"I am no one's puppet": Shweta Menon alleges crores in cash discrepancies under Mohanlal’s leadership

KOCHI: Days after a major administrative crisis shook the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), former president and actress Shweta Menon has levelled serious financial allegations against the previous executive committee led by superstar Mohanlal. Speaking at a press conference following her exit, Shweta made it clear that she would not be used as a scapegoat for the organisation’s ongoing turmoil, declaring that she has no intention of functioning as anyone's puppet.

The governing crisis reached a boiling point during the association’s annual general body meeting, culminating in the mass resignation of Shweta and 17 other executive committee members. In an unprecedented move, Shweta not only stepped down from the top post but also renounced her primary membership in the association, completely severing ties with the body she historically led as its first-ever female president.

Addressing the media, Shweta pinned the blame for AMMA’s severe financial distress squarely on the shoulders of the Mohanlal-led predecessor committee. She alleged that the previous leadership’s financial records were entirely inaccurate and fraught with discrepancies. According to Shweta, the crisis worsened significantly because the former committee handled crores of rupees in direct cash transactions instead of routing them transparently through banking channels.

Shweta clarified that her committee inherited a broken system, operating without a functioning treasurer for a significant period. She emphasised that while her team meticulously and accurately documented every single financial transaction starting from September 1, the irregularities were deeply embedded in the accounts maintained prior to her tenure. Expressing a sense of relief over her departure, she added that she felt immense sympathy for the majority of her colleagues on the committee who were caught in the crossfire, barring a select few.

The immediate trigger for the mass walkout was a heated dispute during the general body meeting over the income and expenditure statements presented by General Secretary Kuku Parameswaran. As arguments escalated and a faction of members moved a notice for a no-confidence motion against the leadership, Shweta and her executive body chose to exit the venue and subsequently resign.

The turmoil marks another chaotic chapter for AMMA, which has been plagued by internal strife. Following the explosive revelations of the Hema Committee report, the Mohanlal-led committee had resigned en masse in 2024. This paved the way for a historic shift in August 2025, when AMMA elected its first female-led executive committee. However, the new leadership was riddled with intense internal friction from its very inception, ultimately leading to the current administrative collapse.