The leadership dispute within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has entered a new phase after actors Joy Mathew, Jayan Cherthala and Kailash formally stepped down from the executive committee led by Shwetha Menon.
Resignations follow debate over Ad Hoc committee
The resignations were submitted soon after Shwetha Menon publicly challenged the legitimacy of the ad hoc committee through a detailed social media statement. In her post, she maintained that she continues to hold the office of AMMA president because she has not formally resigned from the post.Earlier, members of the ad hoc committee had stated that neither Shwetha Menon nor any member of her executive panel had officially submitted resignation letters. This was despite the executive committee’s dissolution being announced during the association’s Annual General Body meeting held last month.The ad hoc committee, headed by Ramesh Pisharody, has already begun functioning and recently conducted its first meeting while the leadership issue remains unresolved.
Jayan Cherthala and Kailash explain their decision
Speaking to On Manorama, about his resignation, Kailash confirmed that he had stepped down from the executive committee. However, he described it as a personal decision and did not elaborate further.Jayan Cherthala also confirmed his resignation with the same portal, stating his decision was guided by ethical considerations. According to him, the announcement made before the General Body meeting deserved to be respected.He said, “Our dissolution was announced before the members assembled at the general body. As per the organisational hierarchy, that decision carries validity because it was made in front of the general body. There may be legal arguments that the decision is invalid, but I respect the general body and the decisions taken there.”Jayan further revealed that he was the first among the three to resign, followed later by Joy Mathew and Kailash.Meanwhile, Joy Mathew reportedly stated that he no longer saw any purpose in remaining with an organisation that had become divided. He is said to have maintained that, from a legal standpoint, Shwetha Menon remains the association’s president because she has not submitted an official resignation letter.
Shwetha Menon says she will not step down
Shwetha Menon reiterated that she has no plans to relinquish her position until she clears her name and establishes her innocence regarding the allegations levelled against her executive committee.In a statement shared on Instagram, she wrote, “I remained silent all these days for the sake of AMMA. I thought that if I stayed quiet, the controversies surrounding AMMA would come to an end. But since my reputation is being continuously targeted and tarnished, I will not step down without proving my innocence.”She added, “Today, they are saying that I betrayed the members… that I abandoned AMMA. No… I have not betrayed anyone, nor have I abandoned AMMA. At the AMMA Annual General Body Meeting held on June 21, 2026, a few individuals (to be exact, 10–15 members of AMMA) came to the meeting with a pre-planned agenda to force our Executive Committee to resign.They circulated a pre-printed resolution containing several baseless allegations against our Executive Committee. We had clear, fact-based, and legally sound answers to each and every one of those allegations.”The actor stated, “Although that resolution was handed over to me it was never passed under Article XII(e) of the AMMA By-laws. Out of the 243 members who attended the meeting, it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority of 162 votes. Therefore, the resolution was not passed and has no legal validity whatsoever.Today, they are claiming that the Ad-Hoc Committee was formed based on the decision of the General Body.”
Leadership uncertainty continues
AMMA’s leadership crisis remains unresolved with three members now formally resigning and Shwetha Menon continuing to dispute the legal position of the ad hoc committee. All eyes are now on the association’s next move as members await greater clarity on the leadership issue.
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