Here's why Tovino Thomas wears different perfumes for different roles
What's the story
Malayalam movie star Tovino Thomas is currently gathering worldwide acclaim for his superhero venture, Minnal Murali, that recently released on an OTT platform. While he was involved with this ambitious project since 2018, Thomas has worked extensively on various movies in quick succession of time. So, how does he associate himself with certain roles? The actor revealed, via smells! Here's more on the trick.
Context
Why does it matter?
Acting is one of the most delicate forms of art with various actors approaching roles uniquely. The process behind an actor getting into their character is quite interesting, albeit weird at times. Like, Jim Carrey lived as prankster Andy Kaufman while shooting Man on the Moon, even when the cameras weren't rolling. Or when Nawazuddin Siddiqui's psyche took a toll during Raman Raghav 2.0.
Details
'For me, smell is something, that's...associated with memories,' revealed Thomas
Thomas' process is nothing that extreme but interesting nonetheless. While speaking at Rajeev Masand's Actors' Roundtable 2021, the Uyare star said he uses a particular scent to associate with every character of his. "For me, [the] smell is something, that's...associated with memories. So, while shooting, from Day 1, I'll be using one single perfume and whenever I use that perfume, subconsciously...it helps," he said.
Tale of smell
He used THIS scent while filming 'Minnal Murali'
Explaining the root, the Virus actor said even when he was in 10th standard, the smell of new notebooks and uniforms used to remind him of his first day at school. Masand then asked him about the perfume used during Minnal Murali. "C&H's [Carolina Herrera] Bad Boy," the actor replied. Notably, the bottle has a lightning shape, much like his superhero persona's symbol.
Information
Taapsee Pannu, Sanya Malhotra revealed to have done similar tricks
Fellow actors Taapsee Pannu [Haseen Dillruba] and Sanya Malhotra [Pagglait, Meenakshi Sundareshwar], who were also present at the table, agreed on doing the same for their films. "When you're shooting two films together, it is even better [apply the perfume and you are in the desired character]," Malhotra quipped in. So, does smell also help you dive back into an old memory or time?