Surya, a wealthy and successful businessman who has grown up under the loving care of his mother, is determined never to get married, even though he has fulfilled his mother’s wish by winning an Olympic gold medal. His mother, Radhika, makes several attempts to change his mind, but all of them fail. She eventually worries that their family may end up without an heir. To put his mother’s worries to rest, Surya decides to have a child through a surrogate mother.
Although Surya’s decision initially shocks his mother, she is happy that there is now a child in the family whom she can pamper and who can carry on the family name. However, her happiness is short-lived when the child suddenly faces a life-threatening situation. While searching for the surrogate mother to save the child, Surya is shocked to discover that she is Mamitha Baiju, who is 20 years younger than him.
When he informs her about the child’s condition and asks her to come with him, Mamitha, who became a surrogate mother for money, agrees to travel with Surya for the same reason. However, as time passes, she begins to fall in love not only with the child she gave birth to but also with its father, Surya.
Surya rejects Mamitha’s love, citing their age difference. Why is he so determined to avoid marriage? Does Mamitha, who persistently pursues him, manage to change Surya’s mind? These questions form the core of ‘Viswanath & Sons’, which presents the story as a family drama centered around an affluent family.
Leading stars often take their roles very seriously, believing that their characters should convey some meaningful advice to society. Surya does the same in this film. Despite playing an extremely wealthy man, his character emphasizes the importance of remaining humble, respecting one’s parents and protecting those who place their trust in you.
Surya, who can effortlessly adapt himself to any character, appears stylish as businessman Sanju Viswanath. At the same time, he has performed in a way that appeals to audiences from all sections. Whether it is refusing to accept the love of a woman younger than him, remaining firm about not getting married, or indirectly expressing his affection for his mother, his effortless performance keeps the audience engaged. In the scene where he breaks down while thinking about his mother, he even manages to move the entire theatre to tears.
Mamitha Baiju, who plays the female lead, wins the audience’s hearts with a lively performance that suits both her age and the character. She effortlessly switches between American-accented English and Tamil. She beautifully portrays a wide range of emotions—including happiness, sadness, love and shyness—and adds considerable strength to the screenplay.
Radhika, who plays Surya’s mother, brings her considerable experience to the role. Her natural and contemporary performance helps the scenes progress smoothly.
Raveena Tandon, Sunil Reddy, Rajeev Menon and the other actors in supporting roles provide strong support to the screenplay.
Cinematographer Nimish Ravi has captured the visuals on a grand scale, establishing from scene to scene that the film has been made on a very large budget.
The songs composed by G.V. Prakash Kumar are soothing as well as lively, and pleasantly touch the heart. Even the background score has been presented melodically, creating a warm and pleasant mood.
Although the screenplay moves at a slow pace, editor Naveen Nooli has put the scenes together in a way that keeps the audience’s attention firmly fixed on the screen.
Written and directed by Venky Atluri, the film tells the story from the perspective of a man who dislikes the institution of marriage. At the same time, the director boldly explores the characters’ real backgrounds and their affluent lifestyle. However, it is Surya who deserves even more credit for taking on such a controversial character.
Despite its simple story, slow-paced screenplay and light-hearted scenes, Venky Atluri keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end. However, the way the mother reacts casually, without confronting or questioning her son even after knowing the background of his overseas trip, is somewhat uncomfortable.
Although controversial subjects are handled humorously and presented in an easily acceptable manner, the protagonist’s attitude—rejecting marriage while wanting only a physical relationship with a woman—makes him appear somewhat similar to his father, who also seems to wander around believing that neither of the two is enough.
Nevertheless, Venky Atluri addresses these subjects in a light-hearted and humorous manner while also delivering several meaningful messages. In particular, dialogues suggesting that anger and hatred eventually become exhausting, that relationships do not necessarily break because of fights but because people no longer know how to communicate afterward, make the audience think.
