Revathy, Padmapriya demand AMMA leadership's stand on Idavelu Babu issue

Following Parvathy's resignation from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), Revathy and Padmapriya have sought the stand of the key members of the AMMA leadership in the Idavela Babu issue. Parvathy decided to leave the organisation after its general secretary Idavelu Babu made an insensitive remark on the victim of the actress abduction case.

"Yet again, we are faced with an attitude from within our industry and we have to talk about it in public. It seems to be the only way these days to change the attitude of our own colleagues towards women," began Revathy and Padmapriya's joint statement. "The resignation tendered by our colleague Parvathy as a member of AMMA yesterday has taken us back to a journey that began in 2018 with the survivors’ resignation. A journey embarked upon with a lot of pain, but also with the hope of creating constructive awareness of issues of women as actors in the film industry. Those efforts have been effective in some ways because it created a space for discussions in the public forum that has never taken place before. The only common thread missing every time in this process has been the inability of the AMMA leadership to engage and/or take constructive decisions or actions."

They added that Babu has once again set a dangerous example as he did in some of his previous interviews. "An example that some of the members in the AMMA leadership can use their position to disparage a criminal investigation that is sub judice. An example that as the only organisation in the film industry with close to 50 per cent women members, there will be no measures taken to protect, support, and encourage them. Instead, it appears that all efforts will be made to alienate and ridicule them and their issues in public. An example that no matter how adverse a scenario AMMA faces collectively as an organisation the entire leadership will stay quiet."

Revathy and Padmapriya said that it is time for the AMMA leadership to share their views with all of them instead of questioning them. The two have sent a letter to each member in the AMMA leadership with the following questions:

1. What is their stand as individuals and as part of AMMA leadership towards Mr Edavela Babu’s interviews in the media over the last few days and the endorsement of the same by the Vice President Mr Ganesh Kumar.

2. What will be the action taken when some members of the leadership behave in a fashion that discredits AMMA and the film industry as a whole?

3. In light of the general secretary's response to the sexual harassment allegations against AMMA’s executive committee member Mr Siddique - has the leadership institutionalised the POSH Act that prevents harassment and protects women in their workplace?