There's an adage in Malayalam that goes, "When your home is burning, you don't go around chopping banana leaves in your backyard." This came to mind as we set off to interview Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas in Dubai for his latest Malayalam-language fantasy epic A.R.M, now playing in UAE cinemas. The actor was adamant about avoiding controversial questions related to the #MeToo movement or anything controversial such as women's safety on a film set. He chose to focus solely on questions about the film, concerned that his promotional efforts might be overshadowed by headlines about controversy rather than his work. Perhaps he had a point.
In a strictly orchestrated interview that was benign and vanilla, Tovino, who takes on a triple role for the first time in his career with director Jithin Laal's 'A.R.M', spoke about his childhood, his relationship with money and fame, and how he wasn’t a self-made actor in the strict sense of the term. Here’s his take on:
Being called an actor who made it big on his own steam in Malayalam cinema:
“Acting in movies was a dream for me. When I came into the industry, I didn’t even know if I could act, but I just wanted to be an actor, and right now, I believe I am living my dream. In my first movie, I played a small character, but I felt I achieved my dream back then. From then on, I consider every film of mine as a bonus for doing something right. I am very happy that I am living my dream, but I cannot be called self-made, because human beings are dependent by nature. We get help from a lot of people, and those people aren’t necessarily famous or powerful. I am here because of this army of small people who helped in my initial days of struggle … I was always surrounded by people who loved me unconditionally and helped me without expecting anything in return. I want to give credit to each and every one of them.”
Playing complex roles like Maathan in his blockbuster ‘Mayanadhi’:
“A good or bad buy depends on someone’s perspective. I wouldn’t call myself a perfect gentleman or a good guy in real life. I have my own flaws, and that makes me human. The same applies to my characters that I play. If you look at my role in Mayanadhi, he’s not an ideal guy through the lens of societal norms. But I love Maathan because he’s awesome despite his flaws. And he realized that every human being has their own set of flaws. No one’s black or white; everyone has different shades of grey. Just like Maathan, I believe I am also not black or white. While I try to be nice to everyone and don’t intend harm, I come with a few flaws. Being nice to everyone around me is a given, and my family helps me stay rooted, but I do lose my temper at times.”
Handling fame and fans:
“If everyone in a crowd of 5,000 fans wants a selfie, I may not be able to give it, but at the same time, I understand where they are coming from. They have been waiting for hours to see me, and they extend this unconditional love because they like me as an actor. Perhaps my fans love me for the characters I have played, like Maathan (Mayanadhi) or Appu (Minnal Murali). While I understand their perspective, I am also reminded that 12 years ago, I was in that crowd waiting for my favorite actor to give me a selfie. I have learned to think from two perspectives … But when I am with my wife and children, I am not a film actor. It doesn’t matter to my children; I am protective then.”
Playing a triple character in A.R.M:
“Acting legends like Kamal Haasan have attempted playing three different characters in a movie, but not someone like me who’s not a trained actor. Initially, I was not confident about doing something like Kamal Haasan … When I was offered the three roles, I said I would do just one character and let the rest be played by other actors. But the makers convinced me because there’s a connection among these three characters. The story is set across 300 years, and they felt that the same person living in three different eras would be perfect … As an actor, I am always trying to learn something new. Every single day, I am trying to learn new tricks to become a better actor.”
On keeping his children grounded and unspoilt by privilege:
“I don’t want my children to experience privilege and want to keep their upbringing normal. Whatever they have in their life should be earned by them. I don’t want to spoil them by giving them limitless privilege because that’s the cruelest thing you can do to a child as a parent … When I came into this industry, I didn’t have any privileges, but there was that fire that kept me going. I want that fire to be lit in my children’s stomachs too … I remember my parents doing the same. When we asked our dad for some extra pocket money to buy egg puffs and sip-ups (ice-lollies), it was just a one-off thing during sports day every year. But that Rs. 5 for sip-ups and puffs in school meant a lot. I remember my father saying that I was too young to handle pocket money. While that left me frustrated, it taught me the importance of having your own money. I understand my father a lot better now and appreciate the parenting style that my father and mother instilled in us. These small lessons, while I didn’t understand them back then, have become so valuable now. It also deepened my bond with my brother and sister.”
His close bond with his siblings:
“We are such good friends. When I fell in love with my wife, my then-girlfriend, my siblings were the first ones to know … When I got a love letter that I couldn’t keep because I feared our father seeing it, the safest place I found was my sister’s cupboard. They are not related to the film industry, but when I am back home, I am not treated as a famous actor. We still live together and go on vacations together … At least 15 of us, including my father, my mother, my brother, his wife and two kids, my sister, and her husband, go on vacations together. I can never get enough of those family trips.”
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A.R.M is out in UAE cinemas now
