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I froze: Radhika Sarathkumar shot comedy scene minutes after learning of mothers death
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New DelhiAug 11, 2026 07:57 PM IST Radhika Sarathkumar will next be seen in Vishwanath and Sons. (Photo: Instagram/Radhika Sarathkumar)Radhika Sarathkumar was in the middle of filming a comedy scene for Vishwanath and Sons when she received the news that her mother, Geetha Radha, had died. Instead of leaving the set immediately, the veteran actor asked if she could finish the scene first. Director Venky Atluri and co-stars Suriya and Mamitha Baiju recently recalled the emotional incident in an interview released by the film’s producer, Sithara Entertainments. They revealed that around 85% of the scene had already been completed and Radhika insisted on finishing the remaining portions because recreating it later would have been difficult.“We were shooting a proper comedy scene. It was a proper comedy scene, and that was when the news came that Radhika ma’am’s mother had just passed away. But she asked, ‘Can I finish this scene and leave?’ I froze for a second and just went completely blank,” Atluri recalled. The contrast between the nature of the scene and what had just happened left the cast and crew stunned. “And here we were filming a comedy scene!” Mamitha Baiju added. Radhika’s mother had asked her to go for the shoot Radhika Sarathkumar explained that the decision was also connected to her mother’s wishes. She had come to the set knowing that her mother’s health was critical and had been in the hospital. “85% of the scene was done. Only five shots were left. It was impossible to recreate the scene later. I came to the shoot when my mother was in the hospital. I knew it was a critical time, but she said, ‘No, go shoot,’” Radhika said.Story continues below this ad Her mother, Geetha Radha, the wife of late actor M.R. Radha, died in Chennai in September 2025 at the age of 86 after suffering from age-related health issues. Radhika had shared the news of her mother’s death at the time. In June 2026, she also talked about her mother while paying tribute to filmmaker Bharathiraja, describing her mother as one of the two people who made her who she is. ALSO READ: Madhavan was written off, parents made to feel guilty: ‘He will never be successful’ Mamitha Baiju recalls watching Radhika Sarathkumar perform Mamitha Baiju said she had spoken to Radhika about her relationship with her mother just a day before the shoot.Story continues below this ad “The day before, when she was talking to me, I got to know how attached she was to her mother. She talked to me about the bond with her mother, how she is, her health. I could relate because I share a similar bond with my mother,” she said. That made the situation on set even more difficult for Mamitha. “So on the day of the shoot when that news arrived, I was truly heartbroken. I was just watching her perform the scene and she was delivering the comedy with total commitment, fully immersed in the performance. In that moment, as a fellow actor, I was left speechless,” she recalled. Suriya praises Radhika’s dedication to cinema Suriya, who stars in Vishwanath and Sons alongside Mamitha and Radhika, said the latter’s decision demonstrated the commitment that has sustained her career over several decades.Story continues below this ad “Look at the immense respect she is giving to her craft. That dedication is exactly why she has sustained such a legendary career to this day. It reflects the deep love and respect she holds for herself and for everything cinema has given her,” he said. Radhika Sarathkumar has been one of the prominent actors in South Indian cinema for decades, while also establishing herself as a producer and television personality. About Vishwanath and Sons Vishwanath and Sons is directed by Venky Atluri and stars Suriya, Mamitha Baiju, Radhika Sarathkumar and Raveena Tandon. The film follows Suriya as Sanjay Vishwanath, an international shooter whose life is shaped by family, relationships and an unexpected romance. The film marks Suriya’s first collaboration with At
Actor Suriya has spoken about love, marriage and the importance of respecting women at the audio launch of his upcoming film Vishwanath and Sons on Sunday evening, telling young men that love is not something that should fade after the wedding but should grow stronger with every passing year. “If I have one piece of advice for young men about love, it is this: love should always endure. It isn’t something that exists only before marriage or until the wedding ceremony. You should love your partner every day. Even after 20 years, you should still be in love, continue caring for them and continue respecting them,” Suriya said.He acknowledged that people grow and change over the course of a life together, but said the one thing that should remain unchanged is how they feel about the person beside them. “We all change. Our priorities, mindset and purpose in life evolve with time. But the love you have for your partner should never change,” he said. Also Read: Jyotika on marriage with Suriya, parenting: ‘It’s not just him supporting me, I chose to do less work’ Suriya then turned to the subject of respect, arguing that it matters even more than love. He said women carry a disproportionate share of the weight in families, making sacrifices that often go unrecognised, and urged men to be more vocal in acknowledging what the women in their lives achieve. “More than love, give them respect. Don’t just salute their achievements ten times over, salute them a hundred times. Support them in every way possible,” he said. The words carried the weight of his own marriage to actor Jyotika, a relationship that has been one of the most visible and admired partnerships in South Indian cinema for over two decades. Suriya and Jyotika first crossed paths on the sets of Poovellam Kettuppar in 1999. Jyotika, who was still new to Tamil cinema at the time, has spoken in the past about how Suriya helped her learn the language during the shoot. What began as a working friendship grew into a relationship during the filming of Kaakha Kaakha in 2003, the Gautham Vasudev Menon-directed cop thriller that became a blockbuster and cemented both their careers. They went on to share screen space in Perazhagan and Sillunu Oru Kaadhal before marrying on September 11, 2006.Story continues below this ad After marriage, Jyotika stepped away from acting to focus on raising their two children, Diya and Dev. She returned to cinema in 2015 with 36 Vayadhinile, a comeback that Suriya publicly backed and celebrated. In the years since, Jyotika has built a second phase of her career with films like Magalir Mattum, Ratchasi and Ponmagal Vandhal, establishing herself as one of the few actors in Tamil cinema to successfully reinvent her career after a long hiatus. Vishwanath and Sons, directed by Venky Atluri and produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, also stars Radhika Sarathkumar and Raveena Tandon along with Suriya.
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