After Lucky Bhaskar Venky Atluri takes another out of box premise, this time a huge age gap romance with the backdrop of surrogacy. In spite of some dips post interval the film is largely engaging. Mamitha Baiju as the chirpy Madanakameswari akka Maddy is the films beating heart. The young actress more than holds her own opposite Suriya and Radhika Sarathkumar. Suriya as Sanjay Vishwanath delivers a performance which is more internalized nevertheless highly effective. The climax signifying a happy ending for Vishwanath and Maddy ends the film on a high.
Starcast: Suriya, Mamitha Baiju, Radhika Sarathkumar, Raveena Tandon, Nassar and others
Director and writer: Venky Atluri
Genre: Romance/family drama
Dialogues: KN Vijaykumar
Music: GV Prakash Kumar
Cinematography: Nimish Ravi
Producers: Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya
Production Companies: Srikara Studios, Sithara Entertainments etc
Running time: 2 hours and 41 minutes
Vishwanath& Sons is a very anticipated release for numerous reasons. Venky Atluri’s last Lucky Bhaskar was a major hit both critically and commercially. Suriya after a series of theatricals debacles made a strong comeback with the massy hit Karuppu. However, the biggest reason for the buzz is it’s out of box plot. How the huge age gap romance will unfold has created curiosity. Thankfully Venky Atluri does justice to the theme, and the happy ending is the icing on the cake. At times the film ventures into a classic Trivikram territory, the family drama in second half does slow down the movie thankfully though the film never slips off the rails.
The story of VS revolves around a businessman cum Olympic shooter played by Suriya and a free-spirited medical student Maddy (Mamitha Baiju). Vishwanth has an aversion for marriage due to certain reasons, but he ends up having a baby boy through surrogacy. Radhika Sarathkumar plays Vishwanath’s mother who wants her son to get married. The lives of Vishwanath and the surrogate mother Maddy intertwine due to a medical crisis. How Maddy entry changes Vishwanath’s life forms the main core of VS.
The strong aspect of VS is the polar opposite characters. Vishwanath has a more serious demeanor; there is a certain restraint to the character. Maddy though is wilder with an unfiltered attitude. How the two end up developed a deep bond even with the mismatched personalities is a major plus for VS.
Vishwanath’s emotional trauma is revealed in installments, and this helps the viewers in understanding the man’s personality. The subplot of Raveena Tandon and her dynamics with Vishwanath has some solid moments too. Radhika Sarathkumar as the ageing matriarch is elegance personified. The veteran actress balances authority and warmth in her signature style. Her scenes with both Suriya and Mamitha give the film some of its best moments.
Among the lighter scenes a specific mention must be of the portion involving Suriya’s condoms. Venky Atluri treats the entire portion of Vishwanath having flings with 30 plus women in a matter-of-fact way. There is no overt sensationalization with the mother also being cool about it.
Vishwanath &Sons wouldn’t be what it is without the performances apart from the solid writing. After an unabashed massy turn in Karuppu Suriya effortlessly slips into a classy avatar portraying Vishwanath in an understated but highly effective manner. The actor especially shines in the scenes of Vishwanath facing his inner demons and revealing his inner feelings about Maddy.
Mamitha Baiju though is the showstopper, she brings in both warmth and an infectious energy. The stubbornness of Maddy could have been easily mistaken for infatuation but both the writing and the actress bring an emotional resonance. As viewers you understand where Maddy is coming from making the happy ending even more satisfying.
The rest also pitch in some fine performances especially Raveena Tandon. Nassar on the other hand brings in some laughs amidst the second half’s emotional drama. The music of GV Prakash Kumar isn’t a chartbuster, but the songs go well with the films flow. Neno Butterfly deserves a special mention for Mamitha’s portrayal of a love-struck woman.
The cinematography is suitably blingy, but it has a significant hangover of other movies depicting rich families.
Final word: Vishwanth& Sons is a refreshing family entertainer with a good mix of emotions. Definitely worth seeing for fans of comfort cinema and Suriya.
