Movies always motivate me—at least, the really good ones. Recently, I watched a Tamil film titled Abhiyum Naanum, which translates to Abhi & Me. The movie beautifully captures the father-daughter relationship, but what struck me most was its strong social message.
To properly convey the message, I’ll first summarize the story.
The Story of Abhiyum Naanum
Abhi, the apple of her father’s eye, grows into a confident, compassionate, and responsible woman who knows what she wants in life. After completing her MBA in Delhi, she returns home and informs her parents about her love.
Her mother, a practical and sensible woman, respects her daughter’s decision and readily agrees. But her father, unable to accept that his little girl has grown up, creates a huge fuss. Eventually, his wife pacifies him, and they go to the airport to receive the would-be groom.
Lo and behold—the groom is a Sardar. The father is visibly annoyed. He had expected someone like Abhishek Bachchan or Hrithik Roshan but instead sees, in his words, “Harbhajan Singh?!”
Grudgingly, he agrees to the marriage. He was his daughter’s hero all along, but now he feels dethroned—and that too by a Sardarji, whom he perceives as a lesser human, thanks to the stereotypical jokes about Sardars.
One day, his wife informs him that their future son-in-law has lost his parents and has no immediate family. Since the wedding is arranged at their home, the groom arrives a few days early—with a surprising entourage of at least ten people, including an elderly beeji (grandmother), babuji (father), uncles, aunts, and children.
The father, already upset, is now furious. “I was told he had no family. Who are all these people?” he demands.
His wife, already aware of the truth from their daughter, introduces each of them.
All these so-called family members of their son-in-law were victims of various calamities, communal riots, and tragedies. They had lost their near and dear ones, and there was no one to take care of them. Two of the children had lost both their parents in the Mumbai riots and didn’t even know it—every day, they waited, believing their parents would return home one evening. Babuji, a man who had once shot down his own son when he turned into a terrorist, was rejected by society after serving a jail term. Each one of them carried a soul-stirring story of loss and suffering.
The father is taken aback. His son-in-law—a man he had judged so harshly—had taken all these people under his wing, giving them not just food and shelter, but love, dignity, and a sense of belonging.
It is at this moment that the father realizes the true worth of his Sardarji son-in-law. He is not a lesser human but a far superior one. For the first time, the father feels proud—not just of his daughter’s choice, but of the remarkable man she has chosen.
A Reflection on Compassion
This is the message that touched me deeply. One man, in a position to help, chose to support so many people—not just financially but emotionally, too.
We may not be able to help as many as he did, but can we not support at least one needy person? We don’t have to look far—there may be someone in our own neighborhood who needs a helping hand. We may not fulfill all their needs all the time, but can we not fulfill some of their needs, some of the time?
There are so many childless couples, yet many hesitate to adopt a child. Why? Those blessed with abundance—why not share a little with those less fortunate?
A Personal Memory: My Father’s Generosity
This movie reminded me of my father. He is no more, but he did a lot of good in his lifetime. Though he earned little and had to support his wife and three school-going children, he never hesitated to help those in need.
I still remember—he would wear old, worn-out shirts himself, but when he saw a beggar girl in torn clothes, he would rush to buy her a new dress. He couldn’t bear to see men ogling at the poor girl.
At the tea canteen, he would buy biscuits—not for himself, but for the stray dogs.
He spent everything he earned on others, much to my mother’s disapproval. People called him reckless, even foolish. But to me, the so-called “sensible” men who hoarded their wealth were not sensible at all. They were selfish and insensitive.
I love my father, and I feel proud of him.
A Call to Action
Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.
If each one of us does our little bit, we can make this world a better place—not just for humans, but for all living beings.
Let’s act before it’s too late.
PS: DJABBIC—Don’t judge a book by its cover!