Kochi: “In those days, I was in a completely empty state of mind. At that moment, all I could think was about my daughter. Even after working in cinema for so long, I still don’t understand why someone filed such a terrible case against me. No woman should ever have to go through such a situation.”

Even as she made history by becoming the president of the actors association AMMA, Shwetha Menon recalls the painful and distressing memories of those days. Ahead of the AMMA elections, there had been widespread news reports of a complaint accusing Shwetha of acting in obscene scenes in films for financial gain.

Why did you decide to contest for the post of AMMA president?

I was the vice president in the committee when Mohanlal was president. That experience gave me a lot of confidence. When Lalettan (Mohanlal) made it clear he would not continue as president, I began to think about contesting. Many, including seniors, encouraged me, and that is when I decided to go ahead.

Did you feel like withdrawing when the case came up during elections?

I was completely shattered with grief and pain. What they did to me was something that should not be done to any woman or any human being. Yet, I never thought of withdrawing. I filed my nomination just seven minutes before the deadline on the last day.

What are the expectations from the team that includes you and Kukku Parameswaran?

As a women’s team, none of us see the new committee in terms of gender. Everyone has their own roles to play. Kukku and I are only trying to make it all work beautifully.

There are also those who have left the organisation or never joined. How will that be handled?

That is not something to be decided or dealt with on a personal level. The organisation has a clear set of bylaws. As per that, discussions must be held with everyone and a good decision taken. As president, my wish is to strengthen the association further and lead towards greater stability and power.