Villain or hero, Tovino Thomas takes all roles seriously

He's the new star on the block in the Malayalam movie industry. In a sector that has seen star kids take over the reins from their celebrity dads, Tovino Thomas comes as a whiff of fresh air. With no industry backing or godfather to boast of, Tovino, an engineer-turned-model-turned-actor, has risen up in the rankings by sheer hard work, a good script sense and good luck. Add in some good looks for good measure.
He came into prominence after his role as a scheming politician in Dulquer Salmaan-starrer American Born Confused Desi in 2013. He had no qualms about doing cameos in movies such as Ennu Ninte Moideen, Charlie, Ezra and Aami. He came into his own and played the lead in critically acclaimed and commercial hits such as Guppy, Godha, Mayaanadhi, Maradona, Oru Mexican Aparadha and Theevandi.

Busy month ahead
Riding a high in his career, Tovino now stars in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan, currently playing in UAE theatres. Directed by former actor Madhupal, the movie is based on a true incident of how an innocent man is framed and accused of a crime. Actresses Anu Sithara, Nimisha Sajayan and Saranya Ponvannan play significant roles in the movie.
Speaking to City Times in an exclusive interview, Tovino said: "I am a big fan of Madhupal. That and the storyline attracted me. The script deals with a contemporary issue. It talks of how the system corners and frames an innocent person. Even if someone is powerful, situations can render one helpless. So, imagine one's plight if one is powerless."
The actor has a busy December. He has two more movies slated for release. One is a Malayalam movie titled Ente Ummante Peru, where yesteryear actress Urvashi too plays a significant role. Then, Tovino plays the villain in Tamil movie, Maari 2, where he is pitted against Dhanush. The movie will also have a release in Telugu.
Tovino's appearance as the antagonist in Maari 2 has come in for rave reviews. His character Thanatos sports dreadlocks and tattoos like Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.
"Maari 2 is a big movie, it's made on a bigger canvas than its predecessor, Maari 1, and the shooting has also been done with more grandeur. My villainous character has an interesting storyline and a back story as well. Working with Dhanush was a very good experience. He is one of my favourite actors. But we have very few combination scenes," continued Tovino.

Shades of grey
The actor is not averse to playing characters with shades of grey. He prefers such flawed roles to boring hero characters. "You can have shades of grey even while playing the hero. Who is a saint here? Everyone has shades of grey, only the percentage will vary. It also depends on from what perspective you look at a character. If I can justify the character's deeds, I will do it. I don't want to do clichéd hero characters," Tovino divulged.

The star maintains that he wants to do a mix of various characters in his portfolio. A look at his career trajectory shows that he has experimented with characters from a lovelorn Appu in Ennu Ninde Moideen, an engineer Thejus Varkey who picks up a rivalry with a teenager in Guppy, a wrestler in Godha, a thug Maathan in Aashiq Abu's Mayaanadhi, to chain smoker Bineesh in Theevandi.

"All the roles I have done so far have been challenging. Nothing has been easy. Before a movie is released, I still get nervous about audience reactions and their acceptance. That's because of my passion for cinema. I will not sleepwalk through a character. I will always have that fire within me," he shared.

Tovino is also keen on doing cameos if the character adds value to a film or brings in a few extra fans. "Through my cameo in Aami, for instance, I got a lot of new fans and many thought it was my debut. Fans of writer Kamala Surayya, Manju Warrier and director Kamal may not have seen my films earlier," Tovino reckoned.

The star is looking forward to many interesting movies in 2019. He features in superstar Prithviraj's directorial debut, Lucifer, starring Mohanlal. However, Tovino was tightlipped about his role. "I knew Prithviraj had the potential, skills and knowledge to be a director. I am excited to be part of such a widely anticipated film," he added.

Another film that has Tovino all excited is director Salim Ahamed's And the Oscar Goes To. "The director's earlier movies such as Pathemari, Adaminde Makan Abu and Kunjananthante Kada were all great. I play a struggling filmmaker here. The movie is expected to hit the international festival circuit and also has the potential to be a good commercial hit," observed the star.

He is also doing a travel movie titled Kilometers and Kilometers, directed by Jeo Baby. "It offers a lot of humour. The movie isn't about leather jackets and cool shades. It's more about how the common man travels. It is a satire that deals with the cultural difference between India and America."

Criteria for scripts
The actor had seven movies released this year. On whether he plans to take it slow next year, Tovino quipped: "Is there anything wrong with having a big body of work? Although the number of my movies is going up, I take extra efforts to retain their quality." Replying to a question on how he goes about choosing a script, Tovino said: "It has to have artistic value as well as be appreciated by the audience. The producer has to make a profit too. These are the three criteria I look for when I choose a script.
"I also wonder whether it is a movie that I would like to watch in a theatre. I get an intuition on whether the script demands my presence or not."
The actor is also open to doing movies in other languages if an exciting character comes his way. However, he plans to stay put in the Malayalam industry as he is most fluent in that language.
Commenting on the difference in the working models of Malayalam and Tamil film industries, Tovino said since Malayalam movies are made on a smaller budget, artists put in additional working hours and extra efforts to compete with bigger industries. "Tamil movies are made on bigger budgets, so we follow a strict shooting regime. Shoots are usually from 9am to 6pm. But the process is the same," he signed off.
On his fitness regime
Tovino is known to have one of the best bodies in the Malayalam movie industry. However, the actor clarified that he is not a fitness freak. "I follow a tough regime so that I shouldn't be weak for shoots. I lead an active lifestyle and follow a moderate diet. But I am a complete foodie," he divulged. The actor is open to transforming himself physically for roles. "I shed a lot of weight to play the role of a school student in Theevandi. In my upcoming film Kalki, I play a police officer. So, I had to beef up. Physical transformation for a character is always an add-on," he added.
His love for Dubai holidays
Recent Instagram posts of Tovino Thomas show him holidaying in Dubai and frolicking in a water park. The actor said that since he cannot step out too often in Kerala owing to privacy issues, he keeps making impromptu holidays to Dubai, where he has a lot of cousins and friends. "I like to travel. I travel with family, friends and solo as well. I prefer budget travel where I can go backpacking. I don't like to stay in 5-star hotels and travel in A/C cars when I am on holiday. Instead, I like to travel by public transport and get to know the local culture. I usually stay in youth hostels or home stays. But I tend to spend on luxurious activities," the actor shared with City Times.
deepthi@khaleejtimes.com