‘It’s sad to see children losing their lives’ – Tovino Thomas on why Adrishya Jalakangal’s anti-war theme is relevant

For the second movie to release this year, Tovino Thomas chose a relevant social theme. While his box-office blockbuster 2018: Everyone Is A Hero reflected the perils of environmental degradation , his latest movie Adrishya Jalakangal is pertinent for its anti-war theme, especially when the Israel-Palestine conflict rages on, having already claimed the lives of at least 17,000 people across sides till date, as per reports.

Adrishya Jalakangal, which is helmed by Dr Biju, uses anti-war themes to tell the story of powerless people who are terrorised and harmed for no fault of their own. The movie is set for its OTT release on Netflix on December 8.

In a candid chat with OTTplay, Tovino explains what hooked him to the movie and why it is important for people everywhere to think and react about what’s happening in the world – even if it doesn’t impact them directly.

Also read: Adrishya Jalakangal movie review - Tovino Thomas plays a man with no value 

“What I don’t understand is that in this era where we have access to so much information and technology, what is the need of war that results in so many deaths?” he asks. “There are deaths on both sides when a war is waged, and the people who die the most are common civilians who aren’t even the ones responsible for this; I am not saying soldiers don’t get killed but when you look at the numbers, there’s more civilian casualties.”

The actor, who is currently gearing for the shoot of Identity, explains that the onus is on everyone to try and stop a war. “All of us – including the governments and authorities – have to ensure that such things don’t happen. I am not saying we should take a side because both sides will have their justifications. But it’s sad that even children, who have done no wrong, are losing their lives. Imagine, if a bomb is dropped outside our houses, what would we do?”

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On the movie, which also has Nimisha Sajayan and Indrans, Tovino says that it’s about characters that others don’t really care for, and have no idea why a war is being waged. “They are not involved in the decision to start a war, but are the most affected by it,” he concludes.

Also read: Tovino Thomas gears up for Identity and L2 Empuraan: From bulking up to sporting a clean-shaven look