Days after film producers in Malayalam cinema named two actors for their alleged drug use during work, other people from the industry have spoken about the problem of addiction. Actor Tiny Tom, known for his comic performances, said that his wife and he didn’t want their son to act in Malayalam cinema because of the risks of substance abuse in the industry.

“Recently, I worked with an actor who is addicted to drugs so much that his teeth are getting affected. But some young people would say he acts well because he uses it,” Tiny Tom said at a public function. He then spoke about an offer that his son got to act as the child of a big actor, and how his wife said no, fearing the use of drugs among young people working in films.

“I told her that there is no drug business here. But then he is at that age when young people can be easily led astray. We should protect our children from these dangers. And I am also an ambassador of the Kerala police campaign against drug use, called Yodavu,” Tiny added.

Nearly two weeks ago, the Kerala Film Producers Association called out actors Shane Nigam and Sreenath Bhasi for causing trouble on film sets because of their alleged indulgence. Renjith M, president of the association, said that the producers of the association have decided not to have these actors in their films any longer.

Other than Tiny Tom, actor Dhyan Sreenivasan also commented about the use of drugs when he was asked about it. Saying that drug use was a major problem across the state and not something limited to cinema, he said it was good to see strict action taken by the police. He too was once kicked out of his home when such influences had affected his studies, he said.

Sreenath Bhasi and Shane Nigam were his friends, Dhyan said. “The producers who complained against them would not have done so without reason. I hope they will rectify the issues soon. But I don’t agree with Tiny chettan saying that you should prevent young kids from coming to act. No one is going to force drugs on you,” Dhyan said.