Kochi: Actor Shwetha Menon, who recently became the first woman president of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes), said it was time for her and others to "unlearn a few things" as a new era begins in the Malayalam film industry.

Shwetha made history on August 15 by becoming the first woman to head the actors’ body. In an interview with 'The Hollywood Reporter India', she said she recognised the need for an image overhaul within the organisation.

Although Shwetha has long been associated with AMMA, this marks her first tenure as president. She recalled working alongside Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty, both of whom previously held the top position.

However, the actor emphasised that she wanted to bring a wave of fresh learning to the association.

"I've always been part of teams led by Mohanlal, Mammootty, or Innocent. We've all learned a lot from them. But now, I think it's time to unlearn a few things, make some tweaks, and try to take this forward. At the very least, I have to ensure AMMA doesn't collapse," she said.

She spoke about Mohanlal’s resignation as president in the wake of the Hema Committee report, which included several names from AMMA.

She also suggested that Mohanlal may have stepped down because he felt cornered. "It was a shocking time for everyone. And it was even more shocking when Lalettan (Mohanlal) stepped down. That must have been a huge decision for him, and I'm sure he felt cornered, maybe not explicitly, but still," she said.

Shwetha added: "He's not someone who gives up easily. Though I wasn't part of that EC at the time, it felt out of character for him to quit like that. I served under him for six years, and I still have much to learn. The work at AMMA is completely selfless. There's no pay scale, no benefits, just commitment."

Although her election is already historic, Menon said that making history is not part of her “agenda.” "I am not here to rewrite history; that's not my agenda. There will always be people trying to pull you down, and honestly, there's not much you can do about that," she concluded.