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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shine Tom Chacko recalls Mammootty's comforting words after his father's death; shares megastar's reaction to him winning cocaine case: ‘He sent a message saying…'
Since the beginning of his career, Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko has frequently made headlines, but not always for the right reasons. While he has delivered several notable performances, he has also found himself embroiled in controversies often, with the most recent one being actor Vincy Aloshious' allegation that he harassed her while under the influence of drugs on the sets of their upcoming movie Soothravakyam. Shine, meanwhile, faced one of the biggest personal tragedies of his life recently when he and his family were involved in an accident that resulted in the death of his father, CP Chacko. Although the incident left him and his family devastated, Shine is now on the path to recovery, thanks in part to his late father's efforts to help him begin a detoxification process. In a recent conversation, Shine opened up about how he endured the difficult period and how a heartfelt gesture from Malayalam megastar Mammootty supported him in this journey. Sharing that Mammootty reached out to him after learning about the tragedy, Shine said that the legendary actor also encouraged him to return stronger. 'I told Mammukka (Mammootty) that my dad had passed away after constantly running around for me. 'Yes, I heard,' he replied. Even though he himself was going through a difficult time, Mammukka gave me energy. He told me, 'You're not that much of a troublesome kid. You're just a little mischievous, that's all. You just have to change that.' Mammukka said that we could do more films together. I also told him, 'Come back soon, we have a lot of movies to make.' Mammukka added, 'Don't worry about anything. We just need to move forward, and the rest will follow,'' Shine recalled during a conversation with Cue Studio. 'When actors Ramesh Pisharody and Kunchacko Boban came to visit, it was Pisharody who called him and gave the phone to me. Mammukka said that he had sent me a message. I wasn't really using my mobile phone at the time. When I checked, Mammukka's message was right there. Earlier, too, when I won the cocaine case and we (the accused persons) were proven innocent, there was a message from Mammukka. 'God bless you' is what he had sent,' Shine added. Mammootty and Shine Tom Chacko have previously worked together in critically and commercially successful movies like Unda (2019) and Bheeshma Parvam (2022). Currently, Mammootty is on a break after receiving treatment for a health issue that has not been officially disclosed by his family or team. 'He had a minor issue, something that can happen to anyone. That's all there is to it. There is nothing to worry about,' his friend and colleague, superstar Mohanlal, said at a press meet in Chennai in March. The two legends are currently working together on a film titled Patriot, directed by acclaimed filmmaker-editor Mahesh Narayanan.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'He never let go': Shine Tom Chacko on Mammootty's support after father's death in car crash
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor Shine Tom Chacko has spoken publicly for the first time about the harrowing road accident that claimed his father's life. The actor revealed that superstar Mammootty gave him much support during the hardship. 'Dad gave me a biscuit" The accident occurred on June 6 on the Hosur National Highway near Palakkad. Shine, who was recovering from addiction and on medication to help him sleep, was in the backseat of the car along with his father, mother, and brother. Talking to The Cue the actor said, 'Dad gave me a biscuit, maybe two or three times,' he recalled. 'I was resting… the next time I opened my eyes, the car had already crashed.' Meesha - Official Teaser His father didn't survive. Shine's left hand was severely injured, requiring 30 stitches, and he suffered a small spinal fracture. Though his mother and brother were injured, they survived, as did the driver. But the emotional scars, Shine says, run far deeper. 'She kept asking, 'Where is Daddy?'" 'The finality didn't strike me at first,' Shine said. 'Until I lost my father, the death of someone else's parent was just another piece of news. That day, I was on the road, crying and pleading for help.' More than his own pain, Shine spoke about his mother's anguish. 'She kept asking, 'Where is Daddy?' even though he was right next to us. I kept lying, saying, 'He's here with us,' just so she could hold on to a little peace.' Mammootty's support - "He advised me to not let grief consume me" Amid the sorrow, what brought Shine unexpected solace was Mammootty's support. 'He didn't speak too much, but he knew exactly what to say,' Shine recalled. 'He advised me to not let grief consume me, to remain grounded, and keep moving forward." Shine also remembered another instance — after being cleared in a drug case — when Mammootty simply messaged him: 'God bless you.' Meanwhile, Mammootty and Shine Tom Chacko has worked together in films such as 'Unda', 'Bheeshmaparvam' and 'Christopher'.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
When the silver screen gives space to tribal land struggles
In Khalid Rahman's Unda (2019), a police officer from Kerala, played by Mammootty, who is given the responsibility of leading a team of officers to ensure that elections are conducted smoothly in Maoist-hit areas of Chhattisgarh, says to a tribal boy, 'This is your land, do not die'. Kerala has a strong, eventful, and often forgotten history of land struggles by tribal societies. While often sidelined, these struggles occasionally get its hands bloody (or find itself bleeding) and land a blow on the conscience of mainstream society, becoming the topic of intellectual discussions for a while, after which they again move to the shadows. However, once in a while, the Malayalam movie industry takes note of these events with either subtle nods inside a story or by creating an entire movie around such events. Three movies, different perspectives While Ranjan Pramod's Photographer (2006), K.M. Kamal's Pada (2022) and the recently released Narivetta by Anuraj Manohar effectively do only what the events themselves did — that is, nudge these issues into discourse for a short while — by etching them permanently in film however makes sure that the struggles of some of the most exploited communities are not forgotten. All three of the movies mentioned above are centred on or framed against the backdrop of the struggle of tribal communities in Kerala for autonomy over their own land, and how the State responded. In Narivetta, which is based on the true events surrounding the Muthanga protests and subsequent police shootings and brutalities, theprotagonist finds himself being a complicit part of the state machinery that is working to put out a peaceful protest by tribals for land that was promised to them. In Photographer, starring Mohanlal, the protagonist encounters a tribal boy facing police violence in a forest area. This was also based on the Muthanga incident detailed in Narivetta. In Pada, the makers revisit the actions of the 'Ayyankali Pada' — the youth organisation of the Kerala Communist Party formed under Maoist ideologies by former members of a Marxist-Leninist organisation that was dissolved in 1991. Pada shows how four members of the Ayyankali Pada held the collector of the Palakkad district hostage in response to amendments made to the Kerala Scheduled Tribes (Restriction on Transfer of Lands and Restoration of Alienated Lands) (KST) Act, 1975, in 1996. The KST Act deemed all tribal lands in the possession of non-tribal people through sale, lease, mortgage or by force after 1960 illegal, giving way for tribal people to take back their land. But it was never implemented in the way it was envisioned. In 1993, the Kerala High Court ordered the State government to implement the Act within six months, but that too went unfulfilled with the State asking for continuous extensions. And finally in 1996, the the Left-led government under E.K. Nayanar passed an amendment making transactions of tribal land made till 1986 legal. While Pada is an immediate response to the amendment, events of Narivetta take place after years of unfulfilled promises regarding the question of tribal land. While it can be criticised that the movie took the spotlight away from the struggling tribal people and gave it to the protagonist (highlighting his 'saviour complex'), it manages to disturb the blissful existence of the comfort class, much like Vetri Maaran with his Visaaranai and Viduthalai. Lesser-valued lives While it is commendable that movie makers choose to portray such events and bring them back to public discourse, there is a line that distinguishes genuine representation from mere tools for character building. Arousing sympathy in the audience for the downtrodden can easily slip away into re-establishing class politics. What Narivetta fails to do is break away from the idea of the need for a saviour to help bring up the downtrodden. It is necessary here to note another police movie that came out in Malayalam, a slow burner, that can describe the Muthanga incident in an even powerful way than Sikshayum (2022) by Rajeev Ravi is a simple tale of a group of policemen going out of their home turf in search of the accused who got away with a jewellery store heist. But the lead actor played by Asif Ali is plagued by his past, a montage that the movie opens with, where he shoots down a protester from an advancing group in a forest area. While the movie contains the disclaimer that the events are fictional, the protest can be compared to the Muthanga incident. But what Kuttavum Sikhshayum does is wrap up the whole conflict in a monologue before entering the climax, where the police officer opines how the killing, from the bullet that he fired, has vanished now, with no evidence and no one held responsible. The character played by Alencier, a subordinate to the protagonist, listens silently as the protagonist describes how protesters pelting stones forced the then-young officer to shoot, and how his aim went at the protester's chest rather than his legs, how higher officials saved him from any serious actions save enforced leave and how he is still tormented by the act. Alencier then breaks the fourth wall and stares at the audience for a split second, maybe to remind them of the killing, asking them how it got swept under the rug. Near the end of the movie, the protagonist once again, with a gun in his hand, comes face to face with a person who could pose harm to him. But the police officer does not shoot. Struggle for property has been a part of human life ever since nomadic hunter gatherers decided to settle down and cultivate the land around them. And for tribal people, who co-exist with 'modern' society, this struggle is not just for stability, but for existence. And cinema has its own way of reminding society of these struggles.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Commercial film shoots in national parks: Kerala HC seeks state govt's views
Kochi: High court has asked the state govt to clarify whether commercial film shoots should be permitted in national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves. The bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji further enquired whether the state govt has any policy on the issue beyond prescribing shooting fees. The court was hearing an appeal by Angels Nair, general secretary of NGO Animal Legal Force Integration, Ernakulam. Nair's appeal raised concerns regarding the 2018 shoot of the Malayalam film Unda, including soil dumping in a reserved forest in Kasaragod. Responding to the petition, the forest and wildlife department's under secretary filed a counter-affidavit enclosing a GO that revises entry fees and security deposits for filming in protected areas. The order sets separate fee schedules for commercial, documentary and educational films. After examining the documents, the court questioned whether commercial shoots should be allowed at all in such areas. At the special govt pleader's request, the matter was adjourned to Jun 23 for instructions, and Manu Vyasan Peter was appointed amicus curiae.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- The Hindu
Arrest of two directors with ‘hybrid ganja': excise serves notice on director Sameer Thahir
The excise officials have served a notice directing cinematographer-turned-director Sameer Thahir to appear before the agency in connection with the incident in which Malayalam movie directors Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamsa were nabbed with 1.5 g of suspected hybrid ganja during a pre-dawn raid on Sunday. They were arrested from an apartment near Marine Drive that belonged to Mr. Thahir. Reportedly, he has been asked to appear within a week. Another person, Shalif Muhammad, was also arrested along with the directors. Among other things, the excise may ask Mr. Thahir whether he was aware of and had given consent to the use of ganja in his apartment, an offence which may attract the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act Section 25A (punishment for using property for illegal drug activities). The apartment is purportedly being used for film-related discussions and work. According to excise officials, the director duo was about to use ganja when they were nabbed from the apartment. Shalif had reportedly bought the contraband from a supplier in Kerala. While the excise has details about the supplier, including his mobile phone number, he could not be tracked yet. More details about the source of the drug could be known only after apprehending him, said excise sources. The accused may be further summoned if the investigation officer gets any fresh leads warranting it. Mr. Rahman is the director of movies Alappuzha Gymkhana, Thallumala and Unda, while Mr. Hamsa directed Thamaasha and Bheemante Vazhi. Since the quantity in their possession was small, the accused were released on bail. They reportedly claimed that they converged at the apartment to discuss a movie. According to excise sources, the duo had escaped by a whisker in a similar raid at the apartment in March. Since then, the FEFKA Directors' Union has decided to suspend the two directors. The raid was carried out on specific intelligence input, complete with the apartment details.
