Kochi

Actor Shwetha Menon has been elected as the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), marking a historic moment for the organisation. Her win comes almost a year after the previous Mohanlal-led committee resigned following the damning Hema Committee report, which exposed issues like sexual allegations and pay disparity in the Malayalam film industry.

Menon contested against Devan for the top post, with the election held in Kochi on Friday. Her victory contributes to a "surge of woman power" within AMMA, as Kukku Parameswaran secured the General Secretary position, and Lakshmi Priya and Ansiba Hasan were elected as Vice President and Joint Secretary respectively, meaning four key posts are now held by women.

The campaign was marred by personal disputes, including a case filed against Shwetha Menon herself for allegedly acting in "obscene and vulgar films and ads". Despite the controversy, Menon expressed that now AMMA "has an 'amma'" (mother), stating that issues will be solved collectively with the blessings of patrons like Mammootty and Mohanlal. The election saw a lower voter turnout of 58%, with many notable actors abstaining.