Superstar Mohanlal on Saturday said there was no vested interest in revoking the suspension of actor Dileep, an accused in the actress kidnap case, from Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (Amma).
For the first time since the massive row broke out over the revoking of suspension of actor Dileep, superstar Mohanlal on Saturday broke his silence.
He said there was no vested interest and that they just followed the democratic principles adopted in any organisation. “We are, however, willing to look into the resignation of a few women members.”
Dileep is an accused in the actress kidnap case that took place last year and was in jail for 85 days and now out on bail. He was suspended from Amma last year.
Those who have resigned include the victim in the case, Rima Kallingal, Remya Nambisan and Geetu Mohandas, all of whom are leading lights in the Malayalam film industry.
Mohanlal took office as the president of artists body last Sunday, when he replaced CPM-backed Lok Sabha member Innocent who stepped down after 18 years in that post.
In an email from London to the media, Mohanlal stated that it was a unanimous decision taken at the annual general body meeting to revoke the suspension of Dileep.
“All what we did was to follow the accepted democratic practice that is taken in such circumstances and there was no other vested interests. I am deeply pained by the response against Amma that has come out. We have always stood strongly behind the victim.
“What has to be noted is that we are an organisation with 485 members, of which more than 50 per cent find it difficult to go forward. We are giving a monthly pension to 137 of our members,” wrote Mohanlal.
He further states it has to be noted that they had not even communicated the unanimous decision to Dileep as even before that there had been huge opposition to it.
“We also saw that there have been differences of opinion raised by a few members who have announced that they are resigning from Amma. We very well understand their emotions and the new office-bearers of Amma are willing to take a re-look.
“Corrections, if it has to be there, will be done and let the differences of opinion among us be rectified and we will go forward. Let those who throw mud on us from outside do it, but we will stand together,” Mohanlal added.
—IANS
