Unni Mukundan defends film industry amid Shine Tom Chacko drug case: "Cinema is a soft target"

'Marco' actor Unni Mukundan has spoken out in defence of the film industry after fellow actor Shine Tom Chacko was arrested in a drug-related case in Kochi recently. Unni Mukundan firmly rejected the idea that films are to blame for rising drug use in society.

According to Manorama Online, during a media interaction in Kochi, Mukundan argued that it is both unfair and inaccurate to link the film industry to societal problems like addiction and that cinema cannot influence society in that way.

He mentioned that movies do not have the power to single-handedly change people's behavior, especially in matters such as drug abuse. Instead, Mukundan questioned how narcotics are entering Kerala and even reaching schools.
He said, "It is not right to say that drug abuse and crime rates are increasing under the influence of cinema. Cinema cannot influence society in that way. How do these contraband substances reach Kerala? How does it reach schools? Who are its carriers? I have been hearing these since my childhood days".

Mukundan also addressed criticism directed at films like 'Marco', which have been accused of glamorizing substance use. He clarified that cinema often reflects real events happening in society rather than promoting harmful behavior.
According to him, blaming movies for drug problems is simply targeting an easy scapegoat, while the real challenge lies in addressing the flow of drugs into communities and the lack of vigilance at the grassroots level.

He said, "More attention and care is needed in schools and homes. Drug menace is everywhere and it is prevalent in all industries. There's no point in blaming only cinema. It is a soft target. There are problems related to addiction everywhere. It's just that when people are in films, more attention is drawn to them. The openness of actresses about their bad experiences in films is also a good thing."

For the unversed, Shine Tom Chacko was taken into custody by Kerala Police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after a narcotics raid at a hotel, where he allegedly tried to evade authorities by fleeing the scene. He was later granted bail after hours of interrogation, with police continuing their investigation by examining his phone records and digital transactions.