Venkatesh is teaming up with producer R.B. Choudury for a family entertainer titled "Sankranthi", the remake of Tamil film "Anandam".

"The film will reiterate the need for the joint family system," says Venky who plays an idealistic elder brother. I always try to surprise viewers with varied roles," says the star, who played a cop in his last release "Gharshana".

"Nuclear families are the order of the day, but we will force viewers to rethink," says Venky who himself lives in a joint family.

Director Mupulaneni Siva, who created super-hit "Raja" with Venky, promises "a wholesome entertainer". "Besides celebrating family values, we will entertain viewers with good comedy and music," says Siva who is banking on this film to stage a comeback.

Choudury too is pinning his hopes on the remake to revive his winning habit as his recent releases "Love Today" and "Vidyarthi" have flopped. "We have made a few changes to suit Telugu tastes," he adds.

Veteran actress Sarada makes a comeback in this film. She admits she found it difficult to perform after a big gap.

Srikanth, Sai Balaji and Sarvanand play three brothers while Aarti Agarwal, Sneha, Sangita and Rathi play the female leads.

Aarti, who hit a lean patch recently, hopes to revive her career with this film. "It's an ideal role for making a comeback," says the slim actress.

Despite the film's similarities with "Maa Anaiya", it is expected to do well in Telugu, considering the track record of the Venkatesh-Choudury duo with family dramas.

S.A. Rajkumar has wielded the baton. It remains to be seen if the good response to the film's audio will serve as a prelude to the success of "Sankranthi".