Tourist Family movie review: Sasikumar, Simran headline a heartwarming and beautiful film about loving thy neighbour

Tourist Family movie review: Our world is very cynical. Everything around us screams cynicism, especially in the social media era where everyone is judged, and everything is scrutinised. Probably why our minds love to forget all of that and watch good things happen to good people on the big screen. Even if it might seem 'cringe' or 'boomer-ish', these films still put a smile on our faces simply because for those couple of hours, we want to feel everything is right and good in this world. It is on this belief that filmmakers like Rajkumar Hirani and Radha Mohan plied their wares over the past two decades. Now, in director Abishan Jeevinth's debut film, Tourist Family, we find enough evidence to believe that he is a worthy addition to this list of optimists who make the world go round when the cynics believe the world has stopped.
Tourist Family begins without a lot of fuss. There is a Sri Lankan Tamil family that is leaving everything they call home to go to a place where a warm welcome might not be accorded to them. Dharmadas (Sasikumar), his wife Vasanthi (Simran), and their children — Nithushan (Mithun Jai Shankar) and Mulli (Kamalesh Jagan) find their way to Chennai after crossing the borders. Abishan isn't interested in telling how this family of four braved the seas and found their way to Tamil Nadu. He wants us to just accept that it is possible that they came to Rameshwaram, and finally, reached Chennai. And let's be honest, we have accepted a lot more outlandish things in our commercial masala entertainers.
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Nevertheless, Tourist Family isn't a film that wants you to think about logic. That is why, at every moment of the film, which has improbable things unfolding on screen, we still feel invested in the plight of this four-member family. We want good things to happen to them. Why? Simply because they are good people. Dharmadas will stop his journey to Chennai to throw garbage in the bins and not throw them on the road. He will take a break to call an ambulance for a drunk man on the streets. And when Nithushan, who is very cross with his father for uprooting his life in Sri Lanka among other things, asks Vasanthi why his father is wasting his time, she simply says, 'You know your dad, right? That's how he is.'
Like any self-respecting feel-good entertainer in Tamil, there are enough characters in the movie that ensure that the 128-minute film hardly dips in the engagement factor. Of course, the family members, especially Kamalesh's Mulli, are just terrific. Full points to not just their performances, but the writing too. Whenever it seems like the happenings are getting dark or taking a rather serious turn, a wonderful humorous punch comes out of nowhere. In fact, there are a few moments of poignancy that can wring more than a tear or two, and these are scenes bookended by some hilarious gags that can definitely lighten the mood.
While Abishan never allows a sombre mood to linger, it is slightly disappointing that some of these emotional arcs overstay their welcome. We don't spend enough time with some characters to feel a compelling sense of camaraderie with them. Considering the crisp runtime of the film, there are moments when the focus shifts from the central family for a bit too long. In between all of this, there is a group of policemen coming in search of this family following a bomb blast at Rameshwaram. With this Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, it is beautiful how the writing flourishes by making it into a whodunnit where the audience knows the family is innocent, and they are waiting for the family to come to terms with the danger coming towards them. This is a wonderful choice of narrative, which is not just intriguing, but also gives the makers enough fodder to conjure humour.
That is why it comes as a slight disappointment when the sentimental scenes go overboard, and the prodding music by Sean Roldan misses a trick or two. But make no mistake, this is a terrific album with songs coming at perfect intervals, but the coercive music acts as a dampener in a commercial feel-good film like Tourist Family.
What is the true strength of Tourist Family is very clear, which is to make a film that talks about how humanity trumps all, it is beautiful how the film is built on moments… just like life. Of course, not all of these moments play out beautifully, and there are a couple that don't really work organically. But it is interesting to have the variety in place. It is not just about the awesome foursome. It is also about an old couple finding someone new to tell their story. It is about a Sikh family adjusting to the new surroundings. It is about a retired man, who wants his employees to just be honest. It is about a cop who listens, a cop who beats up, a cop who is nonchalant, and people who are in love. Look at the scene where Dharmadas talks about the contentment in his life because of having a stable job, two wonderful kids, and a beautiful wife. There is a lot said and unsaid in the scene, and it best reflects a loving family filled with kids who understand their parents' need for physical intimacy.
There is something innately vulnerable in Simran's performance as Vasanthy, who also exudes strength in her silences. After the first few scenes where she does most of the talking, it is her smiles and tears that take care of things through most of the other scenes in the film. She hardly says a line here or a line there, and it is beautiful how Simran brings in quiet dignity to this role. Also, there are a couple of cute references to her filmography that reminds us of her legacy. Sasikumar is brilliant as Dharmadas, and it is interesting how he has become the de-facto image for a man who can only do good in this world. He brings so much gravitas to the role, and it is almost like he makes things easier for the writers because there is no need for separate scenes to show that he is a good person. You see him on screen, and you know he will be surrounded by goodness.
The real show-stealers are Kamalesh, Mithun, and Yogalakshmi, who plays Kural, the daughter of the owners of the house where Dharmadas and Co live as tenants. It is through these kids that Tourist Family builds a lot of hilarious moments and cute meet-cutes, which stay long in our hearts. And what stays longer than comedy scenes? It is the emotional scenes, and that's what works heavily in favour of Tourist Family. There is an extended cameo by Abishan in Tourist Family, which does feels like a couple of minutes too long even though he gets the emotions right. It beats around the bush for a while before Kamalesh swoops in to save the day. Even in the scene where Dharmadas and Nithushan finally bury their differences and have an emotional reunion, it almost feels like Abishan pushes the limits of the audience's willing suspension of disbelief, but just as the exasperation kicked in, Kamalesh swoops in to save the day.
Tourist Family scores heavily on the humour front, and these moments also make you think of how willing audiences are just to forget everything and laugh with a film. The jokes keep on coming, and they elicit different types of laughter. Some are guffaws, some are chuckles, and some might just bring out a wide smile. Beneath all those jokes, one-liners, and quality gags, there is a loud cry for the world to just be accommodative to the sidelined, and lend an ear to the problems of the oppressed. It simply asks why go out of our way to ostracise when we can just stay in our lanes and embrace our differences. While there are throwaway lines about the Sri Lankan issue, Tourist Family is that kind of a film where differences might not seem magnified, but solutions are utopian.
Usually, in films that speak about the refugee crisis, there is a lot of focus on how they come to the new country, how they adapt, and how they find their own place under a seemingly new sun. But Tourist Family is different. It asks people if our differences are so vast that the similarities don't even hit us. It tells people that things could be better if these refugees are allowed the opportunities to thrive, and asks them if they are willing to provide the same.
In fact, even today, the cynical world doesn't believe in the adage, 'Innocent until proven guilty,' and goes for the 'Guilty until proven innocent' statement. It is tough to fight against the system, but Tourist Family, much like Radha Mohan films of yore, isn't about guilt or innocence or regret. It aims for a utopia, and in such cases, it is rather interesting to indulge in a battle between absolutism and understanding that the world cannot be painted black and white. The film urges the audience to understand that in a cynical world, the only way forward is in being hopeful. As the credits roll, it is almost like the young Abishan looks at us, and poses an all-important question…
'What will it take to love thy neighbour… even if it is someone from your neighbouring country?'
Well… What would you say?

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