The actor also adds that he started hunting down arthouse films after he began attending IFFK in Trivandrum. “But that experience changed my perspective on art house films. Even though many films that I saw there went over my head, I still remember this Belgian language film Hasta la Vista (2011), that I really loved. Black Blood (2011), a chinese film was yet another movie that made me feel things even though I knew that there was no entertainment value in those films. I also remember watching Mathilukal (1990) back in the day,”
The Adrishya Jalakangal actor also is clear on his plans for producing films and his career roadmap, “In terms of production, I am not someone suitable to be a full-time producer. I don’t think I am just made for that job. I see myself as someone who can lose a lot of money if I turn into a full-time producer. My head doesn’t work that way. I am currently doing the thing I love the most in the world. So I don’t see a reason to turn a producer for its sake. Even in films like Kala (2021) and Vazhakku (2022), both of which I was a production partner in, I gave up my own salary.”
Tovino adds that in Adrishya Jalakangal, too he is only taking half of his salary. “The rest is my investment in the film. None of these films are losses for me as my major investment is my time and effort. My aim is to help these small films that will need my assistance to get the project off the ground. I have no plans to produce commercial films as I am not cut out for that process.”
With regard to his attempts in following the career trajectory of senior super stars like Mammootty and Mohanlal, Tovino has his own take on their longevity and legacy. “If they simply pursued only stardom, they would have ended up being like Burj Khalifa…But they are like Mount Everest now! No wind can bring them down. That’s the reason they are still standing tall. The main reason behind their longevity is this balance that they’ve maintained in their films till now. They did all kinds of films. All our leading stars used to do that in the past. That’s what made them superstars as well great actors at the same time. I am also trying to follow the example they have set for us.”