Malayalam star Tovino Thomas reflects on fame, family, and the joys of simple living

“When it comes to his onscreen per­sona, the dashing Malayalam star Tovino Thomas is someone who resolutely believes in taking the path less trodden. His ver­satile repertoire in films — Minnal Murali, Kala, Vaashi, Thallumaala, Neelavelicham, 2018, Anweshippin Kandethum — is a compelling proof of the same.

But beyond the arc lights, he adheres to playwright George Bernard Shaw’s popular saying, ‘A happy family is but an earlier heaven.’ His biggest delight is in creating lifelong memories with his family, be it on an exotic trip or a dinnertime conversation.

Despite setting the cash registers at the box office ringing with his blockbusters and donning the hat of one of the most sought-after actors in the Malayalam film industry, Tovino expresses utmost pride in continuing to live an upper-middle-class lifestyle. He tells us that his key to happiness is in the simple joys of life, despite his every­day showbiz hustle. He also believes that the best gift one could give to their children is leading by example.

We caught up with the striking and accomplished actor during the whirl­wind promotions of his Onam release, Ajayante Randam Moshanam.

Excerpts...

You have a slew of films in the pipeline. But you had emphasised that you wanted to slow down.

I have slowed down! I now have the time to work out. I take a month-long vaca­tion with my family every year. When I stay at home for a break, people keep dropping by for work, script narra­tions, dubbing, and promotions. So, I plan these vacations for my family. My daughter is eight years old, and my son is four. I want them to experience it all.

We live in a joint family, comprising my parents, my sister and her family, and my brother and his family. We are, in fact, eligible for a package trip! I hail from an upper-middle-class family, and my parents couldn’t afford internation­al trips when I was a child, nor could we stay at any of the opulent star hotels. All those escapades, good and bad, brought us closer as a family. I wish the same for my children.

What’s your advice for them?

To do things that make them happy and not hurt others. To live a harmless and happy life.

You have always called your father a huge inspiration, especially in terms of fitness.

I work out in a gym because my job requires me to do that. For some movies, I have to put on weight, and for others, I have to shed kilos. I try to do both the healthy way. I eat clean food most of the time, but I have cheat days. My father, on the other hand, is a lawyer. As soon as he arrives home, he goes to our farm and works like a Trojan. Both my parents are at the peak of health without hitting the gym.

Do you have a fitness regimen?

I am flexible when it comes to my workout regimen, and I believe that not having a routine can make us more ingenious. But as I grow older, I realise that one needs to be a tad more disciplined as well. Earlier, I had thrown discipline out of the window. Now my fitness routine depends on wheth­er I have a night shoot or a day shoot. I cannot have an unbending routine because of the erratic work hours. But I try to get at least seven hours of sleep, and I eat something healthy every day.

It’s been over a decade since you took the plunge into cinema. How has life changed since then?

I am living my dream, but maintain the same upper-middle-class way of life. Of course, I can afford many more things now. My family is my anchor. No one treats me as an actor at home. Moreover, they all have their independent lives. And I respect that.

So you don’t discuss films at home?

We do discuss a lot of cinema — my projects, films that we have watched, and the ones that are about to release — and we thoroughly enjoy doing that. I remember when I was a young boy, we would rent out multiple video cassettes on Fridays so that we didn’t have to return them over the weekend. It was after I reached 10th grade that I started going to movie halls.

When you are not working on films, what do you do?

I am with my family, friends, and cous­ins. When I’m alone, I like to read or watch movies. Moreover, my brother owns a restaurant and a turf farm. We eat at the restaurant and burn it all on the turf. When my gym routine gets wearisome, I go for a hike. I thoroughly enjoy new experiences.

You said that you have been enjoying learning new things as well.

That’s quite unlike me. Until lockdown, I was not open to learning new things. If I had to learn something for a movie, I would do it. Otherwise, I would steer clear of it. I had to learn certain tricks for Minnal Murali so that the scenes looked natural. Then my friends made me dance for the first time. All these incidents made me muster up the con­fidence to try out new things. I also rea­lised that I do not need to be perfect when trying something new.

Onam is just around the corner. What are celebrations at home like?

Before I entered the tinsel town, I used to usher in the festival with my family at home. But, after I donned the actor’s hat, sometimes I would be stuck on the sets during Onam or Christmas. In such a turn of events, my family would come to the location, and we would celebrate the festival. The idea is to be together for lunch that day.

Any fond memories of Onam?

Well... every Onam is a fond memory. But after the 2018 floods in Kerala, the celebrations are a tad muted. Earlier, we perceived rain as romantic, but now it’s a bit alarming. Even this year, we lost so many lives to the landslide at Wayanad. We were sending SOS mes­sages and involved in relief measures.

How important is it for an actor to step out of the image of a star in such a turn of events?

I’m a human being first. Being an actor and inspiring others are all secondary. My son and daughter, my nephews and nieces — they all look up to me, and I should set a good example for them. In situa­tions like that, every human being should step up for people in dire straits. And I’m not talking in terms of monetary aid alone.

Your film Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM) is all set to hit screens. Give us a sneak peek into ARM.

I play three different charac­ters: Kunji Kelu, a warrior and social reformer from the 17th cen­tury; Maniyan, a rebel and burglar from the ’50s; and Ajayan, a tuition teacher looking for a government job. When direc­tor Jithin Lal told me that I had to play three characters, I was quite apprehen­sive, as I believed that I had not grown enough as an actor to take up three roles at a time. I told the team that I wanted an acting trainer who could guide me with the theoretical aspects of acting, as I wanted the characters to look, walk, talk, smile, laugh, and fight differently.

You have always played roles that have stood out. Is it a conscious decision to pick such complex characters?

I am not a man with a plan. I listen to the scripts and go by my intuition. I first consider the totality of the movie and then the theme. Once I commit to a film, I start planning how to play the character.

You have a lot of films lined up: Narivetta, Marana Mass, Aaavaram, and Identity.

I completed canning the first schedule of Nari Vetta. I will join L2: Empuraan first, followed by Narivetta after the release of ARM. As for Marana Mass, I am only producing the film. Identity is my first film with Trisha. Since both Trisha and Vinay Rai are Tamil actors, it was my duty to make them comfort­able on the sets.

After Maari 2, we haven’t seen you in Tamil cinema.

In Kerala, we try to do films on a single schedule or two as our bud­gets are minimal. So, I need to be available for the entire shoot. Moreover, I am not comfortable working on multiple movies at the same time. That doesn’t mean that I would not work in other languag­es. I would love to. But I need to ensure that my Malayalam films are not affected.

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