Two days after Malayalam actor Vincy Aloshious raised allegations of drug use and misbehaviour by a male co-star in a film set, she has filed formal complaints with the Internal Complaints Committee of the film as well as the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), naming actor Shine Tom Chacko. The alleged incident is learnt to have occurred during the shooting of the film Soothravakyam starring Ms. Aloshious and Mr. Chacko.
Earlier, Ms. Aloshious had in a video posted in her social media pages accused a male co-star of misbehaving with her after approaching her on the pretext of helping her.
“When I had a problem with my dress, I went to correct it. He said, ‘I will also come and correct it for you.’ He said this in front of everyone. It was very difficult to go ahead with the shoot,” she recounted.
She also said that she witnessed the co-star consuming drugs on the set. “When we were practising a scene, he was spitting some kind of white powder onto the table. It was very evident that he was using drugs on the film set,” she said. Despite informing the producers, she said the production continued because the actor in question held a lead role.
Though she did not name anyone in the video, Mr. Chacko’s name was speculated as the duo had recently worked together in the film. The actor, who was in 2015 arrested on charges of cocaine possession following a police raid on an apartment in Kochi, was earlier this year acquitted in the case.
DANSAF raid
On Wednesday, CCTV footage purportedly of Mr. Chacko fleeing a hotel in Ernakulam during a raid by the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF) also surfaced.
Meanwhile, Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh told presspersons that the government has taken a serious view of the allegations and further investigation will be done on the matter.
The allegations have come at a time when the government is carrying out an intensive anti-drugs drive. Allegations of rampant drug use in film sets hampering productions have come from film organisations too. The Hema Committee report on various issues in the Malayalam film industry also highlighted the drug menace in the industry.
When asked about Mr. Chacko’s acquittal in the earlier drug case, the Minister said it was due to “a major lapse” on the part of the police. The investigation in the case had happened during the tenure of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, he added.
WCC lauds Vincy’s ‘courage’
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), in a statement, lauded Ms. Aloshious’ “courage” in speaking out against the misbehaviour and drug abuse of her co-star.
“One thing that all women working in the film industry in Kerala should understand is that the Kerala High Court verdict has ensured that there must be an ICC on every film set. Each of us, as workers in the Malayalam film industry, must ensure that the ICC is in place on the sets where we work and register it on the portal. It is the responsibility of the producer to inform about the ICC and its members. It is also necessary to ensure that the ICC is approached if any complaints related to sexual harassment arise. To ensure the efficient functioning of the ICC, a monitoring committee has been formed under the leadership of the film chamber with the representation of film organisations. The efficient functioning of the ICC will enable women workers to work with dignity and equality,” said the WCC in the statement.
Published – April 17, 2025 11:47 am IST