‘Became a hero at 19, got banned at 23’: Shane Nigam on struggles with film industry’s politics

Don’t Miss | No 20 Madras Mail: When Mohanlal and Mammootty made us believe they would take a bullet for each other

‘I had trouble managing money’

Despite being a child star — popular for his role in the soap opera Hello Kuttichathan and his stint as a contestant in the reality television show Super Dancer Junior — Shane recently noted that the film industry felt like a “whole new world.” Furthermore, the actor said he was ill-equipped to handle his finances and the power politics within Malayalam cinema at that time. Shane Nigam is the son of the late mimicry artiste and actor Kalabhavan Abi

Shane told Cue Studio, “At that age, I had trouble managing money. I didn’t understand the power politics within the cinema industry. In such a situation, one tends to overcommit to everything. When that happens, people start to exploit you more. Eventually, you reach a breaking point and explode.”

ICYMI | Fahadh Faasil was paid Rs 4 lakh, 1.6% of film’s budget, for 22 Female Kottayam that changed his career

‘Not speaking ill of anyone, nor am I justifying myself’

While he made his film debut as a child actor in the Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer Thanthonni (2010), he grabbed the audience’s attention with his performances in Amal Neerad’s Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi and Rajeev Ravi’s Annayum Rasoolum. Thanks to his strong potential, Shane rose to fame quickly, and the controversies followed.

“However, alongside all this, there was a lot of love from the people. The films I acted in back then were also widely discussed. So, on one side was the audience’s love, and on the other was my lack of understanding of the industry’s power politics. I became a lead actor at 19, and by 23, I was banned. I am not speaking ill of anyone, nor am I trying to justify myself,” he added.

Shane Nigam’s controversies

One of the earliest controversies surrounding the actor erupted when he publicly accused producer Joby George of making death threats to him for cutting his hair while the production of their movie Veyil was underway. Claiming that he got a new hairstyle to shoot for his next movie, Qurbani, after completing the first schedule of Veyil, Shane alleged that Joby was unhappy about it. Subsequently, the actor said Joby issued death threats to him, claiming it would affect the continuity of Veyil.

In 2023, Shane found himself caught in the midst of another row after he allegedly walked out of the set of RDX. The Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) subsequently revealed, “Halfway through the production, Shane insisted that he should be given more prominence in RDX. He wanted the movie to be edited mid-production. He even threatened not to act in the movie.” The KFPA, Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), and the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) decided not to cooperate with Shane anymore and imposed a ban on him. However, both issues were later resolved.

His name made headlines again in 2024 after he made a backhanded comment about fellow actor Unni Mukundan during a film promotion. He later apologised for this.