Split in AMMA: Members approach FEFKA to form trade union

KOCHI: There are growing indications of a split within the AMMA, with recent developments revealing discord among its members and the broader film community.

B Unnikrishnan, General Secretary of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), has claimed that approximately 20 actors have approached FEFKA with a request to form a new trade union. He stated that FEFKA has informed them that such an affiliation is not possible.

In response, former AMMA Vice President Jayan Cherthala has denied that any officials from AMMA have sought FEFKA’s assistance. He emphasized that AMMA remains committed to its role as a charitable organization and is focused on electing new office bearers following recent leadership changes.

The controversy began when the AMMA Executive Committee resigned in the wake of criticisms outlined in the Hema Committee report. This report has sparked considerable debate, with some actors opposing the committee’s resignation and calling for a revaluation of the leadership changes.

FEFKA has voiced serious concerns about the Hema Committee report, with B Unnikrishnan accusing the committee of preparing its findings without adequately consulting all relevant parties. He criticized the report for allegedly failing to include input from a broad range of stakeholders and focusing only on selected individuals. Unnikrishnan specifically questioned why the report relied on feedback from the World Cinema Collective (WCC) members alone, rather than engaging with other film organizations.