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Venky Atluri; Suriya and Mamitha Baiju in the film
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In mid-July, as director Venky Atluri was putting the finishing touches on his upcoming Tamil-Telugu film Vishwanath & Sons, another milestone arrived. The 72nd National Film Awards recognised him with the Best Screenplay (Dialogue Writer) award for his 2024 Telugu film Lucky Baskhar.
When the announcement was made, Venky admitted the news had yet to sink in. Now, as he promotes Vishwanath & Sons, starring Suriya and Mamitha Baiju, he describes the honour as “a validation of my efforts.”
“It also makes me more responsible,” he says. “People will now pay closer attention to how I write and portray my characters.”
Speaking at Sithara Entertainments’ office in Hyderabad, Venky reflects on his writing process, his approach to direction, and why he believes Vishwanath & Sons, which explores an age-gap relationship, will resonate with family audiences, especially Gen Z.