The Tovino Thomas starrer, Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM), which was released two weeks ago is now inching towards the ₹100 crore mark. The movie, which is Tovino’s 50th release, is set across three different time frames, combining fantasy, action and drama.  

The three characters played by Tovino are bound together by craftily placed cross-references in the movie, drawing the audiences into a mystical world. Excerpts from a Hindustan Times interview with the new superstar of Malayalam cinema.

Hello Tovino, now that ARM has been declared a huge hit, do you see yourself getting bracketed among the top most heroes in the southern film industry who concentrate only on big budget blockbusters?

It’s all about bankability. There will always be big budget movies and small films with limited resources. That’s bound to happen. I would like to indulge in both. The bottomline is the producer shouldn’t suffer.

While I’m happy that ARM has been received well by the audience, I would like to state that I’m someone who likes commercial and critical success at the same time.

Why is Tovino an actor?

That’s an interesting question. I’ve always been fascinated by people who attend film festivals regularly without having anything to do with the movie industry. They attend them for the pure love of it. In the beginning like everyone else, I too was enamoured by the money and fame that the industry brings. But today, I see these as byproducts.

Acting for me is about refining a particular craft. I am attracted to all forms of films, whether it is off-beat, mainstream or anything in between. Any role that gives me creative satisfaction is good enough for me and when that converts into commercial success and critical acclaim that’s a perfect scenario.

Besides, I would like to work with all new talents that are emerging in the industry. I do not want to belong to any particular camp.

When you become a big star, people may hesitate to give you honest feedback. Have you felt so?

I have a small circle of friends who I turn to for feedback. Some of them are in the industry and some are not. Then there is family to consult as well. They do not hesitate one bit to give me honest feedback. My cousins and college/school friends do not treat me like a star. Once I reach home, I’m no different from anyone else.

I discuss a lot about acting with my industry friends and take their feedback. That’s a continuous process. I talk to my father (Ellikkal Thomas) a lot about all matters but when it comes movies I have to make my own judgments.

What kind of acting method do you adopt on the sets? Are you someone who goes for many retakes?

Acting is a lot about unlearning. Sometimes, your best reaction is during the first take. A very instinctive and natural reaction happens during the first take and that’s great.

But that may not be the best in certain cases. So, I don’t mind going for any number of retakes till the director feels right. End of the day one has to respect the viewer’s time and actors shouldn’t spare any effort to get the shot right.

See, I’m not a trained actor so my challenges are different and I work very hard to give my best to every scene. Sometimes, one has to give a very restrained performance at the risk of people questioning your acting skills, because the role may demand such a method.

Chasing perfection can be futile sometimes. Right?

That’s true. You should never look to achieve perfection, just chase after it. There’s beauty in imperfections and the audience can relate to it.

ARM has become a huge success. The movie wasn’t originally planned on a large scale. How did that happen?

Yes. In the beginning we had a certain budget and scale in mind. We wanted to shoot it with a native feel. Later, as the story developed, we realised it could be made for a wider audience. That’s when the script writer and director sat together to explore bigger dimensions and then eventually released it in multiple languages.

ARM was made to be a theatrical experience and the audience loved the 3D experience. The script had novelty and it was the first time I was portraying three different characters. Also, fortunately for us, I believe the movie was released at the right time and it looked like people were looking to watch such a movie on screen.

Many actors in Malayalam cinema, especially heroes have had a short rule at the top. Of course, Mammooty and Mohanlal have been around for over 40 years, and there are couple of others acting in leading roles for over 20 years. But they are few in number. Many of them fall by the wayside after a few years. ARM is your 50th film. What are your thoughts on longevity in the industry?

My distractions are minimal. Cinema is the main focus. I’m not running after building new ventures or into investing in enterprises that I’ve little knowledge of.

I came into the movie industry wanting into act in one movie. That was my dream. Everything that came after that has been a bonus. I’m not looking at greatness, I just want to be responsible for the movies I do. I’m currently going with the flow and do not want to fall into an image trap. I’ll keep doing small and big films. Most of the directors I work with also have very little or no distractions and want to make good movies.

My indulgence is travel. I travel so that I do not get exhausted as that would affect the quality of my work on the sets.

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