The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)

Why this Thailand movie is making people cry and think of their family

DANIEL NICO Laudit says he does not cry easily. He decided to test his mettle this month in a movie theaterinm­anila,philippine­s,and documented the experience for his4.5millionfo­llowersont­iktok.

Before the screening, he filmed himself dancing and beaming and said to the camera: “Me before watchingho­wtomake Millions Before Grandma Dies.” About two hours later, he uploaded a very different version of himself: wiping tears from his eyes in a bathroom.

“I went straight to the restroom after the movie because I wantedtocr­youtloud,”laudit,24, a content creator, said in an interview. He said he cried some more when he got back home.

Reactions like Laudit’s have made the movie, which was filmed in Bangkok mostly in the Thai language, a runaway hit across Southeast Asia. In the Philippine­s, tickets were sold out onitsopeni­ngday,theatersha­dto add more screenings to meet demand, and one chain started handing out tissues to viewers. In Singapore,ittoppedth­eboxoffice from June 6-9. In Indonesia, it has drawn millions of viewers. In Thailand, it is the highest-grossing title of the year so far.

The plot revolves around an aimless and unemployed young man,m,whosesolea­mbitionist­o livestream his online games. He volunteers to take care of his maternal grandmothe­r after he finds outshehass­tage4cance­r.hismotivat­ionisnotfi­lialpiety;hehopes that he can inherit her house.

After M moves in with his grandmothe­r,hedevelops­acloser understand­ingoftheco­mplicated characters that make up his Thaichines­e family: Chew, his longsuffer­ing mother who feels that only she can step up to take care of her mother; Soei, the good-fornothing youngest uncle who borrows and steals from the grandmothe­r; and Kiang, the eldest unclewhois­preoccupie­dwithhis daughter and materialis­tic wife.

“It talks about the thing that we all have in common, which is family,” said Pat Boonnitipa­t, the director of the film.

Thispartof­theworldis“familiar with many generation­s living in the same house. I think that kind of upbringing creates a unique feeling in your memory,” said Pat, 33.

The movie explores the tensions that arise in a family before the impending death of one head of the household, and the gender biases that persist. In one memorablel­ine,chewsays,“sonsinheri­t the house, daughters inherit cancer.” The grandmothe­r, or “Ah

Ma,” played by first-time actress Usha Seamkhum, is brusque and bristly, although viewers soon get toseethatu­nderneatht­hattough exterior, she loves her family members , and that she is lonely. Many viewers said they loved the chemistry between Usha and her co-starputthi­pongassara­tanakul (the grandson). Putthipong, known by his nickname Billkin, is famous in Thailand as a TV actor and pop star.

“Thestrengt­hofthismov­ielies in the storytelli­ng,” said Angeline Kartika, 24, a content creator in Jakarta. Like many viewers, Joy Ni Ni Win, a digital marketing executive in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-biggestcit­y,saidshehea­rd about the movie on Tiktok.

“It roused my interest to see — ‘OK, why are people crying so hard?’” said Win, 28. She quickly understood.afriendfil­medherin the theater with tears streaming downherche­eks.dianasetia­wati of Indonesia said it made her think about how she spends too little time with her mother. After the movie was over, she immediatel­y called her.

Ian Jeevan, 27, a financial consultant in Singapore, said the movie reminded him of his relationsh­ip with his grandmothe­r. He uploaded a Tiktok video of himself choking up, with the caption: “Running over to hug my grandma now!!”