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Pink Villa
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Tourist Family Review: Sasikumar's comedy-drama is beautiful tale of hope and love that feels like a warm hug
Sasikumar and Simran starrer feel-good comedy drama film Tourist Family had hit the theaters in India on April 29, 2025. After more than a month of its release, the movie is available for streaming on JioHotstar from June 2, 2025. If you're planning to watch the Tourist Family on OTT, here's the Pinkvilla review for the comedy drama. The Plot: Tourist Family features the story of an Eelam Tamil family of four, who decide to seek refuge in India after the Sri Lankan economic crisis, hoping for a better future. The family, led by Dharmadas, his wife Vanathi, and their two sons, Nithushan and Murali, makes its way to Vanathi's brother, Prakash, who lives in Tamil Nadu. To mask their identities as Sri Lankans, they are introduced in the locality as Malayalees. Now, with an impending conflict likely to come their way, the film focuses on the light-hearted and humorous events that take place with their neighbors. The Good: The Tourist Family is a refreshing departure from the trends of blazing guns and violent action. The feel-good entertainer presents itself wrapped in a pure context as the characters are relatable and executed with utmost clarity. As each character presented in the world of Tourist Family offers its own nuances, the events that unfold around them inspire hope in humanity. The film is not a run-of-the-mill, preachy venture but a carefully curated venture of hopes and dreams. With Abhishan Jeevinth crafting and even performing a role in the film, the debutant director managed to unveil his craft with precision, while there were drawbacks from a writing perspective. Another notable aspect of this film is Sean Roldan's musical tracks and background scores, which perfectly evoke every scene. The movie, along with its soundtrack, once again highlights how the musician remains underrated in his work. Moreover, Aravind Viswanathan and Barath Vikraman, the cinematographer and editor of the film, respectively, also did a good job. Especially the editor, who kept the film close to 2 hours long in runtime, not deviating from the core elements. The Bad: Despite being close to a clean-cut blockbuster, Tourist Family does falter with its writing at points. With the events and the conflict somewhat being served on a silver platter to the characters, the movie stags behind in making it probable to happen. However, throughout the entirety of the venture, it does not feel like a big deal, but rather a natural progression in the hopeful world the makers have created. The Performances: Sasikumar has undoubtedly shone bright with his role as Dharmadas in the film. The actor, with his effortless ability to pull off a variety of roles throughout his filmography, once again proves his worth with this movie. Simran, as his wife, brings a creative balance to her performance, standing firm in her character and deeply embodying the nuance and chemistry with her co-star. Moreover, Mithun Jai Shankar delivers another outstanding performance alongside Kamlaesh Jagan, with the child actor effortlessly stealing the spotlight in a single moment. Watch the trailer of the Tourist Family The Verdict The Tourist Family is a rare phenomenon in recent Tamil cinema that has successfully executed a venture that is both entertaining and humorous to watch. If you're a fan of feel-good or slice-of-life ventures, then this is surely your cup of tea.
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Student groups in Delhi mobilise support for stranded Malayalis amid Indo-Pak conflict
KOZHIKODE: Student organisations have come together to form evacuation support groups for Malayalee students, tourists, and professionals stranded in northern border states amid the crisis triggered by the Indo-Pak standoff. Organisations such as the SFI and the MSF have begun collecting data on Malayalees currently residing in states like Kashmir, Punjab, Jammu, and Rajasthan to assist with evacuation efforts. The collected information is being shared with the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) department and other state government agencies to coordinate travel and relief measures. MSF has launched a Google form to gather details from Malayalees in the affected regions. So far, around 5,000 people have registered through the form, which collects information on their current location, the number of people in their group, their expected arrival date in Delhi, plans to either stay in the capital or return to Kerala, home districts, and other relevant details. 'Due to safety concerns, people are travelling in groups. Apart from students, there are many tourists and professionals stranded in these states. It's extremely dangerous to travel by road under the present circumstances, and travel options to Kerala are very limited. That's why we need to coordinate efforts to help Malayalees reach safety,' said Muhammed Aslam, a Punjab-based MSF volunteer managing the data collection initiative.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
70 Keralite students in border States reach New Delhi: CMO
As many as 70 Malayalee students enrolled in central and State universities in regions bordering Pakistan arrived at the Kerala House in New Delhi on Saturday (May 10, 2025) morning en route to Kerala, according to a press release issued by the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (CMO). According to the CMO, the government will ensure their timely travel to Kerala via air and rail. The Kerala government has set up control rooms with 24/7 helplines to provide assistance and support to Keralites in States bordering Pakistan, amidst the India-Pakistan conflict situation. (The numbers are 0471-2517500/2517600, fax: 0471-2322600, and email:cdmdkerala@ The NORKA Global Contact Centre would offer real-time help (18004253939—toll-free) and a missed call number (009118802012345). The government also established a helpline (01123747079) for Malayalees seeking to return to Kerala. The CMO said the students sought government assistance by ringing or emailing the control rooms at the Kerala House in New Delhi, the Government Secretariat, and the NORKA State headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. Additional Resident Commissioner, Kerala House, Chethan Kumar Meena, is coordinating the operation. Expedite process: Satheesan In a statement, the Leader of the Opposition said he had sought Mr Vijayan's help to expedite the return of Keralites, including students, 'stranded' in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. Mr. Satheesan said at least 240 students from Kerala who signed up for studies in educational institutions in States bordering Pakistan had sought help to return home, given the conflict between the two neighbouring countries. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) informed that All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal was in touch with the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, to ensure the safety of Keralites. The KPCC said Mr. Venugopal sought Mr Abdullah's help to arrange safe transport for Malayalees. He also wrote a letter to the Railway Board Chairperson to arrange special coaches for Malayalees seeking to return to Kerala from North India, especially in the Mangala Express.
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
India-Pak tension: Kerala opens control rooms for Malayalees
In the view of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, especially in the northern parts of the country, the Kerala government has opened two control rooms for the benefit of a large number of Malayalees in those areas and for those who wish to know any information about their near and dear ones. In a statement issued from the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday, it said all those who are presently in and around the areas of the escalating tensions, if they need any help they can feel free to contact any of the control rooms that have started functioning. One of the control rooms is functioning at the State Secretariat complex, and the contact numbers include 0471-2517500/2517600. Fax 0471 -2322600, email: [email protected] The other one that has been opened is at the Norka Global Contact Centre in the state capital city- 00918802012345 (to give a missed call from outside India and a toll-free number 18004253939. Incidentally, there are a large number of Kerala students presently studying, besides numerous Keralaites who work in these areas. Anyone desirous of knowing any information can contact these numbers, it said. The statement from CM Vijayan's office said there is no need to panic, and all those in such areas need to follow the government's directions from time to time. In Kerala, security has increased in certain areas, as the state has a huge coastline besides numerous organisations of national importance. Kerala is the headquarters of the Southern Air Command in Thiruvananthapuram and the Southern Naval Command at Kochi. State Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak is in constant touch with New Delhi, which is relaying all the necessary information and on the way forward at a time when the tension between India and Pakistan is increasing.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Padakkalam movie review: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen's fantasy comedy proves that an intriguing plot alone doesn't make a good film
Padakkalam movie review: Malayalees aren't alien to the concept of Parakaya Pravesha (the act of entering another person's body with one's consciousness) and other similar dark fantasy horror elements, thanks to cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan's acclaimed film Anandabhadram (2005). Hence, filmmakers who wish to explore such themes in Malayalam don't have to spend much time explaining the concepts and can immediately enter their narrative after a small and basic introduction that might help refresh people's memories. That means the makers of such a movie get almost 80-90 per cent of the film's runtime to tell their story without having to rack their brains over how to ensure clarity. Despite having such favourable conditions, if you are unable to craft a movie with at least intriguing moments, whose fault is it? The predicament debutant director Manu Swaraj's Padakkalam, starring Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen and Sandeep Pradeep, ends up in is pretty much the same. Don't Miss | Sarkeet movie review: Asif Ali, Orhan elevate Thamar KV film Although both Shaji (Suraj) and Ranjith (Sharaf) eye the chair of the HOD in their college, the students are all in support of the latter since he shares a 'warm' rapport with them. However, as Shaji is the eligible one, the position 'naturally' goes to him, but only for a few minutes, as the other staff members soon notice some abnormalities in his behaviour, and he is forced to go on leave. In the meantime, one of their students, Jithin (Sandeep Pradeep), finds out the real reason behind Shaji's peculiar behaviour and realises that Ranjith had a hand in it and that he is well-versed in black magic. Although he explains it to his friends Ramzad (Arun Pradeep), Kannan (Saaf) and Nakul (Arun Ajikumar), they are hesitant to believe at first, but soon they also start noticing Ranjith's idiosyncrasies and come to the conclusion that he knows Parakaya Niyantrana (the act of gaining control over another person's body). They also find out that the source of his black magic powers is his Pachisi set. Under the suspicion that he could be planning bigger things with it, the four students decide to steal and destroy the set. However, once they get hold of the set, their lives turn upside down as Ranjith takes control of Jithin's body too. Meanwhile, things escalate once Shaji returns to avenge the mishappenings in his life caused by Ranjith. At one crucial juncture, they all end up committing a massive blunder, which pushes them into bigger troubles. The remainder of the movie follows their attempts to unlock the tangle. Despite having a fascinating plot, Padakkalam is let down completely by aimless writing. Although the movie establishes its setting and central characters well in the first act and piques the interest of the audience with the introduction of fantasy elements, the script, penned jointly by Manu and Nithin C Babu, takes a massive nosedive after a point. Regardless of occasionally showing slight hints of a possible comeback, Padakkalam never truly rises to its potential. Barring a few jokes that mostly land due to the actors' delivery and their on-screen chemistry, which has worked out decently well, the movie ends up being a series of missed opportunities. And yes, the core idea and plot had potential, and there are at least a handful of moments where you can sense it, making you feel that it could have been something special if developed or executed well. Nevertheless, the writers never manage to leverage such instances, and most of the moments end up being undercooked. Although the character of Jeevika (Niranjana Anoop) appears occasionally, she never becomes more than Jithin's estranged girlfriend. Shaji's wife, Shobha (Pooja Mohanraj), on the other hand, showed promise to become a substantial character, but is largely ignored by the makers. Regardless, the movie is kept afloat by the decent performances of the actors, particularly Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharaf U Dheen, who showcase their comedic strengths and strike silver (yes, only silver) now and then. Suraj's attempts at physical comedy, with particular focus on facial expressions, reminiscent of his iconic characters such as Dasamoolam Damu in Chattambinadu (2009), do amuse, but they never reach lofty heights owing to the inherent lack of humour in the writing. Sharaf's portrayal of the witty schemer Ranjith is also commendable. Bizarrely, in my opinion, Sandeep's performance as Ranjith (after the Parakaya Pravesha) came across as sharper than his portrayal of Jithin. Arun Pradeep, Saaf and Arun Ajikumar also do their parts well, adding some essence to an otherwise flavourless dish that is Padakkalam. The sudden entry of the iconic track 'Kalikkalam Ithu Kalikkalam' from the classic Malayalam comedy Ramji Rao Speaking (1989) as background score also offers some respite whenever it appears. Anu Moothedath's cinematography, Nidhin Raj Arol's editing and Rajesh Murugesan's music also help elevate the movie, compensating a bit for its many other shortcomings. Padakkalam movie cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen, Sandeep Pradeep, Arun Pradeep, Saaf, Arun Ajikumar Padakkalam movie director: Manu Swaraj Padakkalam movie rating: 1.5 stars Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More
