The controversy surrounding Drishyam 3 actor Ansiba Hassan's allegations against actor and mimicry artist Tini Tom has taken a fresh turn, with Kishkindha Kaandam actor Asif Ali expressing support for her and suggesting that her public statements stem from a lack of alternatives within the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).
Responding to the ongoing dispute, Asif said that issues related to caste and religion should be approached with "common sense" and that organisational disputes should ideally be resolved internally. "Problems within an organisation should be resolved within that organisation. It is only when that does not happen that someone is compelled to speak publicly. People like Ansiba may be speaking out because they have no other option," Asif said.
His remarks come days after Ansiba levelled serious allegations against Tini Tom, accusing him of calling her a "Jihadi", attempting to influence her religious beliefs and spreading false rumours about her personal life. Tini has denied all the allegations and challenged Ansiba to pursue legal remedies if she believes she has been wronged.
Meanwhile, Ansiba appeared before the Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police's office on Sunday to give a statement regarding a complaint she had submitted. The complaint pertains to her alleged experiences involving actor Lakshmipriya and Thrippunithura Women's Cell Sub-Inspector Reshma.
Speaking to the media after recording her statement, Ansiba launched a fresh attack on Tini Tom. "Tini Tom has not wronged only me. He has wronged an entire community. Especially in a secular state like Kerala, what he has done is extremely wrong," she said. "He wanted to settle a personal grudge. When he could not find anything against that person, he thought, 'Her name is Ansiba Hassan, so let's use that.' What he did sends a dangerous message to society. Fortunately, we live in Kerala, and people have understood what really happened. What he did cannot be justified."
Ansiba further stated that she intends to continue pursuing the matter legally. "He must face the consequences of his actions. I will definitely move forward with the complaint," she said. Ansiba described Tini as a "social menace" and said she would continue pursuing the issue. "I am convinced that Tini Tom is a social menace, and I will continue to fight against it," she said.
The actor also reiterated her dissatisfaction with AMMA's internal mechanisms, claiming that the organisation only responded to her complaints after media attention intensified. "I had already filed a complaint with AMMA. It was only because of media pressure that they finally said they were willing to hear my complaint. Before that, I had raised several issues and submitted multiple complaints, but nobody listened."
Ansiba questioned the credibility of the committee currently handling the issue and said she had previously resigned because she lacked faith in it. "I am someone who resigned from that committee because I had no confidence in it. After resigning, they are now asking me to appear before the same committee and speak about the same issue again. Isn't that equivalent to mocking me?" She also questioned how she could expect a fair hearing from a body that includes individuals whom she believes have taken positions against her.
"I am making allegations against Tini Tom. The president supports him. The vice-president filed a false complaint against me. Do you really think I will get justice by appearing before them and repeating everything once again?" Ansiba added that she had suggested forming a new committee to examine the issue and had proposed the names of actors Mala Parvathy, Ramesh Pisharody and Dhyan Sreenivasan, but claimed she had received no response.
The actor also revived her criticism of AMMA over a controversy surrounding a temple-linked title sponsorship proposal for the organisation's family event. According to Ansiba, she had objected to the proposal in an executive committee WhatsApp group, arguing that AMMA should remain a secular organisation. "We don't need a temple, a church or a mosque. Tomorrow, political parties will also come. AMMA has functioned for 32 years without any of this," she said.
Ansiba alleged that shortly after voicing her objections, she received a phone call from a member of the organisation who questioned why she was opposing a temple-linked sponsorship. "'Why are you standing against temples?' she asked me. I told her not to try to portray me as a communal person. I am not against temples, churches or mosques," Ansiba said.
She further questioned how discussions that took place within an executive committee WhatsApp group became known to individuals who were not part of the group. "This was a discussion that happened within the executive committee. How did someone who is not part of the committee come to know about it and then call me to intimidate me?" she asked. Ansiba also alleged that attempts to communalise the issue began soon after the sponsorship debate and said she later came to know about being labelled a "Jihadi" in connection with the controversy.
The actor's statement comes as police have reportedly asked Lakshmipriya and SI Reshma to appear for questioning in connection with Ansiba's complaint. Meanwhile, AMMA's executive committee is scheduled to meet on Monday amid the growing controversy, with the organisation expected to clarify its position after the meeting.
