'Vishwanath And Sons' Review, Suriya's Maturity And Venky Atluri's Shift Impress, Second Half Drags
'Vishwanath and Sons' is Suriya's latest release after 'Karuppu.' It is directed by Venky Atluri, known for 'Rang De,' 'Vaathi,' 'Lucky Baskhar,' and more.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleDirector Venky Atluri is back with Vishwanath and Sons, starring Suriya as 'Sanjay Vishwanath', a wealthy businessman who chooses surrogacy to continue his family legacy. Unlike Atluri’s earlier breezy rom-com and crime drama with Dhanush and Dulquer Salmaan, this film leans into a mature family drama centered on trauma, parenting, and an age-gap relationship. It starts fun and heartfelt, but stumbles in a formulaic second half. Still, strong performances keep this classy, emotional story afloat.
A family drama that starts breezy but stumbles later
Vishwanath and Sons tries to tell a story about money, trauma, and healing. Director Venky Atluri puts Suriya at the center as 'Sanjay Vishwanath,' a rich businessman and Olympic medal-winning pistol shooter. He is in his 40s, single by choice, and lives with his mother, 'Nirmala Devi,' played by Radhikaa Sarathkumar.
The film opens lightly. 'Sanjay' avoids marriage and dates casually when he travels abroad. His mother keeps pushing him to settle down, worried their family will have no heir. After a health scare, 'Sanjay' chooses an unusual path: surrogacy. That’s how 'Maddy,' played by Mamitha Baiju, a medical student in San Francisco, enters his life.
A year later, 'Sanjay' comes back to Chennai with a baby boy, 'Abhay.' When 'Abhay' falls sick and needs a bone marrow transplant, only his biological mother can help. So 'Maddy' lands in India. What starts as a legal arrangement slowly turns into something more human. 'Maddy' is loud, impulsive, and full of life. She gets into the house, into the conversations, and into 'Sanjay's' walls without trying.
The first half works best. It feels easy and funny. 'Sanjay' and 'Maddy' have good chemistry. Their back-and-forth brings laughs, and 'Nirmala Devi' adds warmth with her sharp one-liners and quiet understanding. One scene where the mother casually talks about finding condoms in her son’s bag stands out. It’s handled without judgment, and that’s rare for a mainstream Indian family film.
Suriya plays 'Sanjay' with control. He is not loud. He likes his space, doesn’t share food, and says what he feels without being rude. You see the businessman, the father, and the son in him. Mamitha Baiju makes 'Maddy' likable instead of annoying. She brings energy and honesty to every scene. Radhikaa is steady as the mother. Her eye-rolls, chuckles, and soft persuasion make 'Nirmala Devi' feel real.
The film also touches big topics: childhood trauma, marriage, parenting, surrogacy, and the age gap between 'Sanjay' and 'Maddy.' Venky Atluri keeps the tone clean. He doesn’t turn the age difference or surrogacy into loud fights. That’s a plus.
Where it loses grip in the second half
After the interval, the film changes tone. The comedy fades. Drama takes over, and it becomes predictable. A subplot with 'Anjali,' played by Raveena Tandon, comes in. It leads to a standard hero fight and a speech that solves everything. It feels forced and takes us away from the main story of 'Sanjay,' 'Maddy,' and 'Abhay.' Another long track in Ooty, with a local leader and Nasser's character, feels out of place. These parts remind you of old 90s templates and slow the film down.
Editing also hurts here. Scenes stretch longer than needed. The film could have used tighter cuts and better songs. Only the Butterfly song stands out. The rest, and the occasional action bits, feel unnecessary. Some choices also raise questions. The film casually accepts 'Sanjay's' past of multiple casual relationships and even hints at normalizing multiple partners. It didn’t need that sub-plot, and it sits uneasily with the film’s otherwise sensible tone.
Still, the lead cast carries it. Suriya shines in an emotional scene in the second half and reminds you why people liked his softer, classy roles. Mamitha stays fresh even when her character gets less depth later. Radhikaa brings dignity to a mother role we’ve seen many times, but makes it her own.
Visually, the film looks rich. The houses and sets match the world of a wealthy family. But sometimes it feels too staged, like it was shot on sets instead of real places. That’s a common look in Telugu-style family dramas, and this film follows that pattern.
Vishwanath and Sons is not perfect. The second half is uneven, formulaic, and could have dug deeper into its themes. But the first half is genuinely fun, and the core performances keep you invested. Venky Atluri promised a film that would make you reach for tissues, and he delivers on that to an extent. Some moments will make you tear up, even if you don’t cry through the whole film. It’s a decent, heartfelt watch about people learning to talk, to heal, and to choose family on their own terms.
Have you watched Vishwanath and Sons in theatres? Let us know.
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