Tovino Thomas wins Best Asian Actor at Septimius Awards: 'This one is for Kerala'

Malayalam star Tovino Thomas' career is going from strength to strength. He became the first South Indian actor to win the 'Best Asian Actor' at the Septimius Awards for his performance in his recent blockbuster movie 2018 Everyone Is a Hero.

Tovino Thomas was overjoyed to bag this top honour at the event, which was held on Tuesday in the city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After receiving the award at a grand gala ceremony, Tovino shared a photo of himself holding the trophy. While expressing his gratitude, he remembered the 2018 Kerala floods and dedicated the award to the resilience of Keralites.

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"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. In 2018, Kerala began to fall when unexpected floods knocked on our doors. But then the world saw what Keralites were made of…

Thank you SEPTIMIUS AWARDS for selecting me as the Best Asian Actor. It will always remain close to my heart…What makes this international recognition special is that this is for my performance in the movie 2018. This one... is for Kerala," he wrote on his Instagram page.

2018 the biggest hit of Malayalam cinema

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Inspired by real-life incidents, 2018 was written and directed by Jude Anthany Joseph. The film revolves around resilience, survival, and the human spirit in the face of adversity. It struck a rich vein with movie-going audiences across the country for its realistic portrayal of the harrowing experience of the survivors of the worst natural calamity to befall Kerala in a century.

Even though 2018 received a limited release, the glowing reviews and the terrific word of mouth, made it an instant sensation. The film became one of the fastest to gross Rs 100 crore in ticket sales and also emerged as the biggest commercial hit in the history of Malayalam cinema . Within four weeks of its release, the movie grossed over Rs 200 crore from its worldwide ticket sales.

Besides Tovino, the movie also features Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Kalaiyarasan, Narain, Lal, Indrans, and Aju Varghese.