It’s been a gloomy few years at the box office for the Malayalam film industry, with several films flopping and only a handful of them becoming profitable. In such a situation, the success of Jude Anthany Joseph’s survival thriller 2018 is doubly impressive. Starring Tovino Thomas in the lead, the film is about how the people of Kerala came together during the terrifying floods of 2018. The film, which arrived without much fanfare, swept the audience off their feet and has currently grossed over Rs 180 crore worldwide, beating the previous record held by the Prithviraj directorial Lucifer (2019), starring Mohanlal in the lead.
2018 has a host of talented actors on board, including Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Kalaiyarasan, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Lal, Indrans and others. But it is Tovino’s role as Anoop, an ex-Army man, that functions as the emotional anchor and conscience of the film. Anoop, who leaves the Indian Army because he doesn’t want to lose his life, is an unassuming and earnest young man who wears his heart on his sleeve. It’s yet another charming performance from Tovino who has portrayed a wide range of masculinities on screen — from the thuggish Shaji in Kala (2021), who exudes a raw sexuality, to the cold-hearted yet vulnerable Alan in Kaanekkaane (2021) and the besotted gangster lover in Mayaanadhi (2017).
Tovino has had his share of ups and downs in his career, but it must be said that the actor has a knack for picking good scripts. He’s a confident performer who doesn’t get insecure about sharing screen space — be it in a film with an ensemble cast like Dear Friend (2022) or Minnal Murali (2021) where the antagonist had an equal role as that of the superhero. He was recently seen in Aashiq Abu’s Neelavelicham (2023), which is available on Amazon Prime, and will be seen in Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Vazhakk (2022), whenever it releases. Among the stars of his generation, nobody has mixed things up as well as he has, keeping the audience guessing about every release and what to expect from it.
If you’re new to Tovino’s filmography, here’s a starter pack of his work that you can watch online:
Thallumaala (2022), Netflix
You’ll either love this film or hate it. There is no middle path. Directed by Khalid Rahman, this incredibly wacky film is a series of fights in a non-linear plot. Tovino plays Manavalan Wazim, a young man who is quick with his punches and gets into one fight after another. He becomes (in)famous after a video of him beating up people at his wedding goes viral. Kalyani Priyadarshan plays Beevi, an Instagram celebrity who is just as shallow as Wazim. Thallumaala has some of the best action choreography in Malayalam cinema in recent times.
Mayaanadhi (2017), Sun NXT
This thriller directed by Aashiq Abu has one of the most beautifully portrayed modern romances in Malayalam cinema. Tovino plays Maathan, a gangster on the run. He might have a violent streak in him, but he’s also head-over-heels in love with Appu (Aishwarya Lekshmi), an aspiring actor who is deeply uncomfortable with Maathan’s involvement in crime. Both Tovino and Aishwarya are stellar in the film, which also has wonderful music by Rex Vijayan.
Minnal Murali (2021), Netflix
Malayalam cinema’s first ever superhero film, this Basil Joseph directorial is about two people who get struck by lighting on the same night and how their lives intersect. Tovino is a delight as the goofy Jaison who discovers his superpowers and slowly learns to be responsible with them. Guru Somasundaram, who plays the antagonist Shibu, is also fantastic in his role. Minnal Murali was the third Indian and first Malayalam film to make it to Netflix’s Global Top 10 list of non-English films.
Kaanekkaane (2021), SonyLIV
In this Manu Ashokan directorial, Tovino plays Alan, a man whom we ought to despise for his terrible secret. Alan’s wife is dead and he is now married to another woman (Aishwarya Lekshmi) — but there’s more to the story. It’s an incredibly difficult task to get the audience to empathise with a character who does something that’s impossible to forgive, and yet, Tovino draws us into Alan’s psyche and makes us stay with him. Suraj Venjaramoodu, as the grieving father of Alan’s ex-wife, is as superb as Tovino. A film about moments of weakness and the dark side of the human heart, Kaanekkaane is among Tovino’s best performances so far.
Dear Friend (2022), Netflix
This film was a total washout in theatres but won praise from viewers after its release on OTT. Directed by Vineeth Kumar, the film is about a group of friends and its dynamics. Tovino plays Vinod, a young man in the group who suddenly goes missing. His friends try to track him down and discover startling truths about him. Again, Vinod’s character is hard to empathise with, and Tovino plays him with a brutish cynicism. Yet, Vinod emerges as a memorable character, thanks to the honesty with which Tovino plays the role. Darshana Rajendran as Jannath is another highlight of the film.
Virus (2019), Zee5
This multistarrer by Aashiq Abu is about how Kerala combated the deadly Nipah virus in real life. Tovino plays an IAS officer in the medical thriller that follows the lives of multiple people. The others in the cast include Revathi, Parvathy, Asif Ali, Kunchacko Boban, Rima Kallingal, Indrajith Sukumaran, among others. The film has excellent performances from all the cast members, and won praise for its writing and technical craft.
Kala (2021), Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Rohith VS, this action thriller isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s earned its place on this list because it once again demonstrates Tovino’s willingness to flout rules and break the image of a hero. Shaji is an egoistic, narcissistic and violent man who accidentally kills a young boy’s dog and the latter now wants revenge (you’ll be forgiven for thinking of John Wick). But though Shaji is built up as this macho man, he is destined to fail. Tovino is fun to watch in this heavily stylised thriller where he allows himself to be pulped.
Vaashi (2022), Netflix
Vishnu G Raghav’s courtroom drama that revolves around a complaint of rape has Tovino and Keerthy Suresh playing a lawyer couple arguing the case on opposite sides. Though the film didn’t do well in theatres, it makes for an interesting watch because it looks at the equation between a couple that has to compete professionally while also trying to meet societal expectations on their respective gender roles.