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Across continents
Thomas Umer Tevana has moved from continent to continent and coast to coast in search of greener pastures. And it seems that the grass is turning more and more verdant for him. He has delved into several forays, each more challenging than the other.
His six-foot-one-inch clean-cut frame, brown hair and eyes make him the perfect choice for a model. His first assignment was in West Coast (California) for Levi’s 501 jeans. Incidentally, he wore one at the time of this interview along with an indigo blue polo shirt. Sans any body jewellery or tattoos, he says believes in maintaining a clean-cut image.
His other modelling assignments have included shoots for Bell Soto, Eddie Bauer, Land’s End, Banana Republic and the casual line for Willis Roberts. And, of course, he has modelled for Jockeys, too. Thomas’s last modelling assignment took him to the deserts of Dubai for a shampoo commercial. However, he keeps returning to the melting pot of New York City which has been his abode for the last six years.
His acting credits include, among others, the ABC soap One Life to Live in which he played the part of a Morrocan who falls for an East Coast damsel. His role lasted a season or four months to be exact. While talking about the soap, he said that it was “a melodramatic, stylized over-the-top show.”
Thomas can soon be seen in his first Bollywood film, Jo Bole So Nihaal, along with Sunny Deol and Kamaal Khan (the one-hit wonder who made Salman Khan’s Oh jaane jaana mein hoon tera deewana from Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya into a rage). The film directed by Rahul Rawail also introduces Shillpi Sharma and model Nupur Mehta. “Remember, he is the same Rahul who made Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh into stars with Betaab. Besides, he also directed Aishwarya Rai’s first film Aur Pyar Ho Gaya,” he says.
In Jo Bole So Nihaal, Thomas plays an Indian-American FBI agent, Manoj Bhatnagar, who assists Sunny in tracking down a hi-tech terrorist called Romeo (Kamaal Khan). He elucidated that the movie was shot in Miami and New York, but he could not have any fun at the sunny and sandy beaches of Miami as he had “a very gruelling shooting schedule”. The movie is slated for an April release. “Hopefully, some of Rahul Rawail’s good luck will rub off on me also,” he says.
Thomas said that he would be next seen in the Indian film Shanakht, which starts filming in March. “The movie also stars Raj Vasudeva and we both play police officers.” He broke off into a laugh when it was pointed out to him that he was being stereotyped into playing law-enforcement officers. The model-cum-actor has also tuned his vocal chords and is preparing to release his first single I’ll be whoever you want me to be, which is also on the soundtrack of the upcoming cross-over venture, My Bollywood Bride, starring Jason Lewis of Sex and the City. He stressed: “By the way the flick is going to be premiered at Cannes in May.”
Next on the cards is an album which is going to be produced by Steve Skinner and Rick Wake, who between the two of them have produced albums for Taylor Dayne, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez. Thomas says: “A lot of the songs on the album are going to be commercial. Some of the numbers on the album are Rising, Celebrate and I Don’t Give a Damn.
Thomas could not help laughing when it was pointed out to him that the last named song seemed to be about a broken relationship and not caring a hoot about it. “Oh, you are so right! It is exactly about that. But it was also a scathing attack on society.”
He further said: “In addition to the English songs, there will also be two Hindi ones, including Aao Na Zindagi Ka Lo Maza. He was keeping his hopes high for the album which is slated for an October release.
As to what Mr Tevana was doing in Karachi recently, he explained: “I’m visiting some relatives. Besides, I find Karachi just as culturally rich as New York.”
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