What began as an internal dispute within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) has rapidly transformed into one of the most communally charged controversies the Malayalam film industry has witnessed in recent years.
The resignation of the entire executive committee following a stormy annual general body meeting was itself unprecedented. But the fallout that followed has taken the crisis beyond questions of organisational governance into the realms of identity politics, communal polarisation, and social media warfare.
The controversy began with allegations made by former AMMA joint secretary Ansiba Hassan against sections of the organisation, accusations that ultimately precipitated the collapse of the executive committee.
A first in Kerala film industry
While the immediate dispute centred on accusations of character assassination and internal misconduct, the debate has since acquired a distinctly communal dimension, with sections of the right-wing ecosystem and Sangh Parivar social media actors rallying behind former vice-president Lakshmipriya against Ansiba.
Also read: AMMA crisis: How Malayalam cinema’s biggest association keeps falling apart
For many observers, this is a first in Kerala film industry, where even bitter organisational battles have seldom been openly framed through religious identity.
The chain of events began months before the dramatic AGM. In February 2026, Ansiba resigned as the AMMA joint secretary, accusing actor Tini Tom and a section of the executive committee of subjecting her to sustained character assassination while also making communal remarks targeting her.
Ansiba’s opposition to religious sponsorship
Ansiba’s resignation immediately exposed deep divisions within the organisation and the accusations ultimately precipitated the collapse of the executive committee.
“The core issue was a sponsorship of an AMMA event by a temple committee. Ansiba opposed it, arguing that accepting sponsorship from a religious institution would set a precedent, allowing organisations representing other faiths to make similar requests in the future. She maintained that AMMA, as a professional body, should remain secular and avoid associating itself with any particular religion,” said a prominent woman actor, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Lakshmipriya, who is politically aligned with the right wing, also had a separate personal dispute with Ansiba, which eventually reached the police,” the actor added.
According to Lakshmipriya, the dispute originated from a text message Ansiba allegedly sent her following one of their Gulf tour programmes. Lakshmipriya claimed that her husband misunderstood the message and that Ansiba did not take steps to clarify the misunderstanding despite being requested to do so. She alleged that the incident affected her family life, following which she approached the police with a complaint against Ansiba.
What happened at AGM
At the annual general body meeting, Ansiba reportedly spoke at length about her experiences, directly challenging the leadership, pointing out their indifferent behaviour when she raised these issues. She demanded accountability from the leadership in handling sponsorship and related issues.
What was expected to be a routine organisational meeting soon turned into an extraordinary confrontation. Members questioned the committee over its handling of the complaints, eventually forcing the entire executive committee to resign. President Shwetha Menon and vice-president Lakshmipriya, along with veteran actor Mallika Sukumaran, resigned from AMMA’s primary membership, while an ad-hoc committee was constituted to oversee the organisation until fresh elections.
Also read: AMMA accounts row: President Shwetha Menon, executive committee quit after stormy meet
The committee headed by actor and MLA Ramesh Pisharody subsequently attempted to broker peace. According to those familiar with the discussions, Ansiba remained firm. She insisted that any reconciliation was impossible unless Tini Tom and Lakshmipriya publicly apologised for the remarks and allegations made against her.
That reconciliation never happened. Instead, the conflict escalated further after Lakshmipriya appeared in an interview on a YouTube channel, Ansiba alleges, where several derogatory and defamatory remarks were made against her. Ansiba has since filed a complaint before the police, accusing Lakshmipriya and former AMMA president Shwetha Menon of orchestrating a campaign of character assassination, including the circulation of false and obscene content intended to damage her reputation.
Ansiba’s subsequent allegations
Days after the collapse of the executive committee, Ansiba escalated her allegations through an emotional Facebook post that shifted the focus from organisational politics to something much larger.
“First, I was branded ‘Methachi’ (a derogatory word meaning Muslim woman), then a ‘jihadi’. I was isolated in the name of a fabricated allegation of religious conversion. Everyone, including a people’s representative, was part of it. Sitting comfortably in their chairs, they subjected me to character assassination. They dragged the names of a legendary actor, my colleagues, and even my stepfather into this to defame me. Now those cruel fingers are reaching my friends as well.”
She further alleged that lakhs of rupees were being spent on PR agencies to sustain a campaign against her. “I know they will continue to attack me, keep hunting me. Yet the questions I raised within my organisation continue to remain unanswered. They cannot be silenced forever.”
She concluded by stating that she had approached the police despite fearing for her safety. “I chose to fight despite realising that my life is in danger, knowing that the law of this country is my last resort. I strongly believe justice will be served.”
From misconduct to communal targeting
Those remarks have fundamentally altered the nature of the controversy. What began as allegations of misconduct inside a professional association has increasingly become a debate about communal targeting and organised online campaigns.
The most striking aspect of the episode has been the manner in which sections of the right wing have rallied behind Lakshmipriya.
The communal framing has surprised many within Kerala’s cultural circles. Historically, AMMA has experienced intense internal conflicts over leadership, finances and organisational functioning. Yet these disputes rarely acquired an overt religious colour. This time, however, accusations of “jihadi”, allegations surrounding religious conversion and sustained communal messaging have entered the discourse in a manner rarely witnessed in Malayalam cinema.
Also read: Malayalam cinema: Shwetha Menon elected AMMA’s first woman president
The political backdrop has only added to the controversy.
During the internal turmoil in the general body meeting, some members of AMMA reportedly accused former president Shwetha Menon of acting as a facilitator in identifying film personalities for the BJP. They also alleged that financial considerations were involved. The controversy eventually culminated in Shwetha Menon stepping down from both the presidency and her primary membership of the organisation.
A well-planned conspiracy?
Film critic and senior writer VK Joseph believes the campaign against Ansiba extends beyond personal rivalry. “It is clear that there is a well-planned conspiracy behind portraying Ansiba Hassan before the public as a woman of loose morals and bad character. One is compelled to suspect that groups associated with the Sangh Parivar, both within and outside the film industry, are also behind this campaign.”
His remarks echo concerns expressed by several cultural commentators who believe that external political narratives are increasingly shaping disputes within Kerala’s cinema.
For AMMA, rebuilding the organisation will require much more than electing a new executive committee. The association must restore confidence among members who watched its leadership collapse amid unprecedented public acrimony. It must also address allegations of harassment, ensure credible grievance mechanisms and prevent internal disputes from degenerating into public campaigns of character assassination.
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