Former Indian Cricket Team player Ravichandran Ashwin talked about what cinema means to him and picked his favourite films of 2025 in a recent interview. Speaking to Galatta Plus, Ashwin mentioned Tourist Family and 3BHK as two of his favourite films of the year. Referring to Simran's 'Thottu Thottu Pesum' song from Ethirum Puthirum, the cricketer said that he found it "quite amazing" to see her evolution from that to her work in Tourist Family. Ashwin also appreciated how 3BHK told its story of a middle class family aspiring to own a house in Chennai. The cricketer addressed the reception for big-ticket films in relation to so-called smaller films such as Tourist Family and 3BHK this year. Ashwin explained why he found the two aforementioned films relatable while talking about how films in general help him during his international trips.

Ashwin said that watching films helps him cope with loneliness as he stays at hotels as part of his international travels. "My biggest companion is cinema. Tamil cinema even more so," the cricketer said. The cricket player also disclosed that he looks forward to watching films starring Vijay and Ajith as they hit theatres. However, Ashwin argued that more than its commercial value, the beauty of cinema is that it allows the audience to learn something from it. "I see it as a learning ground. When you look into somebody else's story, that experience hits me, allowing me to learn and nurture those thoughts inside of me. That is why I found these films relatable," the cricketer shared.

Ashwin acknowledged that while he watches films for the entertainment quotient, he said that he wants them to show what is happening in the real world. He discussed the commercial impact of the films starring Pradeep Ranganathan, who scored three back-to-back over 100 crore grossers with Love Today, Dragon, and Dude. "I want entertainment, sure, I want to watch a good movie. But I also want to see the reality in the movie," Ashwin said. Reminiscing about one of his early experiences of watching a successful film in a theatre, Ashwin said that there were only a handful of audiences for Mysskin's Anjathe.