Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) president Shwetha Menon resigned from her post on Sunday, along with the organisation's executive committee, following a dispute within the actors' body.
Menon, the first woman to lead the three-decade-old association, also announced her resignation from AMMA membership during the organisation's annual general body meeting in Kochi.
The 17-member executive committee had taken office in August 2025 after the previous leadership, headed by actor Mohanlal, stepped down following controversy surrounding the Justice Hema Committee report on the treatment of women in the Malayalam film industry.
Announcing her decision, Menon said there were attempts to place the association under the control of "tainted" individuals and that she could not continue as a "puppet".
The resignations followed heated exchanges during the meeting over AMMA's annual receipts and payments accounts. A group of members, including actors Siddique and Edavela Babu, objected to the accounts presented by general secretary Cuckoo Parameswaran, alleging a lack of transparency. The disagreement led to a deadlock over the approval of the financial statements.
Following the resignations, an ad hoc committee headed by actor and MLA Ramesh Pisharody was appointed to manage the association until new elections are held.
Mohanlal later issued a statement calling for unity within the organisation.
AMMA has remained under scrutiny since the release of the Justice Hema Committee report in 2024, which triggered allegations that the association had failed to adequately address sexual misconduct in the Malayalam film industry.
The organisation has also faced internal tensions in recent months, including disputes related to actor Ansiba Hassan's complaint against actor Tini Tom and criticism of a directive restricting members from speaking to the media on the matter.