AMMA accepts actor Dileep's resignation

Kochi: Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) president Mohanlal on Friday revealed that actor Dileep accused of hiring a rapist to take revenge on a former co-star had resigned.

Following a meeting of its executive committee, he told a press conference that he sought his resignation on October 10 contradicting the statement by Siddique the other day that Dileep himself resigned.

Mohanlal, whom Revathi, Parvathy and Padmapriya criticised for addressing them as ‘actresses,’ chose to repeat it on Friday.

He said they had initially asked for some time after WCC came to talk for the first time on the issue. 

“We wanted time to call the General Body, but then the situation in Kerala changed due to the floods,” he said. 

He said there's a system within the body to address complaints of sexual harassment and the committee comprised K.P.A.C. Lalitha, Kukku Parameswaran and Kaviyoor Ponnamma.

He also said that the EC would discuss sexual harassment complaint against Alancier in the next meeting and probably give a show-cause notice.

When asked about controversial statements by Lalitha and Siddique that the four actors including the survivor should apologise before re-entering, Mohanlal said that he does not personally feel that an apology is necessary. 

“However, if they give us an application we will scrutinise it before the EC and then decide. AMMA does not differentiate people. It’s the same rule for all of us,” he said. 

He, however, asked not to take the comments by KPAC Lalitha seriously.  “Take that in a lighter sense. She did not mean it,” he said.

Earlier, Jagadish came out in public criticising Siddique for his statements against members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). 

A difference of opinion was there in both the statements by Jagadish and Siddique on holding a general body.

Commenting on that, Mohanlal said, “They both discussed it with me and the matters presented were the same. Holding a general body was only under discussion at that time. They both presented it in different ways, that’s all,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Jagadish interfered and said, “Like a press note, every word in a press conference cannot be conveyed before delivering. Therefore, a difference of opinion can happen.”

To show the unity in the leadership, Jagadish and Siddique sat together in the front row where Jagadish defended Siddique.

Commenting on the allegations by the WCC members that they were not allowed to speak for the first 40 minutes in the EC meeting held recently, general secretary Idavela Babu clarified that it was wrong.  “It’s a lie. I don’t know why they said like that. They were talking continuously for the first ten minutes of the meeting. We have its footage,” he clarified.

Meanwhile, Jagadish said that the conversation between him and Baburaj that leaked the other day was personal and never make count on that. “Whatever we talk to the public is the actual things. The other things are personal. There are many things like that,” he said.

Mohanlal also decided to use the opportunity to express his disappointment at being targeted in the Dileep issue. 

“I am not satisfied with this. It is affecting me. I am becoming a target not only in Kerala but also in national and international media, for a case I was never involved in,” he said.