Veteran actors Revathy Asha Kelunni and Padmapriya Janakiraman have resigned from the primary membership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The two actors announced their decision through a joint statement on Instagram, explaining that they had lost faith in the organisation’s willingness to bring meaningful change.
They stressed that their resignation was not a reaction to a single incident but the result of years of disappointment.
“Our Decision Was Not Made in Haste”
Sharing the joint statement on Instagram, Revathy and Padmapriya clarified that their exit was carefully considered.
“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 read.
The actors explained that they had spent nearly a decade demanding basic workplace reforms.
Calls for Safer Workplaces and Equal Treatment
According to the statement, their demands focused on creating a safer and more respectful environment for everyone in the Malayalam film industry.
“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,” they wrote.
They added that instead of support, they experienced silence and isolation.
“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.”
Remarks on the Hema Committee Report
The actors also referred to developments following the Hema Committee Report, which examined issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
They claimed that the resignations that followed the report were not driven by accountability.
“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.”
According to them, the system itself has remained unchanged despite public discussions.
Criticism of AMMA’s Functioning
Revathy and Padmapriya also criticised the internal functioning of AMMA.
They said that while leadership may change, the structures that allow inequality continue to exist.
“Power keeps finding new ways to protect itself. The faces change. The methods change. But the structures enabling inequality remain untouched.”
The statement further said that AMMA had gradually moved away from its original purpose.
“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.”
The actors described their resignation as a decision rooted in self-respect rather than defeat.
“Walking away for us now is not defeat. It is self-respect.”
Faith in the Future of Malayalam Cinema
Despite leaving the organisation, both actors expressed confidence that the Malayalam film industry can build a better future.
They said they hope future generations of women in cinema will not have to face the same challenges.
“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 also confirmed that they will continue working in cinema and advocating for a fair and inclusive industry.
“We will continue our journey as film professionals. For better storytelling, for our fellow colleagues, and for a more equitable industry.”
The statement concluded by thanking the public and the media for their continued support.
“Institutions endure not because people stay, but because they stay worthy of trust. We leave this chapter with clarity and hope.”
Revathy’s Personal Note
Along with the joint statement, Revathy shared a personal message on Instagram explaining the decision.
She wrote that the resignation was neither driven by anger nor taken impulsively.
“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.”
She added that their demands had always been straightforward.
“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.”
Revathy concluded by saying that her commitment to Malayalam cinema remains unchanged.
“Malayalam cinema will always be ours to love and to work for. That never depended on a membership.”