Venky Atluri on ‘Viswanath & Sons’ Success: “Suriya Sir’s Faith in the Story Made Me Happy”

Suriya’s latest family entertainer ‘Viswanath & Sons’, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Venky Atluri, is enjoying a strong run at the box office. Starring Mamitha Baiju as the female lead, the film was released theatrically on August 14, 2026.

Presented by Srikara Studios and produced jointly by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, the film has struck a chord with audiences with its natural humour, emotional depth and relatable family drama. ‘Viswanath & Sons’ has crossed the ₹150 crore gross mark worldwide within four days and continues to perform strongly.

In a recent interaction with the media, director Venky Atluri opened up about the film’s success, Suriya’s faith in the story, the writing process, the elaborate house set, Trivikram Srinivas’s reaction, Mamitha Baiju’s casting and the importance of family entertainers in today’s theatrical landscape.

‘Suriya Sir Immediately Connected With the Story’

Venky Atluri revealed that Suriya immediately connected with the story when he first heard the narration.

“Suriya sir was looking for a family-oriented film, and he had mentioned that to me. I already had this story ready, so I narrated it to him. He really liked it and connected with it,” the director said.

According to Venky, Suriya was keen on presenting the story honestly rather than loading it with unnecessary commercial elements.

“He felt that we should tell the story honestly without unnecessarily adding comedy or commercial elements. That is why we were particularly careful with the climax. We also ensured that no character was compromised,” he explained.

Suriya watched the film a few days before its theatrical release and was happy with the final output.

“He was very happy because what he had believed in was exactly what he saw on screen. I feel extremely happy that we could live up to the faith he placed in the story,” Venky added.

Venky Atluri on Trivikram Srinivas Comparisons

Venky has also been receiving appreciation for the strength of his writing, with some comparing his storytelling style to veteran filmmaker Trivikram Srinivas.

Responding to the comparison, Venky said that Trivikram has been one of his biggest inspirations.

“Mani Ratnam sir and Trivikram sir are two of the biggest inspirations behind my decision to enter the film industry. So, being compared with Trivikram sir is a great honour for me,” he said.

The director also admitted that such comparisons bring additional responsibility.

“I understand the responsibility that comes with such a compliment, and I will work even harder to live up to it. I particularly love Trivikram sir’s ‘Nuvvu Naaku Nachav’. The dialogues are entertaining and humorous, yet they convey profound truths about life. That film inspired me tremendously,” Venky revealed.

How ‘Viswanath & Sons’ Took Shape

Venky revealed that the basic idea for the film originated in 2022.

“Initially, I wanted to write a story around a relationship involving a significant age difference. If a person reaches the age of 40 without getting married, there has to be a strong reason behind that decision. The story evolved around that idea,” he explained.

The director said the film also explores how circumstances can influence people’s behaviour.

“I believe that people are not inherently bad. Circumstances make them behave differently. That is one of the central ideas we tried to convey through the film,” Venky said.

Interestingly, the filmmaker did not originally write the story with Suriya in mind. Once the actor came on board, certain aspects were modified to suit his body language and screen presence.

Extensive Planning Behind the House Set

The house set in ‘Viswanath & Sons’ has emerged as one of the film’s visual highlights. Venky explained that considerable effort went into designing the space.

“Our production designer Banglan, cinematographer Nimesh and I sat together and discussed the visual design extensively,” he said.

The team wanted the house to look grand without feeling conventional.

“When we thought about the house, we did not want it to be merely spacious. We wanted it to feel fresh and different. At the same time, it had to reflect richness and grandeur while retaining a sense of novelty. We worked closely on achieving that balance,” Venky explained.

‘Trivikram Sir Did Not Suggest Any Changes’

Venky also shared an interesting detail about Trivikram Srinivas’s response after watching the film.

Since Trivikram is associated with productions under the Sithara Entertainments banner, he watches films made by the production house and often shares his suggestions.

“Usually, after watching a film, he suggests small changes or additions. But in the case of ‘Viswanath & Sons’, he did not suggest any changes. He simply said that the film was very good. That meant a lot to me,” Venky revealed.

Editing Played a Crucial Role

According to Venky, the editing process played a major role in shaping the final version of the film.

“In my view, every film becomes better on the editing table. We should not feel that everything we shoot necessarily has to be part of the final film,” he said.

The director believes filmmakers must give editors enough freedom to make decisions that benefit the overall film.

“If we give the editor the freedom to make the best decisions for the film, the output will definitely improve. We followed the same approach with ‘Viswanath & Sons’, and the editing played an important role in shaping the final product,” he added.

Why the Telugu Version Is Leading Initially

Although ‘Viswanath & Sons’ was shot in Tamil, the Telugu version has been generating stronger initial collections.

Venky attributed this difference to market factors such as theatre count and ticket pricing.

“We shot the film in Tamil keeping Suriya sir’s market in mind. Compared to the Telugu states, Tamil Nadu has fewer theatres, and there is also a difference in ticket pricing. I feel these factors have contributed to the difference in the initial collections,” he explained.

However, Venky is confident that the film will have a strong theatrical run in Tamil Nadu.

“Generally, Tamil films have longer theatrical runs. We saw the same thing happen with ‘Karuppu’. I believe ‘Viswanath & Sons’ will also have a strong long run in Tamil Nadu and eventually deliver substantial collections there,” he said.

Why Mamitha Baiju Was Chosen

Venky Atluri revealed that he decided to cast Mamitha Baiju after watching her performance in ‘Premalu’.

“After watching ‘Premalu’, I felt that Mamitha Baiju would be perfect for this role. She also has a good command of Tamil,” he said.

The filmmaker believes language plays a particularly important role when an actor has to deliver comedy.

“To perform comedy effectively, an actor needs to have a strong understanding of the language and its nuances. Mamitha proved that she had exactly what the role required and did complete justice to the character,” Venky said.

‘My Bond With Sithara Goes Beyond Money’

Speaking about his continued association with Sithara Entertainments, Venky said his relationship with the production house is built on mutual trust rather than just professional agreements.

“My relationship with the Sithara banner goes beyond money and agreements. It has evolved into a bond built on trust,” he said.

“They believed in me and gave me opportunities, and I would love to continue making more films with a banner that has placed such faith in me,” the director added.

‘Audiences Are Hungry for Good Family Films’

Venky also shared his thoughts on the renewed interest in family-oriented movies.

“There was a time when films across different genres were being made regularly. But over the last few years, the number of family-oriented films has reduced considerably,” he observed.

He believes that scarcity has created a strong appetite among audiences for wholesome family entertainers.

“That is why, whenever a genuinely good family film comes along, audiences are eager to return to theatres. I believe the response to ‘Viswanath & Sons’ is a reflection of that audience appetite for wholesome family entertainers,” Venky concluded.

With its strong emotional connect and family-oriented storytelling, ‘Viswanath & Sons’ is continuing its successful theatrical journey, while the ₹150 crore milestone in just four days has further boosted expectations for its long-term box-office performance.