Game for unpredictability

Did anyone know that Sean Penn and Zoya Akthar have made a valuable contribution to Malayalam film industry? It is these two filmmakers, one from Hollywood and the other from Bollywood, who transformed a techie to a super actor named Tovino Thomas. Surprised? Here’s the story straight from the horse’s mouth.

“It was Penn’s Into the Wild that instilled in me the thought to quit my job and follow my heart. For Zoya, I didn’t have to see the film. The moment I saw the phrase Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You won’t get a second life), I decided, ‘Ok, I resign!’,” smiles the actor, brooding over his impulsiveness, which he hasn’t regretted till this day.

It is just half way through the year, but 2019 has been spectacular for movie buffs. Almost all the movies, from different genres, makers, actors and banners, have been excellent ones. In this yet another golden era, Tovino has an equally amazing lineup of movies — nearly 15 films, three of them, Uyare, Virus and Lucifer, running to packed houses at the moment. Coming up are Luca, And the Oscar Goes to, Kalki, Kilometres and Kilometres, Edakkadu Battalion, Minnal Murali, so on. For a person with jam-packed schedule, Tovino looks incredibly calm.

With a long list of committed films, doesn’t he feel that he’s pushing himself a little harder?  Conviction reflecting in his eyes, Tovino says, “As long as I have the freedom to choose the movies I like and as long as I don’t compromise on the quality of my work, I don’t feel there’s anything wrong in doing back-to-back projects. I am giving my 100 per cent to my work and I believe I am improving with each film. And no, I am not overworked at all. Just check the filmography of our legendary actors Mammootty and Mohanlal; they used to work day and night, being part of as many films as possible, with master filmmakers and famous banners. Just see the numbers.”

Ask if he fears the ‘burden of expectations’, he quips, “Most of the movies that hit the screens this year are great and I believe that those yet to come out are quality projects. Let the audience come to cinemas with expectations, but there won’t be a possibility of burden because I have been maintaining unpredictability throughout.”

In Luca, Tovino plays an eccentric scrap artist. “Luca is a genuine person with a circle of close persons — mentor Sivan ashan, caretakers Martin chettan and Salomi chechi, girlfriend Niharika, sidekick Kunjumon and his artist friends. A coffee addict, he never fakes anything. Furious or happy, he tells it straight to their face and never holds anything against anyone.”

Seems like Luca shares Tovino’s traits. “Yes he does, but I am more diplomatic and less talented than him. I always ensure that my characters are those I can connect with. Audience expects certain likeable traits of the actor in his characters. While ensuring that, I also try to not keep them all similar.”

As someone who keeps experimenting with looks and physique, how does he fit into myriad characters with different traits? “To play a tough cop in Kalki, I have gained eight kg. The preparation started since Ente Ummante Peru. It should be convincing that this guy can thrash goons. But for the characters after Kalki, this physique would be a burden. It’s difficult to keep changing physique, but I will do it.”

After Luca comes Salim Ahamed’s And the Oscar Goes To, which much before its release has won international acclaim, including a best actor award for Tovino. Naturally, expectations would tag along. “That’s good, but do not tag it as an ‘award movie’. It’s a good movie — the attempts of a filmmaker to bring out his debut movie and his struggles post the movie’s success,” he says.

The movie is a cinematic version of the director’s personal experiences when he made Adaminte Makan Abu selling off and pawning everything he had, and finally reached the Oscars with the film as India’s official entry. “Malayalis who love to know about behind-the-scenes of movie making would definitely connect to And the Oscar Goes To. There are touching scenes, like the one in which the owner of the house where the shooting happens comes to the director and returns half the money he paid as the shooting rent realising that it is a good movie. The house owner also reveals that the rest of the money was taken by his crew member. See, an outsider understands the director’s earnestness, but his own crew member cheats him. This actually happened and to this day, Salimkka hasn’t confronted that person. This is one of those stranger-than-fiction moments.”

Known to be airing his political views as an artist, Tovino feels that it’s an advantage, “I believe that a citizen should be political. Being an artiste is a medium to express views. But it’s not mandatory for artistes to be political or responsible. Even if I wasn’t an artiste, my politics would have remained the same; it’s just that no one would have cared.” He also adds that film industry is no space for political statements, “Here are artistes with diverse voices, united by films and not politics. So in showbiz, personal and political stays different.”

Ask his opinion on gender pay gap in Mollywood, Tovino says it’s a misconception. “It’s not gender, but market value that decides the pay of an actor. People come to cinemas seeing the name of the star and not their gender. It’s ‘fancy price’; people are ready to pay for stardom. Do you think any actor here would get paid like Nayanthara in a Malayalam movie? If you really want to blame anyone for pay disparity, blame it on the audience who chooses a film based on the gender of the actor. Uyare has no hero; it has only a heroine. It’s Parvathy’s movie. Because the audience chooses to watch Parvathy’s movie, it decides her market value. There’s no point in terming it as gender inequality or anti- feminism.”

Tovino is in awe of the changing phase of entertainment industry where silver screen gives way to OTT platforms. “During the NAFA awards, I came across this huge flex board of Sacred Games in Los Angeles featuring Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte. It’s not even in India and the reach of a web series is beyond that of Hollywood. I am glad to see the equations changing to an era where only content-driven, quality movies are bound to happen,” he adds.
 
This year, Tovino has donned the hat of a producer as well. Backed up by three of his friends, including musician Gopi Sundar and cinematographer Sinu Sidharth, Tovino has wrapped up the shooting for Kilometres and Kilometres, a satire-tinged road movie where a Kottayam native embarks on a Himalayan expedition with a foreigner lady. Would his next venture be a directorial? “May be, may be not. It’s a dream; I’m not sure if it would happen. Anyway, for my love for movies, I won’t abuse the art. If ever would I direct a film, it would be an enlightening movie with entertainment, journeys and values.”

The penchant for travelling is unmistakable. “It’s said that there are 1,114 ways to enlightenment. My path to enlightenment includes journeys, family, movies and books. I want to visit all the countries, states, districts and panchayats in the world. Travel is part of my upbringing. For the past 14 years, we have been going on family tours with parents, siblings and little ones. We go to Thailand like a pilgrimage to Velankanni,” he laughs.

With his interests lying scattered among travel, movies, books, cooking and fitness, what would Tovino be, if not an actor? Letting out a chuckle, he replies, “I know people will make fun of me and might even say that this suits you better. But if I could choose another career, I’d be a hairstylist like Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, someone who doesn’t want to be a superhero, but finds happiness in giving haircuts.”