Despite inspiring several remakes over the years, including ‘Bhool Bhulaya’, ‘Manichitrathajhu’ has retained a special place among Malayalam audiences. The Mohanlal-starrer is one of the most famous psychological thrillers in Malayalam cinema and is definitely a classic. Tovino Thomas Recently revisited his early movie memories while promoting his latest release ‘Baalan: The Boy’. Looking back on his childhood, the actor recalled how watching Manichitrathajhu in the theater had a lasting impact on him.Speaking about the experience to Club FM, Tovino said, “I saw many films in theaters as a child, but Manichitrathajhu is one that stuck with me. For quite some time after watching it, I was afraid to walk alone in the dark.”
Cinema has always been a family tradition
Tovino also shared that his love for films stems from his upbringing. Cinema has always been an important part of family life, visiting the theater has become a tradition during family celebrations.He explained that even before he and his siblings were born, his parents regularly watched movies together. As the family grew, organizing those outings became more difficult. But their enthusiasm for cinema never waned.Sharing those memories, Tovino said, “My family has always loved watching movies. Whenever there was a wedding in the family, it was a tradition to go to the theater together. Even before my siblings and I were born, my parents never missed an opportunity to watch a movie.”
Weekend movie nights shaped his passion
As frequent trips to the theater became less practical, Tovino’s father found another way to keep the family’s film tradition alive. He bought a video cassette player. He made sure that weekends were dedicated to watching films at home.The actor recalled spending time rewatching rented cassettes with his brother. Such experiences shaped his passion for cinema.Recalling those days, he says, “As we grew up, it became difficult for the whole family to go to the theater together. So my father bought a video cassette player. Every Friday, he would rent the video cassettes, and we would spend the weekend watching films. My brother and I used to watch those movies over and over again. I think that’s where my passion for cinema started.”On the work front, Tovino Thomas’ latest outing is ‘Baalan: The Boy’. Directed by Chidambaram and written by Jeethu Madhavan, the Malayalam psychological drama thriller stars Adheeshan KR, Farzana Palathingal, Muhammad Zeenan, Jean Paul Lal, Girish Eddy and Tovino in pivotal roles.As per Sacknilk’s estimates, the worldwide collection of ‘Baalan: The Boy’s’ currently stands at Rs 24.26 crore.
