Sponsorship rift to allegations: AMMA President Shwetha Menon suspects conspiracy in Ansiba-Tini Tom issue

KOCHI: Shwetha Menon, the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), has raised suspicions of a calculated conspiracy behind actress Ansiba Hassan’s recent allegations against actor-comedian Tini Tom. Speaking to the media in Kochi, Shwetha suggested that the timing of the complaint—coinciding precisely with the organisation's scheduled camp—points toward a well-planned move to defame the association.

According to Shwetha, the leadership only received the formal complaint at around 2:00 PM on Saturday, after the details had already surfaced in the media. "Following the receipt of the complaint, we attempted to reach out to Ansiba telephonically, but she remained unavailable," Shwetha stated, adding that AMMA will nevertheless conduct a thorough internal review of the matter in strict accordance with its bylaws.

Clarifying the timeline of events, the AMMA president noted that Ansiba’s resignation from the body had already been accepted earlier this month, on May 12. Crucially, the resignation letter cited purely personal reasons and made no mention of any grievances or allegations against Tini Tom. Shwetha further revealed that while Ansiba had previously brought up a separate grievance, it pertained to a formal police complaint she had lodged. At the time, the association had informed the actress that it could not legally intervene in an active police investigation.

The friction between Ansiba and the executive committee reportedly stems from a prior disagreement during a committee meeting. Ansiba had strongly opposed the association's decision to accept sponsorship from a religious institution. However, the majority of the executive committee members chose to override her objection and move forward with the partnership. Despite the growing rift, Shwetha emphasised that AMMA remains committed to due process. She concluded by stating that the association is fully prepared to hear Ansiba’s side of the story, and the executive committee will examine the contents of her complaint in detail.