Khalid Rahman and Mammootty Had Equal Power in The Sets of Unda: Shine Tom Chacko

Shine Tom Chacko who was recently seen in Mammootty’s Christopher is all set to make his Telugu debut in Nani’s Dasara. In 2022, the actor was seen in close to 15 films, including Vijay’s Beast and Tovino Thomas’ Thallumaala. But not all of them were made in 2022, the actor says. “Some films were made the year before that and some were filmed even before the pandemic.”

Speaking of doing multiple films, he says working is his first source of satisfaction and that one should keep trying no matter what. “The film we do is our greatest treasure more than the money we get. Some characters remain great, some become average and some will be forgotten. Not every dosa we make is in the correct shape, but since we love it, we keep trying. So at the end of the day, it is necessary to do something that we love.”

Having worked with multiple directors, the first thing he notices in them is the way they narrate the story. “I decide whether to do the film or not based on the narration.” Chacko agrees that there might be directors who know to tell a story but do not necessarily have the expertise to execute it technically. But he says, “One need not know everything. If they are not equipped technically, there are people who can help them. According to me, a director should know the soul of the story and have the leadership quality and power to execute it.”

And in recent times, a director who surprised Chacko with his leadership quality was Khalid Rahman of Unda (2019) and Thallumaala fame. “During the filming of Unda, sometimes Mammootty was like a school kid listening to what Rahman was saying. It showed the equal power both of them had. Rahman was about 26 years old then. When I was 26, it was difficult for me to tell Mammootty that the shot was ready. In turn, Mammootty also patiently listened to him and sometimes asked, “Can I do it again, sir?” Both of these things are difficult to do. Only when someone enjoys their work, they will be able to do this.”