Malayalam actor Vincy Aloshious, who has alleged that her co-actor Shine Tom Chacko used drugs on the sets of a movie on Thursday said she will not lodge a complaint with the police on the issue.
Aloshious, however, told a TV channel that she would tell about her experience and cooperate with the police if the latter approached her as part of any enquiry.
Chacko has not yet commented on the issue.
Aloshious said complaints have been registered with the Kerala Film Chamber and Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and they can take appropriate action.
The actor said an uncomfortable situation was created by the artiste who was on drugs on the sets of the yet-to-be released Malayalam movie.
"He made sexually explicit comments and behaved in an inappropriate manner towards me and a female colleague on the set," Aloshious said.
The matter was conveyed to the movie's director and he warned the actor not to repeat his behaviour. "I continued with the movie and did not press the complaint as the film should not be wound up half-way," she said.
"My complaint is not against the movie or its crew, but against the actor," she said, adding everyone on the set was trying hard to complete the movie.
Chacko, who was an accused in a 2015 drug case, was acquitted by the Ernakulam additional sessions court, citing procedural lapses on the part of the police during the drug seizure and the arrest.
Aloshious said she did not want to trouble the career of anyone with her complaint as he had a chance to reform himself and make a comeback.
Kerala Film Chamber general secretary Saji Nanthyatt said strict action would be taken against Chacko based on the complaint.
AMMA ad hoc committee convenor Jayan Cherthala said the association will extend all support to Aloshious on the issue, though she was not a member of the organisation.
Actor-director Joy Mathew, another AMMA ad hoc panel member, said they have received a written complaint from Aloshious. "The association will reach out to Chacko and hear his side also," he told PTI.
Nobody can impose discipline on artistes and it is up to them to have self-discipline, he said.
The issue of drug use on cinema sets in Malayalam film industry, which had been a topic of discussion of late, resurfaced with the recent statement by Aloshious at a function in connection with a "No to Drugs" campaign that she will not act with people who used drugs on cinema sets.
She later posted a video on Instagram, explaining her position, saying she and her female colleague had faced inappropriate behaviour recently from a co-actor who used drugs on the sets of a movie.
Aloshious said when she had a problem with her dress on the set, the co-actor told her, "I'll fix it for you," in front of everyone, creating an uncomfortable situation.
"He was also spitting a white powder from his mouth when the rehearsal for a scene was on. It was evident that he was using drug on the set," she said in the video.
Aloshious later revealed the name of the co-actor as Shine Tom Chacko in the complaint lodged with the Kerala Film Chamber.
The disturbing experience was on the sets of the movie, "Soothravakyam," in November 2024, she said in the complaint, Chamber sources said.
Meanwhile, Kerala Excise Minister M B Rajesh said the Excise department will register a case if the film organisations forwarded the complaint to them.
"Even otherwise, any information or revelation regarding drug use will be seriously viewed by the department and all possible steps will be taken to find out the source," the minister told reporters.
Aloshious is a noted actor in Malayalam, who had won the Kerala government's best actress award in 2023 for her role in the film, "Rekha".
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