Parvathy Thiruvothu Criticises AMMA Executive Committee's Collective Resignation Amid Malayalam Industry's Controversy

Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, a founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), has criticized AMMA's decision, labeling it as ‘cowardly.’ The Malayalam film industry is currently facing a wave of sexual assault allegations following the release of the Hema Committee report, which revealed extensive sexual exploitation, discrimination, and other abuses within the sector. This report has prompted many women to come forward with their troubling stories, leading to 17 cases being filed so far. In the wake of this scandal, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has been disbanded, with both its executive committee and president Mohanlal stepping down collectively.

Not naming anyone, Parvathy told Barkha Dutt on her YouTube channel, "The first reaction I had when I heard the news about this collective resignation was, ‘how cowardly.’ How cowardly of them to step away from a position where they are accountable to speak to the media. That’s an immediate cop-out. With this, the onus has again fallen on women to take the conversations and debates forward. It would have been amazing if they had shown at least the intention to work with the state government and stakeholders to figure a way out."

"This is the same executive committee that welcomed the prime accused in the 2017 sexual assault case back into its fold when the case was still going on. This is the same executive committee that claimed none of these things actually existed until the allegations against them came out. Also, it was very careless of the government to make statements like, ‘If the women have complaints, they should just file an FIR and come up with names.’ Again the onus is put on women to name and shame and take the brunt of it after that. My question’s always been, what is the proof of justice you can show for you to demand that we must name and shame (the perpetrators)? After that, what happens to us, our careers, lives, legal fees and mental health issues? No one gives a damn about that. Why, again and again, the onus is put on the women to take care of the problems that are not caused by us?" she added.

In response to the Hema Committee report, the Kerala Government has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine its findings, with numerous prominent actors and filmmakers expected to be questioned during the investigation. Earlier this week, Mohanlal’s resignation as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) surprised many. As president, Mohanlal led a 17-member executive committee, all of whom have now collectively resigned alongside him.

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