Shine Tom Chacko was last seen in Pada. Shine Tom Chacko, who has amazed viewers with his on-screen transformations, has risen through the ranks in the Malayalam film industry to cement his place as one of the most versatile performers. Shine, who came into the industry as an assistant director to Kamal, had to wait for ten years to make his silver screen debut in the 2011 movie Gaddama. The actor went on to make brief appearances in several Malayalam films. He played the lead role in the 2014 comedy movie Ithihasa, but continued to do supporting characters.
In 2015, Shine was arrested for allegedly possessing narcotics. Shine returned to acting after he was granted bail and since then, he has done several notable characters including the ones in Kammattipadam, Ann Mariya Kalippilanu, Parava, Ishq, Unda, Love, Wolf and Kuruthi. However, the best of Shine was yet to come. He proved his mettle as an actor with a mind-blowing performance in Kurup, in which he played the role of Bhasi Pillai. His turn as an uncouth criminal-minded drunkard in Kurup won praise from critics and the audience alike. The actor was last seen in Bheeshmaparavam, in which he played the role of Peter, a character with negative shades, with conviction.
In this interview, Shine Tom Chacko opens up about his journey in Malayalam cinema, his aspirations and more.
You’ve done a very interesting dance step in Bheeshmaparvam song “Rathi Pushpam”. Was it your contribution?
It’s a step performed by dancers and gigolos in pubs frequented by ladies. I and Soubin do it for fun at times (laughs). In the studio scene in Bheehsmaparvam, my character, who is the producer of the movie, is trying to woo the actor in it. While discussing the studio scene, we also talked about homosexuality as the character I do has shades of it. That’s when Soubin asked me to do that particular step. I did it and Amal liked it. As an actor, we should try new things, right? That’s how I ended up doing the step for that character.
The characters you portray are very distinctive in nature. How do you ensure that?
I want to do different things as an actor. I don’t want to repeat myself. So, I try not to repeat the mannerisms of a character. It’s a conscious effort rather than an organic process. For example, if I am doing ten police characters, I would want each of them to be different. Some actors transform themselves into characters, others transform the characters into themselves. I belong to the first category because I suppose people don’t like me as a person, so it’s better to transform into the character.
You came into the industry as an assistant director. How challenging was acting considering you were not a trained actor?
Who can say I am not a trained actor? I first acted in a play when I was in preschool. Most students in Kerala grow up watching school youth festivals. We have seen different art forms in our school days. After preschool, I did a play in 9th grade. I was the best actor in the Malappuram district youth festival during my 11th and 12th grade. While I was doing all this, I had this desire to be part of cinema.
Are there actors who have inspired you?
When I started watching cinema, I was focused only on Mohanlal. He was the reason why I was initially attracted to cinema. As I grew old and approached cinema more seriously, I started to observe Mammootty. It’s not only these actors, but all the actors in the Malayalam film industry have influenced me in one way or the other. Bharath Gopi, Nedumudi Venu, Siddique, Sai Kumar, Urvashi, Shobhana, Manju Warrier, Lalitha chechi – all of them are great performers. These people dedicated their lives to cinema.
Which is the most difficult emotion to enact?
Romantic scenes are difficult for me. To be intimate with a heroine is a bit difficult. It’s easy to be angry at someone or perform comedy on screen, but to be romantic within a split second is difficult for me.
You have done many notable negative characters in the last few years. Why do you think directors approach you for characters with grey shades?
Maybe because I have a negative image (laughs). I think people like an actor for two reasons. Either they like an actor for their appearance or for their performance. I will not be liked for my appearance or personality. I am aware of that.
When I was in jail, I used to think, ‘Will anyone call me for a movie?’ I consoled myself thinking society is not full of good people, right? I might get negative characters. Even if I portray a positive character, it’s difficult for people to accept that character. But if I do a negative role, they are convinced easily.
Controversies seem to follows you.
It’s usually the media who give misinformation about me. Nobody wants to know the truth, but just the headlines. Even if they find out the news they gave is false, they are not ready to correct it. On social media, it was said that I was on drugs while I gave an interview as part of the promotions of Veyil. Actually, I was on painkillers as I had a ligament tear in my leg. They knew it and still they give news like I was on drugs. If some people are consciously trying to destroy my image or career, honestly I am not bothered. My focus is only on cinema.
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