Produced by Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas and directed by Venky Atluri, The One Suriya’s Viswanath & Sons, which released on August 14, has become a grand success and is creating box-office records with tremendous support from audiences. Delighted by the response, the film’s team thanked the fans and the media for making the film a success.
A special event was held in Chennai to celebrate the success. Distributor Haritha Lingasamy, actor Sunil Reddy, lyricist Balaji Venugopal, actresses Radhika Sarathkumar, Bhavani Sre and Mamitha Baiju, music composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, and director Venky Atluri participated in the event.
Lyricist Balaji Venugopal
Balaji Venugopal said that he has spent the last 23 years in the world of speaking, as he is an RJ, and has hosted thousands of stage programmes. He has also appeared on stage as a film director and for directing a web series. However, this was the first time he had stepped onto a stage as a lyricist, making it a very important and joyful occasion for him.
He said that he and Arunraja Kamaraj had written songs together for the first time for this film.
He thanked G. V. Prakash Kumar and said that whenever he steps onto a stage related to cinema, Prakash is the first person he thanks. He recalled meeting Prakash during the making of Veyil in 2003, when Prakash played the song “Uruguthey Maruguthey” and asked him whether it would reach audiences. Today, Prakash has become a highly acclaimed composer and has won three National Awards.
Balaji described G. V. Prakash not merely as a friend but as his teacher, and thanked both Prakash and Venky Atluri for giving him the opportunity to write songs for the film.
He also praised Venky Atluri as a highly compassionate person, saying that Viswanath & Sons was not just his “art” but his “heart.” He had read the screenplay a year earlier and was moved emotionally at several places. He praised Venky for bringing the screenplay to the screen effectively and said that he has a great future ahead.
Balaji also recalled interviewing Suriya in 2003 for Ghajini. Suriya had arrived five minutes late because of an elevator issue at their office and immediately apologized. Balaji said that this humility and humanity were among the reasons Suriya continues to have so many loyal fans.
He added that playing such a film in this genre required courage from a major star like Suriya and thanked him for taking up the role.
Bhavani Sre
Bhavani Sre said she was extremely happy to have been a small part of the film. Although her role was limited, director Venky had written the character of Meghna well, and she thanked him for the opportunity.
She admitted that she was initially nervous about acting alongside Suriya, whom she had admired since childhood. However, once she arrived on set, Suriya spoke to her naturally and encouraged her to perform well as Meghna. His words helped her overcome her nervousness.
She also praised Radhika Sarathkumar and Mamitha Baiju, describing them as two powerhouses. She said every scene featuring them felt like pearls and added that working with Raveena was also a wonderful experience.
Radhika Sarathkumar
Radhika Sarathkumar thanked the media and fans for making the film a success.
She said that in today’s world, holding people’s attention has become increasingly difficult. However, Viswanath & Sons managed to tell its story patiently and win the audience’s affection.
She revealed that when Venky narrated the story to her scene by scene, she wondered whether Suriya had agreed to perform all those scenes. Venky assured her that he had.
Radhika also recalled discussing the heroine selection with Venky. She later saw Mamitha Baiju during the shooting of Dude and, after hearing praise about her acting ability, was happy when Venky confirmed that Mamitha would be the heroine.
She said that both she and Sarathkumar watched the film in a theatre. Sarathkumar, who usually points out flaws in films, simply said, “I love this movie. It is good,” after watching Viswanath & Sons.
Radhika praised the emotional journey of the protagonist, whose mother is his entire world and whose life changes after her death. She said Venky’s writing in the film was intelligent and praised his earlier film Lucky Baskhar as well.
She compared Viswanath & Sons to a family-oriented film like Suryavamsam, saying that every character in the film speaks intelligently and honestly from their own perspective. She wished Venky continued success.
Mamitha Baiju
Mamitha Baiju congratulated the entire team and thanked everyone who supported and guided her.
She said they miss Suriya and thanked the media and fans for making the film successful.
She encouraged those who had not yet watched the film to experience it in theatres, saying that audiences would leave the theatre with a sense of satisfaction.
G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar thanked the producers and production company for giving him the opportunity to compose music for the film.
He praised Venky Atluri, with whom he first worked on Vaathi. That film became a major success, followed by Lucky Baskhar, which was also highly successful. With Viswanath & Sons, the duo completed a hat-trick of successful films.
Prakash said that the success of the Vaathi songs in both Tamil and Telugu helped bring him many opportunities from the Telugu film industry, and he credited Venky for that.
He revealed that people he met in Hyderabad recently praised the music of Viswanath & Sons, which made him genuinely proud.
He also said the film has achieved tremendous success overseas and created a new box-office record for a Suriya film in Andhra Pradesh.
Prakash described this as an important year for Suriya, who has delivered two consecutive blockbuster hits and is expected to release another film soon, possibly around Diwali or by the end of the year.
He also spoke warmly about working with Radhika Sarathkumar and said that some of her scenes in the film moved him to tears while he was working on the background score.
He revealed that two songs were created in just three days during the final stage of production, and those songs have now become major hits.
He concluded by saying that the film had not received a single negative review so far, calling that a rare achievement.
Director Venky Atluri
Venky Atluri thanked the fans and media for making the film a success. He said that they had previously supported his films Vaathi and Lucky Baskhar, and that Viswanath & Sons was his first film as a director in Tamil.
He recalled being extremely nervous when the press screening was held. He was worried about how journalists would react after watching the completed film. However, after the screening, journalists praised him, shook his hand and hugged him, which he said was an unforgettable experience.
Venky thanked Sunil, Bhavani Sre, G. V. Prakash Kumar, distributor Lingasamy, Radhika Sarathkumar and Mamitha Baiju.
He described Mamitha as a pure-hearted person and a wonderful actress who thinks deeply about cinema. He said he would be happy to work with her again if given the opportunity.
Venky also spoke about his long association with G. V. Prakash Kumar. They have worked together on three films, and Venky said Prakash always supports his creative decisions. Even when Venky rejects a completed song and asks for a new one, Prakash willingly creates another song without hesitation or additional charges.
Finally, Venky praised Suriya for having the courage to accept a family-oriented story without imposing expectations on the director. He said Suriya’s love for his fans is incomparable.
He added that he had just heard from someone in the film trade that Viswanath & Sons had crossed ₹150 crore at the box office, which gave him goosebumps.
Venky concluded by thanking everyone who bought a ticket and every fan who applauded the film, and requested audiences to continue supporting the Viswanath family.
