Tourist Family is an Indian Tamil drama movie written and directed by Abishan Jeevinth. The movie features M. Sasikumar, Simran, Mithun Jai Sankar, and Kamalesh as lead characters. Produced by Nazerath Pasilian, Magesh Raj Pasilian, and Yuvaraj Ganesan under the banner of Million Dollar Studios and MRP Entertainment, the distribution is handled by Ahimsa Entertainment and JVEL Distribution. Cinematography of the movie is done by Aravind Viswanathan, editing by Barath Vikraman, and the music work is done by Sean Roldan.
As per The Indian Express Tamil, the reported budget of the movie is estimated to be ₹14 crore, and the reported box office collection by Pinkvilla is estimated to be ₹25.50 crore, which clearly means the movie is a commercial success and worked at the box office. With a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes, the movie secured a good rating from audiences and critics.
Cast
Tourist Family’s strengths are its natural performances. Dharmadas, played by M. Sasikumar, holds the emotional quotient of the movie with maturity and depth. He is depicting a man of quiet strength and unlimited patience, and his presence seems grounded and sincere. His gestures and soft looks make it simple for the hackpack to fall in love with his character as well. This role is tailor-made for him as his on-screen persona always stands for simplicity and goodness.
Simran is simply wonderful as Vasanthi with just the right mix of warmth and vulnerability. Her nonverbal responses, smiles, and crying scenes give the movie its soul. She doesn’t need big dialogues to express her feelings; her eyes emote. Simran and Sasikumar make for a believable couple fighting their life’s battles together.
Younger son Mulli (Kamalesh) is a master at stealing scenes with his devious ways and innate sense of humour, his role was one of the most well-written in a recent Tamil movie. Mithun Jai Sankar, who portrays the older son Nithushan, portrays teenage vexation and emotional struggle nicely.
Yogi Babu is Prakash, the uncle, who brings relief in lighter moments without overdoing it. M. S. Bhaskar, as the stern boss Richard, makes his presence felt in his limited screen time; he again proves how he can infuse even minor characters with a strong presence. Yogalakshmi as Kural and Ramesh Thilak as the constable also make the story believable.
First-time director Abishan Jeevinth makes a really strong effort, even featuring in the movie as a troubled newcomer, and while perhaps cutting his screen time would have a high risk of high reward situation plenty, in one or two key scenes, his no-nonsense delivery really shines. Elango Kumaravel and Sreeja Ravi as Gunasekar and his wife only add to the texture of the neighbourhood canvas, so does Bagavathi Perumal as the inspector.
Together as an ensemble, everyone brings the colony to life, the setting of this movie, where you feel like every single person is completely alive and breathing.
Moviesda Reviews
Tourist Family is a tragic story that revolves around a Sri Lankan Tamil family that has escaped to Tamil Nadu looking for a fresh start. A debutant, Abishan Jeevinth, has directed the movie that lends more emphasis to humanity than politics. Though the story is straightforward, the telling has had a powerful effect.
The soul of the movie is Dharmadas, played by Sasikumar, who we all believe does the right thing at all times, but the world he lives in hardly thinks of him that way. Simran as Vasanthi, his wife, is warm and quietly strong on the screen. Their two children, particularly the younger son Mulli (a terrific performance by Kamalesh), provide much of the humour and emotion. This family dynamic seems real, and their struggles tug at your heart.
The colony in which they live is crammed with fun, colourful characters, strict uncles, nosy neighbours, and so on. Rather than deliver over-the-top drama, the movie gradually forges links between them. Those are small, everyday moments, eating meals together, experiencing loss, helping strangers, that lend the movie a superior sense of connectedness to just life.
Another of the picture’s strengths is its emotional mix. You have moments of tension, laughter, and even a few tears, all very well-balanced. There are moments when pure craftsmanship shines through, as in a single long shot that combines a dance and a fight. There is also humour, from the kids and Yogi Babu, to lighten the heavy scenes.
But the second half is a little slack. A subplot involving police suspicion and a previous bomb blast adds tension, subtly shifting the tone. One or two moments of emotion may be overbaked, and the background music can be too pushily emotional.
Yet the movie never loses sight of its main point: Humans come first, above nationality, religion, or status. It’s a reminder of how kindness and neighbourly love can work miracles, even in the darkest of times.
Viewers of a slice-of-life genre that is touching, reassuring, and has some heart in what is a rather pleasant Tourist Family is worth a look. It’s flawed, but not in its heart.
Critical Reviews
Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India rated the movie two and a half stars out of five and appreciated the message of the movie and the performances, particularly of Sasikumar and Simran as a couple going through difficulties as refugees in his review of Tourist Family. But they found emotional moments too scripted, not genuine. It is touching, especially when it comes to survival and kindness, though the movie tries a bit too hard to get us to feel, which makes it predictable, but a decent, grounded one.
Jayabhuvaneshwari B of Cinema Express rated the movie three and a half stars out of five and praised Tourist Family for its emotional depth and strong casting, with Sasikumar being portrayed as a symbol of quiet goodness. They described the movie as simple but powerful, capturing refugee life with heart. Young Mulli’s writing stands out, and the movie’s abrupt tonal shifts, from sadness to comedy, are managed capably. In the long run, it’s just a gentle reminder to act more like humankind.
Latha Srinivasan of The Hindustan Times rated the movie three stars out of five and also lauded Tourist Family for being a touching movie that displays how humanity and kindness can overcome suspicion and fear. They appreciated the reserved, kind character of Das played by Sasikumar and the warm Vasanthi’s role by Simran. The critic liked the way the movie blends humor and emotion, as well as neighborhood camaraderie. It can be reread, but the storytelling and the naturalness of the acting make it seem fresh and touching.
Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express rated the movie three and a half stars out of five and described Tourist Family as a feel-good movie that promotes kindness and humanity in an otherwise cynical world. They added that the movie, in the tradition of Radha Mohan’s classics, proves that simple goodness can still touch hearts. A good performance from Sasikumar, Simran, and Kamalesh, and a little humour, a little emotional drama, and you’re reminded to love thy neighbour, no matter where they are from.
Audiences Reviews
As I said earlier, it secured a good rating from the audience, Now it’s time to discuss it. Nearly 1k people rated the movie 8.9 stars out of 10 on IMDb, which is an amazing rating. While reading through the user reviews, I discovered that the majority of the audience likes Tourist Family for its sentimental, feel-good nature and because its social and emotional message rang true. Many viewers adored the movie for its mix of humour and sentiment, saying it had them laughing, weeping.
Most of the reviews called it a welcome relief from loud masala entertainers and a movie that families could watch together. Sasikumar and Simran were applauded for their natural, nuanced performances as a refugee couple who are attempting to start afresh in Chennai.
The younger son, Mulli, who acted in the role of Kamalesh, was greatly appreciated as the surprise star of the movie; his humour and naivete brought depth and charm to the movie. Viewers also liked the screenplay’s pacing, the optimistic values of humanity and kindness, and how the director depicted a difficult refugee situation without turning it preachy or political.
Several reviews praised debutant director Abishan Jeevinth for his simple, straightforward narration, with a few going on to say that it was the best Tamil movie of 2025. The comedy (particularly in the Sinhala Tamil with Sri Lankan Tamil dialect and in the interaction between neighbours) was considered genuine and not contrived. Simran’s subtle emotional expressions and Sasikumar’s down-to-earth performance made the family seem believable and likable.
A small portion of the crowd found the movie emotionally manipulative, and some parts seemed too contrived or over the top. “Unrealistic and unethical portrayal of illegal immigration,” wrote one viewer. Others added that certain aspects of the movie were predictable, that it had a linear narrative, and some slight pacing issues.
Overall, Tourist Family is found to be a soulful, entertaining, and socially relevant movie by the audience that touches the audience with humanity, humour, and an earnest storytelling. A powerful theatrical watch and a must-see for family audiences.
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Songs
Tourist Family has music by multi-talented Sean Roldan, which is one of the strong elements that aid in enhancing the emotional backdrop of the movie. Seven song album, with a total listening time of 25 minutes and 49 seconds, credits sentiment, nostalgia, and warmth to feed the movie’s family-friendly story.
- Sean Roldan’s “Aachaley” starts the album on an earthy and reassuring note that goes well with the mood of the song, which has themes of hope and a fresh beginning.
- “Vaazhndhu Paaru” is a motivational song by S. P. Charan that adds to the message of bouncing back for the movie.
- “Iragey” sung by Vijay Yesudas and its Reprise version sung by Venkatramanan delve deep into yearning and contemplation, and are so well placed in the movie’s more emotional portions.
- “Mugai Mazhai“, a duet by Sean Roldan and Saindhavi, was appreciated, and the placement of the song in a major montage sequence got people weeping with the song.
- “Maname,” credited to Manoj Krishna and Sean Roldan, has a subdued sadness, a reflection of the family’s private struggles.
- “Ore Vaanam” sung by Yuvan Shankar Raja and Meha Agarwal. The final song in the album sings about unity and brotherhood and adds a soothing touch.
The music isn’t just utilized effectively, but the music selection and placement give the story that extra depth that will make it memorable and meaningful for the viewer.
How to Watch the Tourist Family Movie
The Tourist Family movie is currently running at the theatres from 1st of May 2025, but many theatres may not show the movie, as other big movies killed the screenings of small budget movies, like what happened with me with the movie Retro, similarly, my local theatre didn’t screened this movie as well, so I have to travel again to watch this one.
If you want to watch this movie then, first of all go and look for that the theatres near you are screening this movie or not, you can check this through BookMyShow or the new District app by Zomato, if yes then just book and go, or you can book at the theatre which will lower the extra charges by these platforms, which is significant, and if you can’t find then wait for its OTT release on JioHotstar, officially its not confirmed but some news reports speculated that the movie will be released there.
After its release, just buy a subscription if you don’t have one, and watch and download this and other movies available on the platform, and enjoy.