Story
Viswanath (Suriya) is a billionaire business tycoon who remains unmarried even at 42, for a strong personal reason. His mother (Radhika) constantly pressures him to settle down, but instead, he chooses to have a baby boy through surrogacy in California. Just when everything seems to be going smoothly, the baby develops a rare bone marrow condition, forcing Viswanath to contact Maddy (Mamitha Baiju), the boy’s biological mother and a medical student in California. As Maddy becomes part of Viswanath’s household, she slowly develops feelings for him. The rest of the story revolves around how Viswanath learns to care for a family. What happens to the couple with a 20-year age gap between them?
Artists Performance
It’s a cakewalk for Suriya to pull off the role of Viswanath. He looks handsome and wins you over with his performance. However, it’s Mamitha Baiju who truly surprises you by matching Suriya’s wit and expressions. Her character has a playful and slightly naughty side, and she brings a lot of energy to the role. She is equally impressive in the emotional scenes.
Radhika Sarathkumar gets a substantial role in a Telugu film after a long gap, and she excels as a warm and caring mother. Sunil Reddy (Perusu fame and son of A. Kodandarami Reddy) plays an important role and provides some comic relief. Raveena Tandon also has a significant role.
Nassar and Sarvadaman Banerjee play important parts, while George Maryan shines in a character that feels tailor-made for him. Raghu Babu and Hyper Aadi provide laughs in guest roles as a judge and lawyer. Master Charvik Reddy is adorable as Suriya’s son and delivers a charming performance.
Story - screenplay - direction:
The story has two layers to it. One is a love story, where a connection develops between the lead pair after a baby is conceived through surrogacy under a legal arrangement in which both the man and woman remain anonymous to each other. The second is about the protagonist realising his responsibilities towards his extended family and helping them wholeheartedly.
The bone marrow issue is used as a catalyst to bring the lead pair together. At its core, the film is about love and family responsibilities. The script is beautiful, with a love story between a couple connected through surrogacy, which is a novel concept that should attract younger audiences, while the family responsibility element caters to family audiences.
Venky Atluri has developed a distinct style of filmmaking in which he seamlessly blends reality with a cinematic treatment, and he follows the same approach in this film as well. Since it deals with the life of a billionaire and almost half the film takes place in his house, the house chosen is very swanky, and his uber-luxurious lifestyle, including private jets, is showcased effectively.
The episode about respecting one’s father and being proud of him is presented in a heart-touching manner through a TV interview recording. The secret behind the hero’s month-end trips is revealed in a realistic and enjoyable way, though his mother is involved in the revelation. There is also hilarious recall value in the subsequent Nassar episode. The conversation between the lead couple in the hospital is heart-warming.
However, the Ooty detour, though integral to the story, feels a little inorganic. The fight episodes also appear forced to cater to the masses. The hotel-buying concept and a few other sequences resemble the railway station episode from Attarintiki Daredi.
I also liked the way Venky Atluri has written the female characters. In fact, there are more prominent female characters in this film compared to male characters. I also liked the mature way in which he handled the ending.
Despite dealing with sensitive issues and a few adult themes, director Venky Atluri makes the film completely enjoyable for family audiences.
Other departments: G.V. Prakash Kumar’s background score is very good and elevates several key moments. “Neno Butterfly” is an instant chartbuster, while the other songs don’t make much of an impact.
Nimish Ravi’s cinematography is pleasing to the eye, with polished and swanky visuals. However, certain portions in the second half appear to be darker than necessary, possibly due to the DI.
Navin Nooli’s editing is smooth. Venky Atluri’s dialogues are excellent, with some generating humour and others bringing out the right emotions. “మనుషులు విడిపోయేది గొడవల వల్ల కాదు. ఒక గొడవ తర్వాత ఎలా మాట్లాడాలో తెలీక.” is a particularly beautiful dialogue.
Banglan’s production design is in tune with the film’s theme, while the production values by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya are grand.
Analysis: Viswanath & Sons is a family entertainer with a unique combination of surrogacy and a significant age gap between the lead pair. Director Venky Atluri handles the subject well by blending humour with family emotions, and most of the scenes feel fresh and engaging.
The casting is spot-on, with Suriya, Mamitha Baiju and Radhika Sarathkumar delivering excellent performances and making the emotions work. The writing and direction also deserve appreciation.
However, certain portions in the second half don’t feel completely organic, and the action sequences appear forced. These can be seen as compromises made to cater to different sections of the audience, given that the film is designed primarily as a family entertainer.
Despite these minor hiccups, Venky Atluri makes Viswanath & Sons work. It is definitely worth watching in a theatre near you!
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