Actor Tovino Thomas has opened up about how his family's long-standing love for cinema played a defining role in shaping his passion for films, recalling cherished childhood memories of frequent movie outings and weekend screenings at home.

Speaking to Club FM while promoting his latest film Balan: The Boy, Tovino said one of his earliest and most unforgettable cinematic memories was watching the Malayalam classic Manichithrathazh.

"I have seen a lot of films in theatres in my childhood. One film that memory that hold was Manichitrathazhu. For some time, it was hard to walk alone in the dark," he said with a laugh.

The actor revealed that watching movies together was a family tradition long before he and his siblings were born.

"My family has always loved watching films. Whenever there was a wedding in the family, it was a tradition for everyone to go to the theatre together. Even before my siblings and I were born, my parents would always go and watch movies," he said.

"As we grew up, it became difficult for the whole family to go to the theatre together. So my father bought a video cassette player. Every Friday, he would rent cassettes and we'd watch films over the weekend. My brother and I would watch them again and again. I think that's where my passion for cinema came from," Tovino added.

The actor is currently seen in Balan: The Boy, a Malayalam psychological drama thriller directed by Chidambaram and written by Jithu Madhavan. Produced by Venkat K. Narayana under KVN Productions and Shailaja Desai Fenn under Thespian Films, the film stars Adhisheshan K. R., Farzana Palathingal and Muhammad Zinaan in lead roles, with Tovino Thomas, Jean Paul Lal and Girish A. D. in supporting roles.

Balan: The Boy follows a young boy and his mother as they confront long-buried secrets while searching for truth and redemption. The film premiered at the Marché du Film section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival before releasing in theatres on June 19 in Malayalam and dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. It has received widespread critical acclaim for its performances, emotional depth and Chidambaram's direction.