14 actors refuse to join AMMA, citing organisation’s support for Dileep
Hindustan TimesAs many as 14 female actors on Sunday said they will not join the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists as it lacks any fairness, a week after the members of the association revoked the suspension of actor Dileep, accused of kidnapping an actor. The 14 active members of the recently-formed Women in Cinema Collective took the decision even as superstar Mohanlal, who heads AMMA, said on Saturday that there was no vested interest in taking back Dileep. Also, two Kannada film bodies -- the Kannada Film Industry and the Film Industry for Rights & Equality -- on Sunday wrote to AMMA expressing their displeasure in the manner in which Dileep’s suspension was revoked. In a Facebook post, the actors, including Amala Akkineni, Archana Padmini, Divyaprabha, Sajitha Madathil and Jolly Chirayath, wrote: “It has been a year since the WCC was formed by women from various facets of the Malayalam film industry and we decided to become members as we knew the issues of women will be addressed by WCC. besides it’s tough to go forward with any sort of meaningful discussion on women issues.” The actresses said that after realising that there is nothing positive in the horizon, “as no meaningful discussion can take place because it’s caught between certain groups, fans associations and it fails to have a humane approach towards issues concerning women, we are unable to take membership in AMMA”.