AMMA elections 2025: Will the organisation see its first woman president?

The upcoming Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) elections could mark a historic moment for the 31-year-old body, as actress Shwetha Menon has filed her nomination for the post of president, according to Kerala Kaumudi. If elected, the actress would be the first woman to helm the organisation after three decades of male leadership.

Menon’s name pops up against a list of other rumoured contenders including Jagadish, Kunchako Boban, and Vijayaraghavan. The 51-year-old has long been a respected member of AMMA and had previously etched glory in the organisation’s book when she was elected as the first female vice president of the organisation in 2021, a position she shared with Edavela Babu till 2024.

Menon became a household name in the film industry when she debuted with her 1991 Mollywood debut Anaswaram. Since then, she has expanded her presence into Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil cinema and quickly became a noted and respected figure in the community.

The premature AMMA elections come after the contents of the Hema Committee report—which highlighted issues related to sexual violence against women and male dominance in the industry—shook the organisation. The situation snowballed and eventually prompted veteran actor Mohanlal to step down from the post of president, a position he had held unopposed since 2018.

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As per Kerala Kaumudi, over 125 nominations have been filed for various posts such as president, vice-president, general secretary, secretary, joint secretary, and treasurer. Among them, actor Baburaj has filed his nomination for general secretary while Ansiba Hasan is vying for joint secretary.

The final list of nominees will be announced on Thursday, with the AMMA elections to be conducted on August 15.

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