Tovino Thomas on 'The Kerala Story'

Tovino Thomas is one of Kerala’s biggest stars. As 2018, his film on the devastating Kerala floods, creates havoc at the Kerala box office, he takes time off to comment on Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story.

Tovino says, "I haven't seen the film. I have seen the trailer. You know something? I will never deny this conversion happening. It has happened. But I will forward you a link where a journalist explains how exaggerated the numbers are."

Tovino has a problem with the exaggerated numbers in The Kerala Story. “When you are making an exaggerated fictional form of reality, you should title it The Fictional Kerala Story, not The Kerala Story."

But isn't cinema by its very nature about exaggeration?

Tovino explains, "I agree cinema has its exaggerations. But you can't show 30 as 30,000. I don't support any party or ideology. I believe in humanity. We are living in 2023. I really wish people would stop believing what they are shown, and start thinking about what they are being told."

Tovino is open to all kinds of cinematic experiences. "I have no problem with any film. But I don't think audiences should believe everything they are shown. Buddha once said, 'You will read and hear a lot of things. Even I say a lot of things. Never believe blindly. Think on your own.' We all have the power to evaluate and come to conclusions."