Asianet News EXCLUSIVE: There is a power group; AMMA lacks spine, says actress Padmapriya

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Sep 3, 2024, 10:06 AM IST

In an exclusive interview with Asianet News Executive Editor Sindhu Sooryakumar, actress Padmapriya expressed surprise at the mass resignation from AMMA, questioning the moral grounds for such actions. She criticized film organizations for treating current issues as mere sexual harassment allegations rather than addressing the underlying power dynamics.

Thiruvananthapuram: Actress Padmapriya Janakiraman has openly criticized AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists), calling it a disorganized and ineffective organization. She described the resignation of AMMA’s executive committee as an irresponsible action and that the organisation is spineless. Padmapriya pointed out the presence of power groups within the film industry and demanded an explanation from the government for the Hema Committee report, which was withheld for over four and a half years. She stated that merely forming a special investigation team is not enough.

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In an exclusive interview with Asianet News Executive Editor Sindhu Sooryakumar, Padmapriya said that there is still no clarity on what action is being taken on the committee's recommendations.

Padmapriya expressed that she did not expect the mass resignation from AMMA. She questioned the moral grounds on which the resignations were made, finding them unclear. Despite denials from various parties, she stressed that power groups exist within the film industry. She criticized film organizations for treating current events merely as sexual harassment allegations rather than addressing the power dynamics that enable such misconduct.

The 'Kaazhcha' actress pointed out that the hierarchical structure of power is a key factor in these issues, which she feels is being ignored.

Padmapriya said, “It is significant that the Chief Minister appointed the Hema Committee after members of the WCC went to see him. However, the government must explain why the report was kept confidential for four and a half years. Following this, the only action the government took was to form a special investigation team, which is not a complete solution to the issue.”

Padmapriya shared an experience from her time in Malayalam cinema: “When I was around 25 or 26 years old, a leading production manager asked me, 'Aren’t you getting too old? Maybe it’s time to stop.' This is the kind of perspective that exists.”

The full interview of Padmapriya with Asianet News Executive Editor Sindhu Sooryakumar will be telecasted today (Sep 03)at 2:30 PM.

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