Actors Revathy Asha Kelunni and Padmapriya Janakiraman have announced their resignation from the primary membership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The two shared a joint statement on Instagram, saying their decision was not made in haste but stemmed from years of seeking change within the organisation.
Revathy shared the statement in a joint Instagram post with Padmapriya, which began, “This may look like one more chapter in the ongoing AMMA saga. It is not. Our resignation is not in haste and not about a single incident.”
The statement went on to explain their concerns, adding, “For nearly a decade, the ask was simple. Safer workplaces. Dignity. Accountability. Equal treatment. The minimum every member deserves. And values we genuinely believed all of us could unite around.”
Reflecting on their experience, they wrote, “The price of asking, for us, has been silence and distance. From colleagues, from friends, from spaces that once felt like home. Still, we stayed. For hope has a remarkable ability to survive disappointment.”
The actors also referred to the aftermath of the Hema Committee Report, stating, “The resignations after the Hema Committee Report were not an act of principle. They were an escape from accountability. Once the attention faded, the same old order returned.”
They further criticised the functioning of the organisation, writing, “Power keeps finding new ways to protect itself. The faces change. The methods change. But the structures enabling inequality remain untouched.”
Speaking about AMMA, the statement added, “AMMA was meant to stand as a collective voice for all actors. But it has become increasingly shaped by patriarchy and power politics, weakening its founding ideals. Walking away for us now is not defeat. It is self-respect.”
Despite stepping away from the organisation, the actors expressed optimism about the future of the Malayalam film industry. “We have unwavering faith that the Malayalam film industry can become what it should be, where women do not fight the same battles their seniors did. That belief never depended on a membership.”
They concluded the statement by saying, “We will continue our journey as film professionals. For better storytelling, for our fellow colleagues, and for a more equitable industry. And we hold in deep gratitude the public and the media who have championed us all along. Institutions endure not because people stay, but because they stay worthy of trust. We leave this chapter with clarity and hope.”
Revathy also captioned the post, “Today, we are resigning from our primary membership of A.M.M.A. Not in anger, not in haste. Between us we have given decades to this industry, and we care where it goes next. For years the ask was simple: safety, dignity, accountability and equal treatment. What we met instead was silence, and the slow realisation that this institution, as it stands, is not ready to change. Malayalam cinema will always be ours to love and to work for. That never depended on a membership.”
