Ansiba Hassan-AMMA row escalates; actor lodges second complaint against executive committee member

Actor and former joint secretary of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes) Ansiba Hassan has lodged a petition with the Infopark police in Ernakulam district, Kerala, against actor and AMMA executive committee member Tini Tom over alleged communal remarks and derogatory comments against her.

This was her second complaint against former colleagues in the AMMA executive committee. Earlier, she had petitioned the Chief Minister, the Home Minister, and the State Police Chief against AMMA vice-president Lakshmi Priya, accusing her of filing a fabricated case with the Tripunithura women’s police station. The complaint also named the sub-inspector of the station as an accused, who allegedly harassed for three hours over the fabricated case. She had already given her statement to the Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police in that case.

“The latest complaint against Tini Tom is for passing communal remarks and separately making derogatory comments against me in the WhatsApp group of the AMMA executive committee,” Ms. Hassan said. She reiterated that she has no intention of appearing before the AMMA executive committee for a hearing.

“How can I expect a fair hearing from the same committee against which I have complained? I am still ready for a hearing provided an independent commission is constituted for the purpose,” she added.

Last week, AMMA’s president and the secretary issued a notice asking Ms. Hassan to appear for a hearing with evidence regarding her allegations against executive committee members. She was asked to appear on any of the first three days of this month. The notice stated that the executive committee had taken note of certain complaints and statements received by the association, as well as those reported in the public domain in recent days, concerning the conduct of members and the manner in which internal matters had been handled.

In her reply, Ms. Hassan requested the constitution of a three-member independent panel or commission for a “fair and impartial” hearing. She recommended the names of Ramesh Pisharody, Dhyan Sreenivasan, and Maala Parvathi “or any unbiased personalities.” She further insisted that the entire hearing process be recorded and preserved in AMMA’s official records. This, she said, was necessary to ensure fairness since her allegations were against the president, vice-president, and an executive member of AMMA.

Last month, AMMA president Shwetha Menon had issued an unofficial gag order to executive committee members, restraining them from making public statements in an apparent effort to diffuse tensions.