Shane Nigam has often been branded as a "troublemaker" within the Malayalam film industry. However, producer Santhosh T Kuruvilla says his experience with the actor on the film ‘Balti’ was completely different.

“I’d heard people in the industry call Shane problematic, a bit of a handful. But throughout the shoot of Balti, and during the promotional tour, I found him to be one of the most well-mannered and respectful people I’ve worked with,” Kuruvilla said.

The producer shared that his decision to cast Shane came down to one simple factor, “Whatever the issue, I thought—Shane lives just opposite my house. That gave me the confidence to go ahead with the project. But once we began filming, I realised Shane was more respectful than many of the other actors I’ve worked with,” he added.

Kuruvilla said he even questioned industry insiders about the negative buzz around Shane.

“I asked many people—is this really the same Shane Nigam people complain about? Even director Jeethu Joseph, who also worked with him, asked me the same thing,” he revealed.

Santhosh T Kuruvilla is the producer behind several Malayalam blockbusters like ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram’, ‘Mayaanadhi’, ‘Android Kunjappan Ver. 5.25’, and ‘Nna Thaan Case Kodu’.

Shane Nigam’s latest film, ‘Balti’, directed by debutant Unni Sivalingam, has been receiving highly positive feedback. The story revolves around four young men living in a rural belt near the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border in Palakkad district.