“I Will Never Be Consumed By The Effects Of Stardom...”

An engineer, a former IT employee, Kerala’s most desirable man, a formidable actor, noted performer, generous at charity...Tovino Thomas wears many hats rolled into one. But lightly. Because despite the rows of awards that sit on his mantle, the boy from Irinjalakuda is still... Dreamy-eyed, shy and someone who believes that there’s much more to be accomplished in his journey. Madhu Daithota catches up with Kerala’s reigning heartthrob…

- Madhu Daithota

Tovino Thomas

IT’S A Monday morning and the glistening backwaters of Kochi stare at us from below. Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty is the perfect venue for this interview. An equally meditative view greets us in the living room as Tovino Thomas silently goes about brewing a strong cup of espresso and settles down on the sofa, silently contemplating the day ahead. “I like to keep things real. It’s easy to start thinking of yourself as a star and become someone you’re not. But that’s something that I had willed to myself right at the beginning of my career; I want to keep things simple,” says the current reigning sensation of Malayalam films. “Yes, Tovino chetta is known for his impromptu visits to neighbourhood parotta shops and hole-in-the-wall places that sell kattan chaya,” interjects Vikas, the hairstylist for the day.

“I have seen many pictures of Tovino chetta at various kutty (small) local eateries, on social media,” he adds, offering us a further glimpse at the ways of the actor. “My friends are the same guys I went to school and college with. I also have a couple of buddies from my IT days in Chennai. We’re close knit and these are people I can bare my soul to. Otherwise, I’m quite reticent and like to concentrate on work,” he smiles, almost reminding you of Matthan, the role he essayed in the 2018 superhit, Mayaanadhi.

At which point we jokingly point out how most actors in the industry seem to come from an engineering background like it’s almost a prerequisite to be in films. “Yeah, my story pretty much reads the same, too. I did it for the sake of my parents,” acknowledges Tovino. So how did this small-town boy from a conservative and academically-oriented Christian household make his way into the world of films?