Tini Tom responded to Ansiba Hassan’s allegations within hours of her Manorama Online interview going public — and his response was a flat denial across the board. Speaking to media, he called the charges baseless, demanded evidence, and said he had no explanation for why such allegations had emerged against him.
On the most serious charge — that he called Ansiba a “jihadi” and spread claims she was attempting religious conversions — Tini Tom pushed back with a specific personal counter: “Most of my close friends are Muslim. Nadir Shah brought me into mimicry. Mammookka brought me into cinema. How could I say something like this?” He added that caste and religion have never been dividing lines among mimicry artists and that he could not understand the basis of the allegation.
His Version of the Resignation Timeline
Tini Tom also offered a detailed account of how Ansiba’s resignation actually unfolded — a version that directly contradicts her public framing. He said her first resignation letter arrived on February 21. It was sent back the next day with a request that she not resign and instead bring matters to the general body. Her resignation letter was deleted. At the executive committee meeting on March 2, the resignation was not even discussed.
The second resignation, he said, came on May 12. At that meeting, the committee called her on the phone and put her on speaker — asking her directly if she had any grievances. Her stated reason at that point, per Tini Tom: personal workload. “She said it was because of her own commitments. Nothing else.” The secretary and president both asked. The answer was the same.
His broader position: “I am someone who works, not someone who speaks. I have never come before you to talk about AMMA affairs.” He said he only chose to speak now because of the severity of what was being alleged. He also raised the possibility — without naming anyone — that there are external forces trying to destabilise those working within the organisation. “I don’t know if someone is behind Ansiba. I have received some indications from outside. I won’t say more.”
Tini Tom said he does not intend to pursue legal action and expects the matter to be resolved internally within AMMA. He described Ansiba as being “like a sister” to him.
Both accounts are now on record. AMMA’s committee will need to address the dispute formally. What that process looks like — and whether it happens transparently — is the question the organisation now faces.
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