Actor Shwetha Menon, recently appointed as the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), broke her silence on the obscenity case filed against her while she was contesting for the top post. Speaking at an event, Menon recalled how the timing of the case almost pushed her to reconsider her candidature.“More the enemies, more I excel. The case was shattering as a person. It was about films that came 12 years back. The movies which were mentioned fetched me a state award. No one has ever been exposed to such a case. I was confused if I should back out of the election and fight the case. It’s my family’s support that made me go ahead. Then I became a fiery tigress,” she told India Today.
Case filed under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act
The Ernakulam Central Police registered a case against Menon under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and Section 67(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The complaint alleged that she acted in films and advertisements with obscene content for financial gain. The FIR was filed by social worker Martin Menachery following a court directive, claiming that clips from her films had been circulated on social media and adult sites for popularity and profit.
Election battle amid controversy
The case came at a critical juncture when Menon was contesting the AMMA elections scheduled for August 15, after the entire committee led by Mohanlal had stepped down. While the controversy stirred debates, it also generated wider support for her candidature. Ultimately, Menon was appointed as the president of AMMA, marking a historic first for the organisation.Shwetha Menon, a two-time Kerala State Film Award winner for Best Actress, has built a career spanning Malayalam and Hindi cinema. Despite the turbulence surrounding her election campaign, the actor said she drew strength from adversity and vowed to carry forward her new role with resilience.
