Cinema VinesIn a dramatic turn of events, actor and Palakkad MLA Ramesh Pisharody withdrew his name as convenor of the ad‑hoc committee that had been set up to steer the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) amid a crisis. The announcement came after Pisharody filed a notice in the Ernakulam Munsiff Court, stating that he no longer wished to continue in the role. His decision followed a suit lodged by AMMA’s elected president, Shwetha Menon, which challenged the legality of the committee that Pisharody had headed.
The court’s ruling clarified that AMMA’s own bylaws do not allow the formation of an ad‑hoc panel; only a duly elected executive committee has the authority to manage the organisation. As a result, the functioning of the existing panel was restrained and its operations halted pending further legal review.
Complicating the matter, actress Ansiba had petitioned the court to be named a party in the case concerning the ad‑hoc committee. Menon, however, opposed the request, and the court was set to consider her objections on Monday. The hearing was adjourned after Menon could not appear, with a new date to be announced later.
Earlier that day, four AMMA members—including Maala Parvathy and Ansiba—appeared before the Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies to express that the association’s day‑to‑day functioning had been severely disrupted by ongoing legal disputes and internal controversies. Despite announcing her resignation at a general body meeting, Menon maintains that her departure was not valid, as it was never submitted through the prescribed official procedure.
With Menon still holding the presidency and a faction of her former executive committee remaining loyal, the future of AMMA’s leadership remains uncertain as the legal battle over the ad‑hoc committee continues to unfold.
