to the media about their protest.
AMMA will be meeting actors Joy Mathew and Shammi Thilakan, who had spoken against the association, on August 7. The same day AMMA is also supposed to meet three other members – Revathy, Padmapriya and Parvathy – who had sent a letter earlier calling for a discussion on the Dileep situation.
AMMA had in its last annual meeting, held on June 24, announced its decision to reinstate Dileep, an accused in the rape of a woman actor, who was also part of the association till then. She and three other women actors resigned from the association as soon as this decision was announced. Rima Kallingal, Remya Nambeesan and Geetu
Mohanlal had taken charge as president at the June 24 meeting when the question of taking back Dileep came from actor Urmila Unni. Apparently there was a unanimous decision to take him back with no one objecting to the idea. That this happens at a time when Dileep is still an accused in the case was raised by the members of WCC, which was formed soon after the assault on the actor last year.
This was followed by letters of solidarity from women film practitioners from other parts of the country. Meanwhile, Edavela Babu, AMMA general secretary, gave an explanation that Dileep’s expulsion had been done ‘hastily’ and that the bye-laws didn’t allow dismissal unless a member was found guilty by a court.
Mohanlal had called a press conference on July 9 to explain AMMA’s stand and answer questions, but reiterated the same lines Babu said about Dileep’s hasty expulsion. But Dileep had refused to come back to the association and so there was no point discussing it now, he said. He also misinformed the media that the question of Dileep’s reinstatement was in the agenda of AMMA’s annual meeting, when it was proved that this was not so.