Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage on casting Malayali actors, Tourist Family and more

In a chat with OTTplay, Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage spoke about casting Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran in Paradise, his thoughts on the recent Tamil film Tourist Family and more.

Darshana Rajendran with Prasanna Vithanage; A Still from Tourist Family

Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage hogged attention in India when he helmed a movie named Paradise, starring Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran in the lead roles. The film was also presented by acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies. In a recent chat with OTTplay, Prasanna Vithanage spoke about casting Malayali actors in Paradise, his thoughts on the recent Tamil film Tourist Family and more.

Prasanna Vithanage on casting Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran in Paradise

Paradise is a 2023 film, which revolves around the Indian couple Keshav and Amritha who land in Sri Lanka as the country is grappling with an economic crisis. When OTTplay asked Prasanna Vithanage on why he chose Malayali actors and characters for the lead roles, the noted filmmaker drew comparisons between the island nation and the Indian state of Kerala.

“I believe that Kerala, geographically and culturally, ethnically, is very close to Sri Lanka, which I could associate with. At the same time, they are Malayalis who are living in Mumbai. They may be seeking greener pastures. The middle-class aspirations of Indians and Sri Lankans are similar,” he remarked.

On casting Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran as the lead couple, Prasanna said he was sure that “Roshan would be able to bring out Keshav better than any other actor. If you cast the right actor, then a great part of the acting job is done.” He also remarked that he had seen the works of Darshana and was sure she would be able to pull off Amritha, both in appearance and performance.

In the film, after Keshav’s gadgets are stolen, he takes up the matter with the police and even threatens him, clearly being the more dominant person despite being an ordinary middle-class man in India.

Prasanna pointed out that all this reflects the time that the story happens. “When the economic crisis engulfed Sri Lanka, India was the biggest help. Keshav perfectly knows that. Power becomes part of his masculinity,” the noted filmmaker explained.

Also read: Darshana Rajendran on switching from hits like Hridayam to Paradise, collaborating with Roshan Mathew and more | Exclusive

Prasanna Vithanage on Mani Ratnam’s support

Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies presented the film in India. Talking about Mani Ratnam’s gesture, the Sri Lankan director said, “Mani sir agreed to present it after watching the film. I am grateful that they came forward to accommodate their banner for the film. It helped immensely to reach the Indian audience."

On Tourist Family

Tourist Family is a 2025 Tamil film, which also narrated the tale of a Sri Lankan family who move to India to escape the economic crisis in India. When asked about his thoughts on the movie as a Sri Lankan director, Prasanna said, “Yes, I saw the film. And I am happy that the Indian audience, especially the audience from Tamil Nadu, are appreciating a Sri Lankan family… taking as one of their own.”

“I am very happy about the positive aspect, and that we are making films with good heart and good spirit, believing there will be more understanding of the people,” he said, exuding hope.

Tamil actors Sasikumar and Simran play the lead roles in the hit film, along with Mithun Jai Sankar and Kamalesh Jagan. The much-loved Tourist Family is currently streaming on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium.

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