Police would present at all film sets in Kochi city in wake of recent claims of drug abuse by some actors in the Malayalam film industry, a top police officer said on Sunday.

Talking to newsmen, Kochi city Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman, while hailing the efforts of citizens for speaking out against drug abuse, said that shadow police would now be present at all shooting locations, adding that the cops will carry out raids upon receiving information about the use or sale of drugs and strict action will be taken against those found indulging in violating the law .

The top cop said that an urgent meeting called following disclosure by Malayalam film industry insiders, claiming alleged drug abuse by some actors.

The officer said that the police will take appropriate action if and when they receive a complaint against an actor. He said the cops would at first, try to dissuade the drug user before initiating further action, adding that the police has data about drug users in the industry based on cases in the past, however, there’s no information about the suppliers.

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Raman said that if arrested, majority of drug users have to be let go by the police on bail and what they really need is self-introspection and awareness to realize the harmful effects of prolonged drug abuse.

The police chief said that all aspects concerning the drug abuse disclosures are being examined by the cops and several reports by top producers have complained of rampant drug abuse among young actors in the Malayalam film world.

Recently, Malayalam actor Tini Tom raised concerns about rampant drug abuse in the industry. Tom claimed that one of his co-actors, who worked with him recently, was a voracious drug user and suffers from tooth decay due to drug abuse.

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Sudipto Sen’s controversial film The Kerala Story has been hogging headlines since its teaser last year. Starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani, the film has triggered a debate on social media over its plot.

On Saturday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the film tax-free. CM Chouhan, in a tweet, said The Kerala Story is a film that has exposed the horrific truth of terrorism and has been decided to make the film tax-free in Madhya Pradesh.

In a video, Chouhan said the film shows how the life of daughters get trapped by love jihad and it also exposes the design of terrorism. He further said the film creates awareness about conversion and should be watched by all.

Have a look at the tweet here:

Written and helmed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story hit the silver screen on May 5 amid the ongoing controversy. The film is said to have falsely claimed in its teaser that 32,000 missing women in Kerala converted to Islam and joined the terror outfit, ISIS.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the film a product of the Sangh Parivar’s factory of lies. CM Vijayan said the Sangh Parivar is attempting to take forward its divisive politics using fake stories through such films as its methods, which were successful in other places, did not work in Kerala by spreading such myths without any fact or evidence.

The Kerala High Court on Friday refused to stay the release of The Kerala Story saying the trailer does not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole.

After a 13-year-long hiatus, the band Backstreet Boys recently landed in Mumbai for their concerts in across the country and fans had been eagerly waiting for it. The band is in India for two live concerts, of which the first took place in Mumbai on May 4. During the concert in Mumbai, the boy band’s member AJ McLean was seen throwing his underwear at the crowd.

A fan took to social media to share a video, which shows AJ tossing his underwear to the fans and the video is now going viral. He can be seen walking up to the extended stage area with his underwear in hand and teasingly waving the garment while interacting with the crowd. He then throws the garment at a section of the crowd and fans cheer loudly at his actions.

Watch the video here:

Backstreet Boys’ fans are not new to this sight. Earlier this year, one of the members was seen doing the same at a concert in Manila.

More videos from the concert have been going viral on social media and the fans cannot get enough of the energetic performances displayed by the band. All five members of the band, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson set the stage on fire. With their synchronised dance steps along with singing all their popular hits, one after the other, they surely enthralled the entire crowd. People can be seen cheering, dancing, and singing their hearts out.

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Celebrities like Shraddha Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Benny Dayal, Jacqueline Fernandes, Natasha Dalal, Maniesh Paul, Karishma Mehta, Malaika Arora, Dhvani Bhanushali, and others were also present at the Mumbai concert of Backstreet Boys.

The Backstreet Boys showed their love for the fans in Mumbai by inculcating the city’s name into their popular song I Want It That Way. They sang it as ‘I Want It Mumbai’s Way.’ The millennials were nostalgic and emotional as the boy band made the experience surreal and left no stone unturned to make their fans fall in love with them and their songs again. 

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