Mohanlal breaks silence on AMMA exit in the aftermath of Hema Committee after one year: ‘Suddenly we became enemies’

Mohanlal shocked many when he resigned as AMMA president in the aftermath of the Hema Committee report last year. He speaks about it for the first time.

In August 2024, Mohanlal shocked many when he resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) in the aftermath of the Hema Committee report. The entire committee was dissolved amid criticism of AMMA and Mohanlal in particular, not doing much to protect artists against sexual abuse and exploitation. More than a year after the incident, in an interview with Asianet News, the actor spoke up for the first time on why he made the move.

Mohanlal breaks silence after a year on AMMA resignation

Malayalam film star Mohanlal talked about resigning as AMMA president amid criticism. (PTI)

Mohanlal says that he faced a lot of criticism but claims that he did not resign due to it, stating he had a different reason. “I faced a lot of criticism. Suddenly, we became enemies to many people. But the resignations were not because of the criticism. I resigned when I felt it was time to put a full stop,” he said. He also hoped that those who left the organisation due to disagreements would return to the fold now.

Mohanlal also added that his exit was not a ‘defeat’, but a part of the ‘natural process’ of leadership transition. He also remarked about the ‘positive change’ of women taking on leadership roles within AMMA after this year's elections. Shwetha Menon took over as president and became the first woman to hold the role. Mohanlal served as AMMA president in two consecutive terms, from 2018 to 2021 and 2021 to 2024. He was also supposed to serve from 2024 to 2027 before his resignation. He refused to compete in the elections this year.

Mohanlal's recent work