KOCHI: Association of Malayalam Movie Artists which endeared itself to every Malayalee with the acronym AMMA became a laughing stock in front of the world as the investigation into the actor assault case progressed. The last nail was cast in the press conference after the general body meeting of the organisation when two MLA-actors M. Mukesh and K.B Ganesh Kumar belonging to the LDF lashed out at the media and blocked mediapersons from asking questions that they are uncomfortable with. The shame was compounded when another Left politician and MP Innocent, who is also AMMA president, did not speak a word to bring order to the scene while superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty remained silent along with Dileep, who was at the centre of the controversy, on the dais.
Mr Ganesh Kumar went one step further saying that the actor body was with the actor who was sexually assaulted and also Dileep who is facing conspiracy allegations. “Both are the children of AMMA” was the refrain. The AMMA general body also did not have any meaningful discussion or resolution on the actor assault. AMMA also did not organise any protest on its own demanding to nab any conspirators in the case, let alone making any representation to the Chief Minister.
The lone protest was organised by the film fraternity as a whole at Durbar Hall soon after the incident and it all began and ended there but for occasional voicing through television news channels in discussions. The failure of Innocent as a Left MP and president of AMMA stood out with even his utterings later in press meets becoming controversial, to the point of anti-women.
The credibility of both Mohanlal and Mammotty also took a severe beating. The collective silence of the film fraternity in fact resulted in the birth of Women Collective in Cinema, to ensure the safety and security of women in film field and for gender justice.
