Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas put months of speculation to rest on Tuesday when he officially confirmed that he will not be part of Dragon, the highly anticipated Telugu film directed by Prashanth Neel, starring Jr NTR. The announcement came during a promotional visit to Hyderabad for his upcoming period drama Pallichattambi, and it set off a wave of conversation across both industries. Now, Tovino has clarified his statement after a social media storm that set off after his initial statement that he had exited the project.On Wednesday, Tovino came back with a longer, more personal explanation. “The thing is, I never told it anywhere,” he said. “Yesterday also, I talked about all these things. And it was misinterpreted, I think, as if I didn’t even want to do Dragon. No, it’s not like that. These basic problems were going on. That’s why I kept quiet.”He pushed back firmly against headlines that used words like “exits” and “opts out.” “That’s not what I meant. I had to leave because I’m someone who cannot do multitasking. It’s a different working style that I’m following. It’s not anyone’s mistake, not my mistake, not their mistake. Just the difference in the length. That’s it. That’s what happened.”On his relationship with the team behind Dragon, Tovino was warm and unambiguous. “I really love the director Prashanth Neel, as a person, as a director,” He even addressed what kind of actor he is, away from industry politics. “I love doing movies because I love this process, not because of money, not because of stardom. Nothing fascinates me more than what I have, the process,” he said.And then he said something that cut through the noise entirely. “Without even acting in one Telugu movie, they already love me. So I’ll continue doing what I’m doing. I’m happy that people love watching my Malayalam movies.” He added that he genuinely wants Dragon to succeed, with or without him in it. “I want Dragon to be the biggest pan-Indian cinema. Even if I’m not part of that movie, I’ll still want that to happen. I’m someone who thinks like that.”Also Read: Mammootty considered becoming a film director as he feared being phased out of acting after consecutive flops: ‘He even accepted an advance’Rumors had long been circulating that Tovino was roped in to play a key role, reportedly as Jr NTR’s brother in the film. There was even talk of a face-off sequence being planned in Jordan between the two actors. A video of Tovino Thomas practicing martial arts had gone viral on social media, sparking speculation about his role in the film. For fans of both stars, the prospect of that pairing on screen was genuinely exciting.Story continues below this adBut Tovino had been clear about where he stood. While promoting Pallichattambi in Hyderabad, Thomas addressed questions surrounding his involvement in Dragon, stating, “It is really hard to allocate dates, so I am not doing it.” He went on to explain why the working structure of Telugu productions simply does not fit how he operates. “I don’t like doing multiple films at the same time. I prefer finishing one before moving on to another. With Telugu films, I may have to wait almost a year for completion. I understand the scale is bigger here, but doing one Telugu film could affect four to five of my Malayalam films. I can’t dishonor my commitments by waiting an entire year for one project,” he said.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:NTRTovino Thomas