Not many people trace their love for reading back to a house they couldn’t afford, but Tovino Thomas does.

In a laid-back chat on Ranjini Haridas’ podcast The Green Room, the Minnal Murali star opened up about his unlikely journey into books, why he’s happiest doing absolutely nothing, and what’s next for him on the big screen.

“I never really had a reading habit growing up,” Tovino admitted. “There were Basheer’s books my dad used to buy and keep at home. And of course, Balarama Digest was a staple. But serious reading? That didn’t come until much later.”

That “later” moment arrived during his college years in Coimbatore, while studying at Anna University. Like most students, he was on a desperate hunt for affordable housing. “Reading, for me, really began from a lost book. During college, we were checking out houses for accomodation and came across this one house. It wasn’t affordable to us,” he recalled. “But while looking around, I found a random book just lying there. I took it.”

That book turned out to be Khasakkinte Ithihasam by OV Vijayan, a searing political satire written in 1969. “I didn’t even read it right away. But when I finally did, it just hit me. It was written 20 years before I was born, but still felt so relevant. That’s the power of good writing,” he said.

Tovino, born in 1989, found the book, written in 1969, in 2009. “At that age, I could only understand so much. But even then, it moved me. And if I read it today, I’d probably interpret it very differently. That’s what makes literature timeless.” He laughs off the idea of ever writing himself. “I’m too lazy. I can read, but writing? That’s another level.”

He also enjoys doing absolutely nothing when he’s home. “Just sitting idle, not even touching my phone,” he said, sounding like the dream version of ourselves.

On the work front, the actor was last seen in Anuraj Manohar’s political drama Narivetta, but all eyes are now on his upcoming release Palli Chattambi--a gritty period film directed by Queen fame Dijo Jose Antony. The film explores the life of a revolutionary figure from Kerala’s past, and promises a raw, powerful performance from Tovino.