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New Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Mathew Thomas Interview: Bromance response taught me there's a line you shouldn't cross in commercial cinema
Mathew Thomas had a very accidental entry into cinema. "A career in cinema was not even in the wildest of dreams," chuckles Mathew today. It was his adolescent curiosity that lead him to this world. When the 10th-grade student attended auditions for a new film held in his school, he had no idea of what destiny had in store. The film was Kumbalangi Nights (2019), and the role he bagged— Franky, the youngest of the Napolean brothers. It was a carefully curated launch that helped Mathew learn and absorb from some of the finest talents around. There has been no looking back since then. "It has been an exciting journey so far. I never even imagined being an actor, but in these six years, I haven't come across anything that's even remotely as exciting as this." With a strong appetite to learn and improve, Mathew says he adopts multiple means to hone his skills. It can be through watching films or attending workshops, or purely by observing his fellow actors. "Watching films is my primary source of inspiration. I gain something out of each film and try to incorporate these learnings wherever they suit. It might succeed or backfire, but I feel it's important to experiment and upgrade because everything in cinema is achieved through a trial-and-error process. You can't be guaranteed anything in this business." Mathew's latest release in Malayalam, Bromance, saw him experimenting in a space that he hadn't ventured before. He plays Binto, a youngster with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), a condition that triggers repeated episodes of impulsive and violent behavior that are out of proportion to the situation. While some lauded Mathew's performance, a section of the audience felt it was exaggerated and annoyingly loud. The trolls have grown nastier post the film's recent digital premiere on Sony LIV. While most break under such panning, Mathew is pragmatic enough to understand where the comments are coming from. "As per the brief, Binto has a high BP issue and gets riled up easily. When triggered, he acts illogically and makes absurd decisions. The emotional layers were added on the go, and it was quite a challenge to portray his complexities. I agree when people say the performance went overboard because that's what we also intended. But what I didn't realise is how the performance would look visually on a big screen. We could have toned it down, but we erred in judging the aesthetics," admits Mathew, adding, "But I don't regret it because I did it with total conviction. I've now learnt that there's a line you shouldn't cross in a commercial film, however over-the-top the character is. That's my takeaway from this whole episode." Bromance is Mathew's fourth outing with director Arun D Jose after Jo and Jo (2022), 18+ Journey of Love (2023), and Samadhana Pusthakam (2024), which the filmmaker just wrote. Mathew says their rapport goes beyond just being an actor and a director. "I've known Arun from Prakashan Parakkatte (2022), in which he was the chief associate. I trust his skills and vision, and we're also good friends, which makes it much easier. If you take Bromance, most of them on the team are my friends. Sangeeth (Prathap) ettan, cinematographer Akhil George, editor Chaman (Chakko), writers Raveesh (Nath) and Thomas (Sebastian)... these are people with whom I can discuss things beyond cinema." So, does working with friends make the process a lot easier? "Yes, you can say that, because with friends, there is a certain comfort factor. You have the freedom to experiment and improvise. At the same time, I also love working with a new team because I get introduced to fresher working styles. It's crucial to grow as an artist."
News18
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Mathew Thomas, Arjun Ashokan's Bromance To Make Its OTT Debut On May 1
Written by Arun D Jose himself along with Raveesh Nath and Thomas P. Sebastian, the music and the background score of the film are crafted by Govind Vasantha. Bromance, the Mathew Thomas and Arjun Ashokan starrer adventure comedy received massive responses from audiences upon its release in February this year. Helmed by Arun D Jose, the film garnered applause for its hilarious punchlines, captivating twists and cast performances. It was declared a success at the box office. If you missed watching it on the big screens, need not worry, as the film is all set to begin its OTT journey soon. Produced by Ashiq Usman, the film will stream on the OTT platform Sony LIV starting from May 1, 2025. Taking to Instagram, the streaming giant dropped the trailer of Bromance and wrote in the caption, 'Chaos, comedy, and a gang you'll never forget. Watch #Bromance streaming from May 1 on SonyLIV. #BromanceOnSonyLIV." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sony LIV (@sonylivindia) Bromance follows the story of Binto Varghese, a young man whose older brother, Shinto, goes missing. Binto partners up with his brother's friends to find out his whereabouts before it's too late. As the story evolves, Binto embarks on a journey to find his brother, full of surprises and humour. The film is a Gen-Z comedy with a focus on friendship and the search for Shinto, who is related to all of the characters. Apart from Mathew and Arjun, the film also features actors like Sangeeth Prathap, Mahima Nambiar, Shyam Mohan, Kalabhavan Shajohn and Bharath Bopanna, among others, in significant roles. Written by Arun D Jose himself along with Raveesh Nath and Thomas P. Sebastian, the music and the background score of the film is crafted by Govind Vasantha. Akhil George controls the cinematography. Talking about Mathew, he has appeared in several regional films including Kumbalangi Nights, One, Neymar, Journey of Love, Leo, Visudha Mejo, Christy and Premalu among others. He was last seen in South star Dhanush's directorial coming-of-age romantic comedy Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK). Released in February this year, the film also featured actors like Anikha Surendran, Priya Prakash Varrier, R. Sarathkumar, Venkatesh Menon, and others in the lead. Mathew will be next seen in Malayalam's first-ever Hybrid animation and live-action 3D film, Lovely 3D, scheduled to release in May 2025. First Published:
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Vijay Babu's Mother Mary gets a release date
Mother Mary , headlined by Vijay Babu and Kumbalangi Nights -fame Lali PM, is set to hit screens on May 2. The film, written and directed by AR Vadikkal, explores the emotional bond between an ageing mother and her son. While Vijay Babu plays the son, Lali PM essays the mother's role. The latter is the mother of actor Anarkali Marikar. According to the makers, Mother Mary revolves around James who looks after his mother, suffering from memory loss and age-related ailments. James returns to his native after quitting his high-profile job in the US. However, over time, he finds himself becoming his mother's adversary. The crux of the film explores how this emotional turmoil is ultimately resolved. Mother Mary also stars Nirmal Palazhi, Sohan Seenulal, Dayana Hameed, and Akhila Nath, among others. The film, produced by Mushroom Visual Media, has cinematography by Suresh Red-One and music by Santhosh Kumar.
