Shwetha Menon’s AMMA Presidency: Can Mollywood Finally Listen To Women Safety In Workplace?

Shwetha Menon’s AMMA Presidency: For the first time in its nearly 30-year history, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has elected a female president. The actors’ choice of appointment of actor Shwetha Menon as president is a landmark achievement for an organization that has been heavily criticized for failing to recognize safety and inclusion issues faced specifically by women, although it arrives at a rather unfortunate time for Mollywood, amidst continuing (and documented) complaints of sexual harassment, institutional indifference, and power struggles. 

Bhavana Menon’s Case: The beginning of Chaos in Mollywood

The conversation on women’s safety in Malayalam cinema changed forever when actress Bhavana Menon was abducted and assaulted on her way from Thrissur to Kochi to report for work in 2017. The case had shocked film fraternity and had created deep pressure in the industry that never seen before, particularly with the involvement of popular actor Dileep identified as an accused of criminal conspiracy.

Although he has protested his innocence, the case is continuing in court. For Bhavana, who had just come out of five years of silence, the process of transforming from “victim to survivor” underlines the huge personal price paid by women when they confront established power in film. 

#MeToo Allegations: Storm That Shook Mollywood

The #MeToo movement struck Mollywood with full force, with a minimum of 17 cases filed in relation to sexual harassment charges. Actresses such as Sonia Malhaar and Minu Muneer reported complaints against prominent names, while several others were intimidated and threatened to silence their voices. The exposes not only tarnished reputations but also brought to light a culture of silence, where survivors were consistently pushed aside to shelter powerful actors, producers, and filmmakers.

ALSO READ: Malayalam Actress Accuses Youth Leader Of Sending Inappropriate Messages But Says, ‘I Have Not Suffered Any Assault’

Hema Committee Report: Exposing Dark side of Mollywood 

In 2017, the Kerala state government set up the Justice Hema Committee to investigate systematic gender discrimination in the film sector. Its report was presented in 2019 but unfortunately published only in August 2024, confirmed what many women had previously voiced as a well-documented history of harassment, exploitation and denial of opportunity.

Based on the findings, 35 cases had been initiated, but in an act that outraged women’s collectives, subsequently the Special Investigation Team closed them all due to insufficient evidence. For most of them, the event demonstrated to them how institutions continue to protect, not survivors, but rather perpetrators.

Sandra Thomas vs. the Male Power Bloc

The gender disparity discourse has re-emerged again recently when producer Sandra Thomas registered a case against veteran filmmaker B. Unnikrishnan and producer Anto Joseph, of shooting down her career prospects and publicly humiliating her. Her very assertiveness followed the Hema Committee report and resulted in her being expelled from the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA). Thomas’ ordeal is indicative of how even female producers, not merely actresses, are systematically excluded in a male-dominated power network-based industry.

Even as Shwetha Menon enters her landmark new position, she herself is embroiled in controversy. An FIR was registered in Ernakulam under the IT Act charging her with deriving financial gains from “obscene” content in films and commercials. Legal professionals, however, contend the case has no genuine legal basis and represents a trend where vociferous women in the field are frequently subjected to punitive harassment. The timing of the complaint, during her AMMA presidency, has put a question mark as to whether this is another move to muzzle women entering leadership roles. 

Criminal Influence and Women Redefining the Script

The Malayalam film industry is at a critical moment. While survivors and whistleblowers are sharing testimonies that the industry is still riddled with people facing allegations for crimes ranging from conspiracies in sexual assaults to harassment and assault allegations. Groups such as the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and women like Shwetha Menon, Rima Kallingal, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Sandra Thomas have begun to rewrite the ‘She’ history. Their fight is changing institutional cultures for the sustainability, dignity and safety of women in cinema.

Challenges persist, but one thing is obvious; Mollywood can no longer ignore its women. The future, brand, and creativity of the industry will depend on whether it can finally unearth the power structures that have created barriers for all to flourish in a safe space for all voices and for all creative outcomes.

ALSO READ: Maala Parvathi Slams FIR Against Shwetha Menon as a Political Move Ahead of AMMA Elections