Vishwanath & Sons
Cast: Suriya, Mamitha Baiju, Radhika Sarathkumar, Raveena Tandon
Director: Venky Atluri
Rating: ★★★
Venky Atluri, who last directed Lucky Baskhar, is back with a light-hearted film. If his previous romances cast his protagonists on somewhat equal footing, Vishwanath & Sons explores a skewed power dynamic. For once, when a 25-year-old Mamitha Baiju is cast opposite a 51-year-old Suriya, the film acknowledges the age difference. That is not to say the film doesn’t have its Boomer moments. Thankfully, it sticks the landing.
Vishwanath & Sons story
Sanjay Vishwanath (Suriya) is an industrialist who took over his family business and is also a professional pistol shooter who won an Olympic gold medal for the country. He’s 40 years old, and his mother (Radhika Sarathkumar) is worried that he will never give her the ‘heir’ she craves for or find a companion to settle down with. One fine day, he comes home with a baby born through surrogacy in the US, solely because he can afford to do that to keep his mother happy. When he’s forced to reach out to the 22-year-old surrogate mother Maddy (Mamitha Baiju) after his son experiences a medical emergency, he gets more than what he bargained for.
Vishwanth & Sons review
With Vishwanath & Sons, Venky is smart enough to answer most of the questions that pop through your head while watching the film. He delivers a comedy-drama that’s self-aware in places and blind to its own trappings in others. Think of the film as something similar to Jean Webster’s novel Daddy-Long-Legs. Except Venky is aware that this is not 1912, so he’s careful about how he lets Sanjay and Maddy’s relationship unravel. He’s not as careful about it when it comes to the supporting characters. Unfortunately, this means the film wavers between Boomer energy and Gen Z sensibilities in its ideology.
What works for the film
Vishwanath & Sons deals with some pretty weighty issues like childhood trauma, ostracisation by society and family due to whom you love, and more importantly, a man with no apparent interest in parenting who shopped for a baby like it was a Rolex. But the film ensures to deal with these head-on at some point, even though it goes about it in a roundabout way. Maddy has her full life ahead of her, but falls head-over-heels for someone who has lived almost half his life. She’s even ready to make some questionable decisions, but the film thankfully doesn’t let her go through them. That is not to say the film only has serious moments; most of it is a string of funny moments.
What doesn’t work for the film
While trying to elevate his hero, Venky falls for the same commercial trappings we saw in the 90s. Because he’s rich, Sanjay solves issues with his money and social capital. In this economy, it’s not really impressive to have a minister on speed dial or to have throwaway money enough to buy a hotel on the spot. The way some side characters are treated for gags leaves a bad taste in the mouth and comes across as classist. The lead also spends enough time schooling everyone, without really looking inward. No one in the film gets grace unless there’s a sob story involved.
We’re told that this is a man who learned to repair things rather than throw them away and seek something new. But a key relationship in his life is sidelined till he acknowledges it only to fulfil a responsibility. It can be argued that trauma has its own timeline, but it’s odd that someone who’s perceived to be empathetic never gave a thought to the other side of the story. Given how conscious the film is about Sanju and Maddy’s relationship, it’s an odd choice to cast someone like Raveena Tandon, who’s closer to Suriya’s age, to portray someone much older than him. I truly thought she was playing an ex when her character was introduced.
In conclusion
Is Vishwanath & Sons perfect? No. But despite its flaws, it works because of Suriya and Mamitha. The two play their characters with such earnestness that it’s hard not to care for them. When stripped to its core, this is the story of Sanjay and Maddy, two individuals destined to meet. It just might not be the same old love story everyone imagines.