Kerala's A.M.M.A. elections: Will it be someone's dummy candidates who are set to win?

Dubai: Keralites didn’t have to wait until May 2026 for an election that comes with drama, tears, leaked videos and sharply-worded attacks between opponents.

They are getting all this right now, with elections to chose the new board of A.M.M.A., the grouping of actors in the Malayalam film industry.

If only Thilakan – one of most revered actors ever in the Malayalam film industry – were alive to see all of the shambles that goes for A.M.M.A. elections. The same Thilakan who was banned by the organisation and from films for having the courage to voice an opinion.

Because these days, just about everyone associated with A.M.M.A. is voicing her or his opinion, whether anyone outside cares to hear it or not.

In the last 24 hours, there have even been tactical withdrawals, much like you see in state or central elections in India. So, theirs is Jagadish – at one point considered the overwhelming favorite to be A.M.M.A.’s next president – deciding to withdraw his nomination. As is usual with such happenings in Malayalam cinema, Jagadish evoked Mohanlal and Mammootty’s names to explain his near last-minute withdrawal.

To be specific, Jagadish ‘agrees’ with Mohanlal and Mammootty that this is the right time for a woman candidate to lead the A.M.M.A. organization.

That creates a straight battle between Shweta Menon and veteran actor Devan to emerge as the candidate with the highest votes.

But will the ‘right’ candidate win?

One look at the list of aspirants for the various positions on the A.M.M.A. board suggests these are primarily dummy candidates. Or those who don’t have much by way of actual work to do in their day jobs – that of being actors in the Malayalam film industry.

The one person who had the credentials and remains one of the busiest actors is Jagadish. And now, for whatever reason, he’s fallen foul of a section of A.M.M.A. members. And that was enough to sink his chances.

And rules and reasons get changed when it suits certain groups. So, actor Baburaj too had to withdraw as a candidate to be the next general secretary of A.M.M.A. because of multiple accusations. And despite all these accusations, no one thought it odd to have Baburaj as a member of ad-hoc committee that is overseeing A.M.M.A. matters for some time now.

If anyone sees double standards in all these actions, they wouldn’t be far wrong.

And so, on August 15, an A.M.M.A. election will be held and a new committee comes into being. A committee that will have no representation from Mohanlal or Mammootty, but which will still feel as if it’s remote controlled by these two.

The A.M.M.A. organisation has been through some of the worst period in its history, with senior actors being accused of sexual misconduct. Now, financial misconduct charges are being leveled at one or two. All this while, according to latest media reports, the organisation is facing substantial financial obligations.

Issues that a Jagadish as president could have helped out with. A role where at the least he could have brought some of his academic skills – Jagadish is an M.Com rank-holder and lecturer – to work.

That’s not going to be and A.M.M.A. will be poorer for it.

A state of affairs that would have brought out a deep laugh from Thilakan.