Tovino Thomas: Films like Adrishya Jalakangal offer more space to perform

Ahead of the release of Dr Biju's Adrishya Jalakangal on November 24, the filmmaker, with actor Tovino Thomas, producer Radhika Lavu and the technical crew, met members of the press on Monday in Kochi.

Speaking at the event, Dr Biju said the film discusses a subject of "contemporary relevance" with "surreal and fantastical" elements.

"Adrishya Jalakangal explores topics like war and the plight of marginalised groups. Since society is least concerned with individuals without an identity, I wanted to address their issues through the film," said Dr Biju, known for critically acclaimed films such as Perariyathavar, Kaadu Pookkunna Neram, and Veyilmarangal. "I have opted for a different treatment for the film, especially the choice of music, which has more of an esoteric, universal flavour."

Tovino Thomas, also a co-producer on the film, said that he got on board with the complete awareness that it's not a "100-crore club" film. The actor, known for maintaining a neat balance between big-budget entertainers and small-scale independent films, explained that films like Adrishya Jalakangal offer a different kind of creative high and that the priority, in this case, is satisfaction over money. "Since I'm involved as a co-producer, I adjusted my remuneration accordingly, and the same goes for films like Kala and Vazhakk, on which I was a production partner as well. I agreed to get involved because I want to see such projects happen without compromising quality and zero concerns about profit. Though I'm a producer, there is no burden of execution on my part."

Adding that Adrishya Jalakangal is relatively more expensive than the usual arthouse films, Tovino observed that an actor has more freedom to work on their character in films of this nature where the life of a scene is relatively less affected by cuts. "There's the advantage of sustaining that emotional continuity and more time to be in that character."

When asked if awards are a motivating factor, the Minnal Murali actor said that while he isn't above accepting awards, the primary motivation is an urge to learn the process. "Awards come later. Of course, if I get one, I would gladly accept it, but the feedback of general audiences matters more."

A joint production venture of Ellanar Films, Mythri Movie Makers and Tovino Thomas Production, Adrishya Jalakangal has Yedhu Radhakrishnan behind the camera, Ricky Kej as the composer of the songs and original score, with Davis Manuel working as the editor and chief associate director. Dileep Daz handled the production design, while Pattanam Sha was on the makeup and Aravind KR on the costumes.