New Delhi: In a recent development within the Malayalam film industry, veteran actor Mohanlal has stepped down from his position as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). This move comes as the executive committee of AMMA was dissolved on Tuesday, following mounting pressure and criticism over sexual assault allegations against its members, including actors Siddique and Baburaj, who held the positions of general secretary and joint secretary, respectively.New committee to be formedAMMA announced that a new executive committee would be formed through an election set to take place within two months. The decision to dissolve the current committee was largely influenced by the ongoing controversy surrounding the sexual assault allegations. Siddique resigned from his role as general secretary on Sunday after a female actor accused him of sexual misconduct. Despite similar allegations against him by a junior actor, Baburaj has denied the accusations and initially continued in his role.AMMA faces backlash over inactionThe influential actors body has faced severe criticism for its inaction regarding the findings of the Justice Hema committee report. The report highlighted systemic sexual abuse within the Malayalam film industry, the existence of a power group controlling the industry, and the mistreatment of junior actors. The inaction on these findings led to widespread dissatisfaction and calls for reform within the organization.Siddique&#39s controversial statementsBefore his resignation, Siddique sparked controversy by denying the existence of a casting couch in the industry, dismissing the reported incidents as isolated cases of sexual harassment. His comments and the subsequent backlash only added fuel to the fire, culminating in the mass resignations within AMMA.Prithviraj admits lapses in handling reportThe resignations came a day after prominent actor Prithviraj Sukumaran acknowledged that AMMA had failed to adequately address the Justice Hema committees findings. His admission added further pressure on the organization to make substantial changes.
