Tourist Family movie review
Cast: M Sasikumar, Simran, Mithun Jai Sankar, Kamalesh
Director: Abishan Jeevinth
Rating: ★★★.5
We have had numerous small films in recent times that revolve around families, like Kudumbasthan and Thiru.Manickam. In the same genre comes Tourist Family, directed by debutant Abishan Jeevinth. The film presents the audience with a normal, loving family that struggles to survive in this world filled with suspicion and mistrust.
The film opens with an introduction to a Sri Lankan family – the father, Das or Dharmadas (Sasikumar), his wife, Vasanthi (Simran), and their children, Nithushan (Mithun Jai Shankar) and Mulli (Kamalesh Jagan). They land up on the shores of Rameswaram by boat from Sri Lanka as illegal immigrants and end up being accosted by the local police along with Vasanthi’s brother Prakash (Yogi Babu). The policemen are sympathetic enough to let them go on their way, and the family eventually comes to Chennai to make a new life.
They rent a home from police inspector Raghavan (Bucks), and Das gets a driver’s license to make a living and look after his family. During this time, Das and Vasanthi befriend their neighbours and try to blend in with the local community. Unknown to them, at the same time, a bomb blast takes place in Rameswaram, and some policemen suspect Das and his family, given that they were Sri Lankans and came into the country illegally. The police land up at the doorstep of Das and his family, and what ensues next is what the film is about.
Debutant director Abishan Jeevinth has penned a story involving many characters in a neighbourhood, each with a distinct tale and traits that make them stand out. If there’s a seemingly lonely elderly couple, then there’s a single man who seems to be afflicted by alcoholism. Added to the mix is a Punjabi family and a teacher’s family, along with an elderly retired man, Richard (MS Bhaskar), who is extremely principled. And then there is Das and his family.
Das, as portrayed by Sasikumar, is a perfect fit for the actor-director because he needs to be underplayed, given that this character has tremendous patience and affection and sees only the good in every person. A sudden demise, for instance, sees Das rally around the neighbours to ensure that the person gets a befitting send-off and does not leave the world thinking they were alone. Vasanthi, too, has been beautifully written by Jeevinth because she’s not portrayed just as a wife or mother but as someone who is vulnerable and whose kindness and empathy find resonance with everyone.
As for the kids, it is Mulli (Kamalesh Jagan) who has some of the best lines and periodically elicits laughter, breaking the serious tone of the scenes. Kamalesh has nailed this character so well and walks away with the applause. Simran and Sasikumar essay the perfect couple on screen, playing off each other. Both shift effortlessly from the humour to the serious undertones. They appear real on screen, which is truly a breath of fresh air.
Ultimately, Tourist Family is not just a story about a family, but about how humanity is above everything and how a random group of people come together to form a bond thanks to being neighbours. It teaches us to rise above preconceived notions about people based on where they are from or what they do, and that differences are part of who we are.
The film, like life, is peppered with humour, serious events, struggles and yes, the triumph of good over evil. The trope may not be new, but how it has been narrated and presented is. Tourist Family is a wonderful tale from Abishan Jeevinth which reiterates, yet again, that one must love one’s neighbour and humanity above all.
