After his comeback film ‘Karuppu’, Suriya is all set for the grounded, romantic drama movie ‘Vishwanath & Sons’ and expectations are quite high.Now, a video of director Venky Atluri paying respect to Suriya at a promotional event for ‘Vishwanath & Sons’ has caught the attention of social media users. The director was seen making a traditional gesture toward the actor while he addressed the audience.
Venky Atluri pays respect to Suriya
Suriya was speaking on stage when the Sita Ramam director suddenly approached him and asked him to look up. As the actor looked up, Venky Atluri bent down and touched his feet as a mark of respect. Suriya then playfully moved towards Venky Atluri in response to the gesture. The video is winning hearts online.One X user wrote, “He made us cry. Venky Atluri .” Another commented, “There may be many heroes in this film industry, but not everyone can become Suriya.” A third user simply wrote, “lovely.”
Venky Atluri initially pitched a biopic to Suriya
While ‘Vishwanath & Sons’ is now ready for release, it was not the first story Venky Atluri discussed with Suriya. In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, the filmmaker revealed that he had initially narrated a biopic to the actor.Suriya reportedly liked the idea and was excited about the project. However, the film could not proceed because of issues surrounding its rights.“It was actually a surprise that Suriya sir agreed to do this film. When I first met him, I narrated a biopic. He loved the idea and was very excited, but there were rights issues surrounding the project,” he said.The setback eventually led Venky Atluri to introduce another story to Suriya. That idea would later develop into ‘Vishwanath & Sons’.
Suriya wanted to return to a family entertainer
Venky Atluri also revealed that Suriya was interested in exploring a lighter genre. The actor had spent several years working on action films and socially driven stories.According to the filmmaker, Suriya wanted to do a romantic and family-oriented project. He was also looking for a change after appearing in several intense roles.“He told me it had been around 12 to 14 years since he had done a cute love story or a proper family entertainer. After films like the Singam series, Soorarai Pottru and Jai Bhim, he wanted to do something breezy. He also felt he had already done two biopics recently, so maybe it was a sign to move on,” Venky recalled.
Venky Atluri narrated the basic idea over phone
The filmmaker then brought up another concept during a phone conversation with Suriya. Instead of narrating the complete screenplay, Venky Atluri initially explained only the central premise.“I told him I had another idea, though I wasn’t sure if he’d be interested. Since we were speaking over the phone, I only narrated the concept — a story about a 40-year-old and a 20-year-old”, he said.The concept eventually became ‘Vishwanath & Sons’. Producer Rajsekar Pandian later invited Venky Atluri to Chennai for a full narration.
Rajsekar Pandian was impressed by the script
The detailed narration reportedly had an immediate impact on Rajsekar Pandian. Venky Atluri recalled that the producer became emotional while listening to the screenplay.“Around the 10th or 15th scene, I noticed he started tearing up. After the narration, he immediately called Suriya sir and told him, ‘It’s a beautiful script. You have to do it.'”Following the narration, the project moved ahead quickly. Suriya also heard the complete screenplay and connected with the material.
Suriya approved ‘Vishwanath & Sons’ quickly
Venky Atluri said Suriya responded positively during the first full narration. The filmmaker also recalled the unusually quick transition from writing to production.“He loved it in the very first sitting. From that point, there was no stopping us. I narrated the script in April, and we began shooting by May or June. Everything happened very simply, but looking back, it still feels surprising. I really thank God for the way it all came together.”‘Vishwanath & Sons’ stars Suriya, Mamitha Baiju, Raveena Tandon and Radikaa Sarathkumar. Directed by Venky Atluri, the bilingual romantic family drama is scheduled to release in theatres on August 14, 2026.