A movie cannot exist without taking a political position; every film is political. All movies, in their own unique manner, are expressing a political opinion. From this perspective, Tourist Family, Abishan Jeevinth's first film as director, is nearly too fantastic to be real. With such a light touch, it wears its politics that one cannot help but be carried away into its world of individuals who prioritize compassion above cynicism, patience over prejudice. It's noteworthy that a movie like Tourist Family exists and that it has connected with audiences so well during its theatrical release.

The assumption

The tourist family starts off with a somber tone. The audience learns that Dharmadas (Sasikumar), his wife Vasanthi (Simran), and their two sons, Nithushan and Mulli (Mithun Jai Shankar and Kamalesh Jagan), have escaped Sri Lanka and sought asylum in India. They arrive at the shores of Rameswaram by boat as unlawful immigrants. They were able to rent a house in Chennai's Kesava Nagar Colony because of a stroke of good luck.

From now on, the movie focuses on how the members of this community respond to this new addition to the family. Dharmadas's strong Eelam (Sri Lankan) Tamil dialect is repeatedly brought up, which is more than enough to disclose their secret that they fled another country without papers. They cannot pass for Malayalis. However, Dharmadas is a beaming do-gooder, an unfathomably compassionate individual whose perspective is unaffected by cynicism or hopelessness. He hardly ever gets furious, and he begins to engage more and more with the neighborhood along with his family. While Mulli is always prepared to defuse any issue with his humorous antics, Vasanthi forms a bond with the elderly couple, and Nithu gets along with Kural (Yogalakshmi), the daughter of the home's owner.

The politics

In India, language and cultural identity are intimately related. The intersection between state politics and the politics of daily life is virtually unavoidable, particularly in the modern world. In our daily politics, there is a link between the people we choose to stay away from and the things we say and don't say. With a certain levity and determination, the tourist family faces this socio-political agreement.

In his revolutionary movie, Abishan Jeevinth shows how Dharmadas and his family are able to win over the neighborhood community with their compassion and humanity. In Jeevinth's mind, the Kesava Nagar colony is somewhat of a microcosmic utopia, whereas in the hands of someone like Ameer or Vetrimaaran, this picture may have been harsh and unrelenting in its approach. Its residents have the audacity to trust in the goodness of other people. Actually, at a certain point, there is no more "othering" of the new family. The truth about Dharmadas's family is revealed, and the others welcome it as if it were their own.

One of the year's most significant movies

It's so nice to see compassion take precedence over rage. This is a movie that makes a deliberate effort to break away from the prevalent stereotype of a culture that is defined by the politics of difference. The reason it works is that the Jeevinth never forces this concept onto the audience. The notion that humans are inherently kind is portrayed with tremendous depth and empathy. Indeed, some scenes in the second half tend to linger on their emotional beats and become a bit too innocent.

Yet, Tourist Family is undoubtedly one of the most significant movies of the year, despite its moralistic leanings. We need and deserve this sort of movie. Kindness is nothing less than a superpower in Abhishan Jeevinth's insightful perspective. In Jeevinth, the film heralds the debut of a significant cinematic voice that is based on optimism and hope. The entire community transforms into a lovely family in and of itself. I suspect that Jeevinth is here to stay and has more stories to tell. I also have a sense that a community similar to Kesava Nagar Colony is not just possible, but that it can also thrive.

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