Trivikram Says Suriya and Mahesh Babu Are Two Actors Who ‘Age Backwards’
At the Vishwanath & Sons success celebration, the filmmaker also said he wants to direct Suriya and joked that his wife has been demanding the collaboration.
Filmmaker Trivikram Srinivas had a playful compliment for Suriya and Mahesh Babu while speaking at the success celebration of Vishwanath & Sons in Hyderabad.
“In India, there are only two heroes whose age seems to go backwards — Suriya sir and Mahesh Babu sir,” Trivikram said, drawing attention to the two actors’ enduring youthful appearance.
Vishwanath & Sons, starring Suriya and directed by Venky Atluri, opened worldwide on August 14, 2026. Mamitha Baiju plays the female lead, with Radhika Sarathkumar and Raveena Tandon in prominent roles. The film is produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, with Srikara Studios presenting it. G.V. Prakash Kumar composed the music.
At the celebration, Trivikram said he had felt close to the story ever since Venky Atluri first narrated it to him and congratulated the team for making a family-oriented film despite changing theatrical trends.
Trivikram wants to direct Suriya
The more significant industry comment came when Trivikram spoke about his desire to work with Suriya.
“I want to make a film with Suriya sir,” he said, adding humorously that he had not yet narrated a story that Suriya liked. Trivikram said he nevertheless believes they will eventually work together.
He also revealed that there is pressure for the collaboration at home. According to Trivikram, his wife is a major admirer of Suriya and does not merely request that he direct the actor — she “demands it.” He recalled that she usually does not visit shoots connected with Sithara Entertainments, but made an exception to visit the Vishwanath & Sons set, meet Suriya and take a photograph with him.
Trivikram, however, stopped short of announcing an actual Suriya-Trivikram project. His comments indicate an intention to collaborate rather than confirmation that a film has been finalized.
‘Ghajini’ connection
Trivikram also looked back at Suriya’s Sanjay Ramaswamy from Ghajini, describing it as one of those characters that has stayed with Telugu audiences for years. He praised Venky Atluri for bringing back a similarly sophisticated, restrained screen presence for Suriya in Vishwanath & Sons.
He singled out Suriya, Radhika Sarathkumar, Raveena Tandon and Mamitha Baiju as the “four pillars” of the film. Trivikram particularly praised Suriya’s controlled performance, arguing that underplaying a character can be more difficult than delivering an overtly dramatic performance.
Speaking about Suriya’s recent choices, Trivikram noted the contrast between Karuppu and Vishwanath & Sons, saying the two very different films made it feel as though the actor had begun a fresh phase in his career. He also cited Suriya’s humility as one of his most admirable qualities and expressed his respect for the actor’s father, veteran actor Sivakumar.
Trivikram added that Telugu audiences have long embraced both Suriya and Karthi as their own. He said language and regional boundaries are increasingly giving way to a broader idea of Indian cinema, which now has an opportunity to establish itself more strongly on the global stage.
The filmmaker concluded by crediting audiences for the film’s early reception, calling them the “real heroes” of Vishwanath & Sons.
For Telugu moviegoers in the United States, Vishwanath & Sons had USA premieres on August 13, one day ahead of its India release, with Shloka Entertainments handling the US theatrical release.
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