logo
One more actress accuses Shine Tom Chacko of inappropriate behaviour on film set

One more actress accuses Shine Tom Chacko of inappropriate behaviour on film set

Hindustan Times24-04-2025

Kochi, In fresh trouble for actor Shine Tom Chacko, one more female co-star on Thursday accused him of making remarks with "sexual connotations" and behaving inappropriately around her on the sets of their upcoming Malayalam movie 'Soothravakyam'.
Earlier, Chacko's co-star Vincy Aloshious had accused him of misbehaving with her on the film sets under the influence of drugs.
The actress, Aparna John, who is in Australia currently, told a TV channel that everything Aloshious said about Chacko's conduct, including him spitting out some white powder, was "100 per cent correct".
"White powder is all I can say as I cannot state with any authority as to what it was. It could have been glucose," she said.
At the same time, she alleged that Chacko behaved in "a very abnormal and erratic manner" on the sets.
"He displayed a high energy which we cannot match. He moved around constantly, was restless, said things which had no logical connections and if any woman was around, then his remarks were indecent.
"Like Aloshious said, his remarks had strong sexual connotations and were explicit. It was like verbal diarrhoea," she alleged.
John said that his behaviour made her very uncomfortable as she was also a newcomer to the field and she immediately told a member of the Internal Complaints Committee on the set about the discomfort she felt.
"I immediately got a resolution. The entire crew made the effort to complete my scenes ahead of schedule, so that I could leave," she said.
She further said that if she were pursuing acting as a career like Aloshious, she would do what was possible to ensure the cinema environment was a safe place. "But, I have limitations as I am here ," she said.
Aloshious had accused Chacko of misbehaving with her and had said that she does not wish to work with those using narcotics on movie sets.
She had lodged a complaint with the Film Chamber, accusing Chacko of inappropriate behaviour while under the influence of drugs on a movie set and also informed the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists about his misconduct on the sets of the unreleased film 'Soothravakyam', though no police complaint has been lodged.
Chacko had reportedly apologised to her for his behaviour.
Just after Aloshious allegations, Chacko was arrested and then released on bail in a drugs case after he allegedly fled from a hotel here when a District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force team carried out a raid there.
The actor has been booked under section 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , and sections 27 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, in connection with that incident.
The Kerala government, meanwhile, has said that it views the allegations against the actor seriously and its police and Excise departments were effectively intervening in the matter.
The Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court had recently acquitted Chacko in a 2015 drug case, citing procedural lapses by the police during the seizure and arrest.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie review: Asif Ali film claims to spotlight ‘issues faced by men'; but is that its true intent?
Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie review: Asif Ali film claims to spotlight ‘issues faced by men'; but is that its true intent?

Indian Express

time24 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie review: Asif Ali film claims to spotlight ‘issues faced by men'; but is that its true intent?

Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie review: At a crucial moment in debutant director Sethunath Padmakumar's Abhyanthara Kuttavali, Sahadevan (Asif Ali) breaks the fourth wall and tells the audience directly, 'Don't bother reacting; after all, it's a man who died.' He also, during a court hearing, comments on the rising number of suicide cases among men in the country, particularly owing to 'marriage-related problems'. While the well-being of every person, regardless of caste, gender, race or creed, is equally important, and many experts have pointed out that patriarchy harms everyone, including men, Abhyanthara Kuttavali positions itself as an attempt to spotlight issues faced by men. Particularly focusing on how 'fake cases' are slapped on them without humane consideration. However, in all honesty, the film ends up being a brazen attempt to overlook and invisibilise the harassment and crimes women have faced for centuries, mostly at the hands of men, by reducing it all to three cases (including two subplots) told through a masculinist lens, by completely villainising the female characters. Although his marriage to Nayana (Thulasi) was a joyous occasion for Sahadevan, his happiness was short-lived. He soon ends up at the Anthikad police station after she files a complaint accusing him of demanding more dowry and physically abusing her. As a result, the police register a case against him under Section 498A of the IPC (now Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita). As Sahadevan narrates to the police the 'truths' behind the incidents mentioned in the complaint, Abhyanthara Kuttavali cuts to flashbacks, in which we are shown that Nayana, though seemingly happy, has been keeping a distance from Sahadevan since day one. They barely even communicate, let alone have physical intimacy. Nayana soon tells Sahadevan that she wishes to pursue higher studies in the Netherlands, which would help settle there too, and suggests selling the gold ornaments her parents gifted her to fund it. When he objects, she is shown injuring herself. Her parents soon arrive and take her back home, following which she files the complaint. Once the case reaches the court, Sahadevan meets two other men — Peter (Sidharth Bharathan) and Makkar (Harisree Ashokan) — who are also dealing with unfair cases filed against them by their wife and daughter-in-law, respectively, as the system 'only favours the women'. The remainder of the film follows Sahadevan's efforts to prove his innocence. Although Abhyanthara Kuttavali mentions at the start that it is a 'work of fiction', the movie leaves no opportunity to generalise things and give good conduct certificates to men. This is achieved by cleverly portraying the male characters as noble and good-natured, albeit with some flaws like occasional drinking, while most of the women are depicted as apathetic, manipulative and often 'gold diggers'. From Sahadevan, his father Menon (Balachandran Chullikkad), and his friends Yudas (Anand Manmadhan) and Deshavasi (Azees Nedumangad) to Peter and Makkar, all the men are portrayed with sympathy, their moral grey areas conveniently omitted. Even Viswanathan (Jagadeesh), Nayana's lawyer, is ultimately shown in a positive light. In contrast, nearly all the female characters, except for elderly women who conform to the patriarchal norms of the 'ideal mother', are presented as greedy and lacking compassion. To reinforce this, the film even includes a scene where a woman is shown asking Yudas about his financial assets in detail during a pennukaanal (matchmaking visit), prompting him to give a lecture on how women should fend for themselves. In another instance, one of the few self-reliant women in the film, Anila (Shreya Rukmini), an assistant to Sahadevan's advocate, is shown sitting silently in court during the only time she appears on her senior's behalf without speaking up for her client. Although the scene suggests that she is too inexperienced and intimidated to argue in front of Viswanathan, prompting Sahadevan to represent himself, it inadvertently implies that even women who do have a voice choose not to speak up when men are the victims, leaving the latter to fight for themselves. The film is, in fact, packed with similar stereotypical and misogynistic narrative devices that reduce the complex topic of 'issues faced by men' to 'women are misusing the laws (and the freedom they have been 'given')'. It fails to even acknowledge the structural and systemic challenges men face within a patriarchal and elitist society, where only the rich and affluent wield real power. Towards the end, seemingly in an attempt to suggest that the film isn't anti-women, Abhyanthara Kuttavali shows Nayana and one of her friends briefly addressing their life struggles. 'Interestingly', this is one of the few occasions wherein the movie gives the women the chance to narrate their stories. Almost all other times, we are only shown the men's versions. While Nayana's friend shares how she lost a hand due to violence inflicted by her father, Nayana herself recounts how harassment by a teacher made her detest men and marriage altogether, prompting the two to decide to move abroad together and live in freedom. Nayana mentions this as the reason why she agreed to marry Sahadevan, as it would give her complete ownership of the gold gifted by her parents, which would help them fund their dream. However, their stories appear only as passing references, quickly dropped after five minutes. Just a (rhetorical) question to the makers: what about the heinous crimes faced by these women? It is certain that these were only the tip of the iceberg of the torments they faced in life, including many forms of daily sexual harassment. Were their sufferings not as important as Sahadevan's to get more screentime and a bit of empathy? While the film addresses the issue of false cases being filed against men, which in no way should be encouraged, it conveniently overlooks the many, many, many instances of women facing physical and emotional abuse within their own homes, the vast majority of which go unreported. A low conviction rate in such cases does not automatically imply that all cases are fabricated. It's high time we acknowledged that reality. By presenting a one-sided narrative, writer-director Sethunath Padmakumar ensures that Abhyanthara Kuttavali caters to a male audience, particularly those who blindly believe that men's victimhood exists solely because there are legal protections for the oppressed. The film offers these viewers enough 'goosebumps-inducing' moments, especially through quite a few dialogues that denounce alimony. Had men opened their mouths and moved their fingers as diligently and ferociously as they did following the Bengaluru techie suicide of December 2024, the world might have been a better place for all by now. Although Asif Ali delivers a neat performance as Sahadevan, it can't be called impactful, largely because the film relies heavily on dialogues to convey his emotions rather than allowing his acting to speak for itself. Nonetheless, there are moments in Abhyanthara Kuttavali where Asif's strength as a performer in communicating intense emotions through restrained acting shines. Despite limited screen time, Harisree Ashokan makes a strong impression as Makkar. Azees Nedumangad and Anand Manmadhan provide some comic relief, though not all the jokes land consistently. Thulasi, as Nayana, is unfortunately underwhelming. There are several moments in the movie, especially those meant to depict her anger or sorrow, where her portrayal comes across as caricatured. Rahul Raj's background score, however, does manage to elevate Abhyanthara Kuttavali to some extent and prevents it from slipping entirely into preachy territory. Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie cast: Asif Ali, Jagadeesh, Harisree Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan, Thulasi, Shreya Rukmini Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie director: Sethunath Padmakumar Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie rating: 1.5 stars Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More

New on Amazon Prime Video this week: ‘The Accountant 2', ‘Stolen', and more
New on Amazon Prime Video this week: ‘The Accountant 2', ‘Stolen', and more

The Hindu

time41 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

New on Amazon Prime Video this week: ‘The Accountant 2', ‘Stolen', and more

Stolen - Now Streaming The movie follows the intense journey of two urbane brothers who witness a baby being kidnapped from an impoverished mother at a railway station in rural India. One brother, guided by moral duty, convinces the other to help the mother and join a perilous investigation to find the child. Stolen marks the directorial debut of Karan Tejpal. It is produced by Gaurav Dhingra for Jungle Book Studio, with an acclaimed team of executive producers —Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, Nikkhil Advani, and Vikramaditya Motwane. The film stars Abhishek Banerjee, Harish Khanna, Mia Maelzer, Sahidur Rahaman and Shubham in lead roles. The investigative crime thriller is now streaming premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide. The Accountant 2 - June 05 The sequel to The Accountant, the film follows Christian Wolff, who has a talent for solving complex problems. When an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to 'find the accountant,' Wolff is compelled to solve the case. Realising more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax, to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina, they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried. Directed by Gavin O'Connor and written by Bill Dubuque, the action thriller film stars Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, J. K. Simmons and Daniella Pineda in pivotal roles. The film will premiere on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada on June 05, 2025. Single - June 06 In the movie, Vijay, a bank employee, falls for Purva at first sight and tries to get closer to her, unaware that Harini, who secretly harbours feelings for him, is silently following his every move, as emotions simmer and hidden truths edge closer to the surface. Directed by Caarthick Raju and produced by Geetha Arts and Kalya Films, the Telugu rom-com film stars Sree Vishnu, Ketika Sharma and Ivana in lead roles alongside Vennela Kishore. The film will premiere exclusively on Prime in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. Matlock Season 1 - June 06 The first season follows a septuagenarian who achieved success in her younger years and decides to re-join the workforce at a prestigious law firm, where she uses her unassuming demeanour and tactics to win cases. The American drama series features Kathy Bates and Skye P. Marshall in lead roles. The series will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on June 6.

Justin and Hailey Bieber are revamping their circle; the couple cuts ties with their old toxic friends, with no regrets
Justin and Hailey Bieber are revamping their circle; the couple cuts ties with their old toxic friends, with no regrets

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Justin and Hailey Bieber are revamping their circle; the couple cuts ties with their old toxic friends, with no regrets

Justin and Hailey Bieber have been happier after they cut their ties with the toxic old friends who revealed their secrets, and had phony empathy of concern. With zero tolerance for their 'so-called friends,' the couple decided to revamp their inner circles - and they have never been happier. Justin and Hailey Bieber have no regrets... According to Life & Style, the source revealed, 'They have no regrets and think it's kind of funny that people they've cut out of their life are trying to attack them over it and cloaking it in this phony air of concern.' The report added that after blocking the numbers off their contact list, it has only made more sure of the appropriate choice of cutting them loose. The source further disclosed that the couple's 'so-called friends' were not trustworthy, which led to the suspicions towards the end. 'And now it's just proven they were right,' the source added. Moreover, Justin and Hailey are happy with whom they share their lives at the moment. The singer and the model are extremely close with their pastor, Judah Smith and his wife, Chelsea, who have been married since their early twenties, and have been a great role model of healthy marriage for the celebrity couple. Justin Bieber 's former manager, Scooter Braun , changed a lot... One specific person with whom they cut ties has and has changed their lives is none other than Scooter Braun, Justin's former manager. After having a financial battle, they parted their ways in 2024. 'Since Justin cut ties with Scooter, he has been free and is only trying to align himself with people and projects that he truly believes in,' the source said before adding, 'He doesn't want to make money or spend time with people he doesn't have the same values as.' The couple has been filtering and revamping their whole social and inner circle, after fans were concerned about Justin's deteriorating mental health. For now, Justin has been hanging around his fellow musicians, Drake and Usher, while Hailey is often spotted around with the Jenners, Kendall and Kylie. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store