Tourist Family movie review: A feel-good entertainer elevated by a stellar Sasikumar and Simran
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Thug Life: First day first show reactions Tourist Family
What a week—so many choices, so little time. This episode of FOMO Fix dives into some of the buzziest new releases and helps you figure out what's worth watching. On Hype Check, I'm joined by film critic Shilajit Mitra to break down our first-day-first-show reactions to Thug Life, the much-anticipated Kamal Haasan–Mani Ratnam collaboration. It starts off with promise, but let's just say things go south after the interval. Then on TV Gold, I spotlight Mountainhead, Jesse Armstrong's razor-sharp satire on tech billionaires. It's dark, hilarious, and deeply relevant. If Succession met Black Mirror at a Silicon Valley retreat, this would be the outcome. Also in this week's heads up: • Tourist Family, a refugee drama that refuses to lean into trauma and instead delivers warmth, humor, and hope. • Stolen, a lean and tense thriller set over one unforgettable night. It's tightly made, hard-hitting, and leaves a mark.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
OTT And Theatrical Releases This Week: Thug Life, Ginny & Georgia Season 3 And More
New Delhi: The world of showbiz is buzzing with exciting new releases on popular OTT platforms and in theatres. From action-packed blockbusters to thought-provoking dramas, this week's lineup is a treasure trove of endless entertainment. Whether you are in the mood for a gripping crime thriller or a heartwarming romantic comedy, the upcoming releases promise to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. Here is a curated list of the most anticipated releases this week (from June 2 to June 8): 1. Thug Life (June 5) – Theatres Directed by Mani Ratnam, the film revolves around Kamal Haasan's character Rangaraaya Sakthivel, a mafia gang leader who is betrayed and left for dead by his foster son, Amaran. The story unfolds as Sakthivel seeks revenge and navigates the complex web of loyalty, family and survival in the dark underbelly of the mafia world. 2. Tourist Family (June 2) – JioHotstar This Tamil comedy-drama follows a quirky Sri Lankan family seeking a fresh start in India. They settle in a disconnected neighbourhood and transform it into a vibrant community with their infectious love and kindness. 3. Stolen (June 4) – Prime Video The film tells the story of two urbane brothers who witness a baby being kidnapped from an impoverished mother at a railway station in rural India. Driven by a sense of moral duty, they embark on a perilous investigation to find the baby, but their mission takes a dangerous turn. 4. Stick (June 4) – Apple TV+ This sports comedy series features Owen Wilson as Pryce Cahill, a washed-up professional golfer who finds a new purpose in coaching a 17-year-old golf prodigy named Santi. 5. One Of Them Days (June 4) – Netflix The comedy film features Keke Palmer and SZA as best friends Dreux and Alyssa. They endure a chaotic day filled with eviction threats, comedic mishaps and unexpected twists. 6. Jaat (June 5) – Netflix Following a successful theatrical run, this action drama makes its OTT debut on Netflix. Headlined by Sunny Deol, the film features an ensemble cast including Randeep Hooda, Regina Cassandra, Saiyami Kher and Vineet Kumar Singh. 7. Mercy For None (June 5) – Netflix Based on a popular webtoon, this Korean noir action drama follows Nam Gi-jun, a former gangster who returns to the underworld to uncover the truth behind his brother's death. The show features So Ji Sub in the lead role as he embarks on a brutal path of revenge. 8. Ginny & Georgia Season 3 (June 5) – Netflix The new season picks up after Georgia is arrested for Tom's murder, throwing the Miller family's world into chaos. Expect darker themes, evolving relationships and fresh challenges for Ginny and Georgia as they navigate their complex lives. 9. Bhool Chuk Maaf (June 6) – Prime Video This romantic comedy follows Ranjan, played by Rajkummar Rao, who finds himself trapped in a time loop just before his wedding to Titli, played by Wamiqa Gabbi. He repeatedly wakes up on the day of his Haldi ceremony, desperately trying to break free. 10. Chhal Kapat: The Deception (June 6) – Zee5 Featuring Shriya Pilgaonkar as Inspector Devika, this gripping series follows a sharp cop investigating a murder during an intimate wedding celebration in Burhanpur. As the mystery unfolds, long-buried secrets emerge, testing relationships and blurring the lines between loyalty and deceit.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Tourist Family marks the arrival of a major new voice in Abishan Jeevinth
Every film is political, there is no way a film exists without a political stand. Every film in its own way is making a political statement. In that regard, Tourist Family, the directorial debut of Abishan Jeevinth, is almost too good to be true. It wears its politics with such a light weight of touch that it is impossible not to be swept away in its world filled with people who choose kindness over cynicism, patience over prejudice. That a film like Tourist Family exists, and has managed to resonate so well with audiences in its theatrical run, is quite remarkable. (Also read: Tourist Family movie review: A feel-good entertainer elevated by a stellar Sasikumar and Simran) From here on, the film invests in showing how the members of this colony react to this new additional family. Dharmadas is repeatedly reminded of his strong Eelam (Sri Lankan) Tamil dialect, which is more than enough to give away their secret that they have fled another country without documents. There is no way they can pass themselves as Malayalis. But Dharmadas is a radiant do-gooder, an inexplicably kind-hearted man whose world-view is not tainted with cynicism and despair. He barely gets angry, and along with his family, starts to interact more with the local community steadily. Vasanthi befriends the old couple, Nithu gets along with the house owner's daughter Kural (Yogalakshmi), and Mulli is ever-ready to diffuse a situation with his hilarious antics. Language and cultural identity are deeply intertwined in India. The nexus in which the politics of the state enters the politics of everyday living is almost inescapable, especially in today's day and age. What we say, what we don't say- and the people we choose to avoid are all connected in our everyday politics. Tourist Family confronts this socio-political conformity with a degree of lightness and resolve. Abishan Jeevinth's film is radical in its kindness, where Dharmadas and his kin effectively win over the local community with their humanity and empathy. This is a film that could have been a gritty and relentless in its approach in the hand of someone like Ameer or Vetrimaaran, but in Jeevinth's vision, Kesava Nagar colony is a microcosmic utopian land of sorts. Its inhabitants dare to believe in the kindness of others. In fact, there is no 'othering' of the new family after a point. Dharmadas reveals the truth about his family and the others accept them as their own. The precedence of compassion over rage is so refreshing. This is a film that consciously breaks free from the dominated stereotype of a culture that is rooted in the politics of difference. It works because the Jeevinth never hammers this idea into the film. The conviction that there is an inherent kindness which exists in people is depicted with incredible depth and compassion. Yes, there are scenes which tend to overstay its emotional beats in the second half and become a tad too naive. But even in its moralistic tendencies, there is no denying that Tourist Family is one of the most important films of the year. This is the kind of film that we need and deserve. In Abhishan Jeevinth's perceptive vision, kindness is no less than a superpower. The film marks the arrival of a major cinematic voice in Jeevinth, one rooted in hope and optimism. The whole neighbourhood turns into one beautiful family in its own. I have an inkling Jeevinth is here to stay, and has more stories to share. I also have an inkling that a community like Kesava Nagar Colony can not only exist, but also prosper. Tourist Family is available to watch on JioHotstar.
