Tourist Family (2025/India) Movie won our hearts with a simple tale of love, affection, respect and humanity. It is a heartwarming tale of an illegal migrant family who left their home country, Sri Lanka, to settle down in a city in Tamil Nadu, India. Can the Sri Lankan family plant its roots in an alien nation among new folks?
Especially, when some of the leading Western democratic nations are leading the violent crackdown on the so-called illegal immigrants in the name of national security and limited resources. Still, this kind of uplifting movie seems pertinent in today’s age of blurring of national boundaries and a rapidly shrinking world.
“Tourist Family” Won Our Hearts With Love & Civility, A Thought-Provoking Film Amid Raging Illegal Immigrant Clampdown
Spoiler Free Review of the Tourist Family (2025/India) Movie
Trailer & Synopsis
A Sri Lankan family arrives in India as undocumented immigrants and tries to start anew in Chennai. Soon after, this quirky Sri Lankan family seeking a fresh start in India transforms a disconnected neighbourhood into a vibrant community with their infectious love and kindness. But after a bomb blast in Rameswaram, suspicion falls on them, leading to a tense confrontation with the police.
Check out its Hindi trailer on YouTube.
The introduction
When a Sri Lankan refugee family landed on the shores of Tamil Nadu state in India, they were certainly unprepared for what was going to come next in their lives. But, whatever it is, good or bad, they were mentally and physically prepared for it, as a so-called “Tourist Family”. As you might be aware that in yesteryear, Tamilians, the natives of Tamil Nadu state, migrated and lived in Sri Lanka for many centuries. In those days, the modern “border” lines were not so firmly demarcated among the nations. But in the contemporary world, the geopolitical boundaries are redefining the lives and the existence of humans.
India is hosting refugees from many nations
Notably, India has a long history of hosting refugees from various countries, viz., Pakistan, Tibet, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar, etc. Moreover, the many citizens from neighbouring nations, Nepal and Bhutan, have made India their homes. Historically, a large group of migrants have put down their roots in the ancient and medieval ages. No wonder India is a big sub-continental nation with a very large heart, where mindboggling diversity among its denizens exists. And the unity in diversity thrives, too. The same ideas and ideals are enshrined in the Indian Constitution, too.
But, the ideas of “colonialism” has changed the psyche
The “colonial” idea has certainly led to the hardening of the man-made “borders” among almost all nations globally. And in the process, the hot debate is raging about illegal immigrants worldwide. A leading Western democratic nation built on the back of colonialism of past centuries is now savagely expelling the so-called illegal immigrants. While in the other part of the world, the genocidal war continues to rage on, murdering thousands of innocent children and their families. And mind you, the voices and sentiments of the original indigenous natives do not matter in this age of hyper-nationalism. The immoral leaders with their colonial heritage are pulling the triggers.
Abishan Jeevinth’s directorial debut hits the bull’s eye
Where might is right. The jailing and the killing are justified in the name of jingoism and fanaticism. Kudos to Abhisan Jeevinth for thinking out of the box. He has not only written but also directed a positive and reassuring movie that addresses humanity in genocidal times. No doubt, his movie is like a breath of fresh air. A little bit of compassion and humanity does go a long way in making our global world, a better place. All the livings have only one earth, but even then some of the powerful humans are hell-bent on destroying it, by using modern weapons of destructions.
Loved watching the ensemble cast led by M. Sasikumar & Simran
The “Tourist Family” comprises four members, viz., father Dharmadas/Das (M. Sasikumar), mother Vasanthi (Simran), elder son Nithusan/Nithu (Mithun Jai Shankar), and younger son Murali/Mulli (Kamalesh Jagan). They played their part as a loving family perfectly. Led by their patriarch and matriarch, they looked like a real family. Their refugee family is helped by their resourceful maternal uncle, Prakash (Yogi Babu), to settle down comfortably in India. The presence of Yogi Babu adds a comedic flavour to this serious tale of immigrants, as his character continues to make goof-ups.
As a result, all kinds of comedic mix-ups ensue when the refugee family tries to start afresh in chaotic India. Despite so many hiccups and hurdles, is the Das family able to build and navigate life in large-hearted India? Besides, we liked the smart and funny one-liners of Yogi Babu and Kamlesh Jagan. All in all, this is one big happy family, despite the challenges. And surprisingly, the neighbours (mainly the ensemble cast and a policeman) welcome them and actively help them integrate into the broader Indian society.
The conclusion
Incidentally, we live in the world of the 21st century, which is increasingly becoming ugly and inhumane. Given this kind of global geopolitical context, imagine a Sri Lankan Family illegally migrating for a better future in India. And in the end, they all become a part of their extended family, exemplifying the Vedic “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (The World Is One Family) concept. The Indian tradition beautifully expresses the idea of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which translates to the notion that all living beings on Earth are part of one universal family. And this is what the “Tourist Family” expounds in no uncertain terms, so we loved it.
Key Details
| Genre | Comedy, Drama |
| Original Language | Tamil |
| Dubbed Languages | Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada & Hindi |
| Duration | 2 hours 10 minutes |
| Writer & Film Director | Abishan Jeevinth |
| Cinematography | Aravind Viswanathan |
| Music director | Sean Roldan |
| Cast | M. Sasikumar (Dharmadas/Das), Simran (Vasanthi), Mithun Jai Shankar (Nithusan/Nithu), Kamalesh Jagan (Murali/Mulli), Yogi Babu (Prakash), Bagavathi Perumal (Inspector Raghavan), M.S. Bhaskar (Richard), S Rajapandi (Police Constable Murugan), etc. |
| Networks | JioHotstar & Prime Video |
Poster
FM Rating
| FM Rating | 4.15/5 |
To get an idea about the well-knit Indian Family and social systems, read our reviews of the Gullak series and the Meiyazhagan movie, too.
Poster and Featured Image of the Tourist Family (2025/India) Movie are credited to Think Music.
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