Swetha Menon Elected President, Kukku Parameswaran as General Secretary of AMMA

KOCHI Aug 16: The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) announced its new office bearers following elections held on Friday. Actor Swetha Menon has been elected president, while Kukku Parameswaran will serve as the general secretary. Unni Sivapal was chosen as treasurer, and Jayan Cherthala emerged ahead in the race for vice president. Ansiba Hasan had earlier been elected unopposed as joint secretary.

Out of AMMA’s 504 members, 298 cast their votes — a sharp fall from the 357 who participated last term, marking a 12% drop in voter turnout. Voting was held from 10 am to 1 pm, with Guinness Pakru being the last to cast his ballot. Counting started at 2 pm.

The contest for the top posts saw Swetha Menon defeat veteran actor Devan, while Kukku Parameswaran overcame senior actor Raveendran in the general secretary race. For the vice president’s position, Jayan Cherthala, Nassar Latheef, and Lakshmi Priya were in the fray.

Despite an intense contest, the results ended on a conciliatory note. Swetha and Devan, who had faced off for the presidency, embraced as results were announced. “If Swetha is AMMA’s mother, then I am AMMA’s father,” Devan said, adding that his goal was to contest fairly and support a woman’s victory.

The polls reflected both division and unity within the organisation. While some members, including actor Usha Haseena, had earlier objected to Swetha’s candidacy citing a pending case against her, they later accepted the outcome. Swetha responded that she had no knowledge of the complainant and was uncertain of the motive behind the case.

Senior actor Mohanlal, after casting his vote, reiterated that no member had left AMMA and expressed hope that the new committee would strengthen the body.

Although prominent stars like Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kunchacko Boban skipped polling, actors including Tovino Thomas and Basil Joseph participated. Devan remarked that younger actors often distance themselves from AMMA, viewing it as a platform only for securing roles, and urged efforts to re-engage them.

Visibly elated, Swetha said she had remained quiet during the campaign. “I feel very happy. I never saw this as a competition with Devan. There is a long road ahead and much to do,” she said. Her win also carried a sentimental coincidence: her debut film Anaswaram had released on August 15, 1991 — the same date the election results were announced this year.

While some contenders such as Navya Nair backed out citing personal reasons, and Baburaj withdrew amid allegations against him, the overall outcome pointed to reconciliation. “Our focus now must be on cooperation, not rivalry,” Devan said, echoing the mood of togetherness that marked the election’s close.