Tovino Thomas was in Mumbai yesterday for special screening of his latest hit film 2018. Present at the event were Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Tanvi Ram, and director Jude Anthany Joseph. After the screening, a press conference was held, and Tovino Thomas shared some thoughts about what went into the making of the film, Minnal Murali 2 and Bollywood.
While speaking about the director, Tovino Thomas said, “Jude was in the front to lead us. Usually, what happens is that directors will have a very safe place near the monitor, with the mic, and all the setup. Us actors will be on the ground, drenched in the water. Jude was very different from them. He is generally hyperactive, but at the same time, very sweet. He was with us in the water during the entire shoot. He was in the water in a raincoat, with a piece of paper and a pen.”
Jude Anthany Joseph talked about the filmmakers and films who have inspired him. He said, “I have got a lot of inspiration from the senior filmmakers who have done such films on a large scale, and director Priyadarshan is my Guru. Priyadarshan is my biggest inspiration. I am still surprised by the fact that Priyadarshan took only 43 days to complete the shoot of the evergreen classic film ‘Kaalapani’.”
He further added by saying, “I thank all those filmmakers who have passed out the core idea that ‘Human emotions are the best way to convey a movie’. I would like to take an example from the classic film ‘Jurassic Park’, where there is a shot in the movie which is focused on a glass of water trembling when the dinosaur arrives. I have got inspiration from such films and have copied or inspired whatever you say from those veteran filmmakers all over. I want to be a better filmmaker and a better human being after each and every film I do and ‘2018’ is my tribute to all those filmmakers all over the world who have inspired me.”
Tovino Thomas also spoke about how small the Malayalam film industry is, distributor support for small films, and passion for their work. While interacting, the actor said, “We had budget constraints. There is no extravaganza. And our
salary is a very small percentage of the movie’s budget. We all work with passion, and it’s never about money.”
He further added by saying, “We are a small state in the southern corner of India, and we have been making very good movies for ages. But imagine it getting only released in a few theatres. I wish more distributors would come forward to take Malayalam movies.”
He also said, “We don’t want them to do it for free or out of love. Let them watch it, and distribute it only if they like it. Getting a collaboration after a film getting released on OTT or when it leaks online is not really worth it.”
He concluded by saying, “It doesn’t do any good for any of us. It is important to understand that it is tough for us to bring a movie to the whole country. Not all producers are going to spend on promotions. Our movies budget is often less than what a big ticket release from Bollywood spends for promotions. These constraints make us work harder, smarter, and over time. And that’s how good movies are made. We are not smoking anything.”
Minnal Murali 2 is coming. Minnal Murali was a big screen film, but it came on the OTT platform. Minnal Murali 2 will be coming on big screen. The film is in the writing stage, and we don’t want to rush things and want to deliver our best. The film should match the 1st part, then only it will work.”
2018 is all set to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time. Lucifer is the highest grossing Malayalam film, and soon, 2018 will surpass it. Tovino Thomas was part of both these films. When asked about the feeling, Tovino Thomas said that he is lucky enough to be a part of both these films.
2018 was released in Malayalam on 5th May. The dubbed versions of the film will be released on 12th May in India.
