India, Aug. 17 -- Family entertainers have become a rare breed in both South and Hindi cinema. So, whenever you come across one, it feels almost regrettable to let it pass, more so when your beloved star is returning to a forgotten genre after nearly two decades. With this thought, I went to watch Suriya's Vishwanath & Sons, and aptly, with the whole family. The film delivered, too-the laughs, the nostalgia, the drama, and the unbridled love and disappointment that only family can give you.

But as I watched this 'family entertainer', I also realised how these films can sometimes become an excuse to package everything that is wrong with society as harmless fun. The audience is expected to accept it because, what else can a family laugh to...