KOCHI: Senior Malayalam actors have urged the State Cultural Minister, A.K. Balan, to take action against noted director and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Chairman Kamal for his remark that majority of AMMA members were continuing in the association just for perks.

The actors including Madhu, K.P.A.C. Lalitha, Janardhan and Kaviyoor Ponnamma said Kamal’s remarks were not expected from a person occupying such an important position.

In their letter to Balan, the actors said the financial assistance by AMMA was not a favour from the association but a token of love.

“The academy provides pension and medical aid to film persons in distress. Kamal might be perceiving such benefits as favours and those who received them as people with outstretched hands,” they said in the letter.

Addressing a function recently, Kamal had said that only 50 members of AMMA were active in the organisation that had 500 members, “The remaining 450 are those who wait for favours from AMMA. They are not active actors, but are supporting the association just to receive the monthly allowances,” he said.