Just a few weeks ago, Malayalam superstar Fahadh Faasil made headlines when he was spotted using a vintage “dumb phone”— a device that reportedly cost between ₹5–10 lakh when it first launched nearly two decades ago. Known for his aversion to social media and digital clutter, the image of the actor with such a rare, retro phone quickly went viral. Now, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Fahadh has opened up about his relationship with technology, minimalism, and why staying disconnected is, for him, a conscious choice.
“I mean, I’ve been using a dumb phone for the past year. But it’s not like I’m completely cut off from the internet or anything. I keep telling my wife, ultimately, what I’m trying to do is, in two years, I want to be accessible only by email. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen though. See, whatever’s on your phone is also on your computer or iPad. So for me, it was more about convenience, to have something like this so that there’s a dedicated time to check emails, reply, and all that. I was trying to bring in some discipline, still haven’t managed it, but the idea is to create proper time slots for all these things. Even for waking up on time, you know.”
Earlier, an influencer Effin M had shared in a video that Fahadh uses a Vertu Ascent Ti, which was first released in 2008 but is no longer in production. The premium phone was crafted using titanium, sapphire crystals and hand-stitched leather, and was priced at Rs 5.54 lakh. It is still available on pre-owned websites for around Rs 1–1.5 lakh.
While he may not use a smartphone for daily scrolling, Fahadh isn’t dismissive of its utility, especially in his line of work. He clarified that digital tools remain a part of his workflow, but on his own terms. “It’s very important for me to have a smartphone, especially when I want to quickly check a shot or something. I’m not saying it’s not essential. But now I’ve structured things in a way that I am accessible when needed. There’s a method to all of that. But that has nothing to do with being active on social media. I was there in the early stages, Facebook and all that. And honestly, I wasn’t doing well with it. I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t know what to post, how to reply to comments. One thing I was very clear about, though, was that no pictures from my house would go out. No personal images. Eventually, I used social media primarily to let people know about the films I was doing. And I’d like to stick to that. For me, social media is just a space to inform people about my work, nothing personal beyond that.”
Interestingly, despite his minimal online presence, Fahadh remains in tune with digital trends, sometimes even drawing creative inspiration from them. In the same interview, he revealed that one of the most talked-about scenes from his 2024 blockbuster gangster-comedy Aavesham was actually inspired by a viral reel. The actor explained that his director and team showed him the clip just before filming, proving that staying off social media doesn’t mean being out of touch. As Fahadh put it, the people around him always ensure he stays updated.
